SANDPOINT, Idaho — BNSF has opened its second bridge over Lake Pend Oreille in Sandpoint, Idaho, providing a second track at a previously one-track bottleneck nearly a year ahead of schedule. The nearly mile-long bridge, next to a structure built by Northern Pacific in 1904, opened on Sunday, Nov. 20. “We are excited about the […]
Follow Trains.com videographer Kevin Gilliam as he explores U.S. railroading action from a trackside perspective. And when the opportunity arises, you’ll also find other notable contributors capturing footage of contemporary railroad operations – everything from steam-powered tourist train to Class I heavy haulers to Amtrak Northeast Corridor high speed Acela sets. Of course, you’ll never know […]
WASHINGTON — Montana Rail Link has moved one step closer to closing up shop and turning over its operations to BNSF Railway. MRL on Nov. 18 asked federal regulators for permission to discontinue service over 656.47 miles of track in Montana and Idaho as part of the early termination of its lease with BNSF, according […]
WILLMAR, Minn. – BNSF Railway has opened a new 2.8-mile wye track west of Willmar that allows trains to bypass the city. Referred to as the “Willmar Bypass” the new track links BNSF’s busy Marshall Subdivision and its Morris Subdivision, the former Great Northern mainline. It allows eastbound Morris Subdivision trains to head onto the […]
FORT WORTH, Texas – BNSF Railway has given four new locations its Certified Sites designation, clearing the way for rail-served development along its network. The new sites, which are ready for development, are located in Kansas, Nebraska, Washington, and Wyoming. The include Dodge City Business Park in Dodge City, Kan.; Seward/Lincon Regional Rail Campus in […]
Chicago-area pedestrian crossing disappears I have no idea how long pedestrians have been crossing the railroad right-of-way at the gated crossing on BNSF Railway’s triple-track main line at Central Avenue in Western Springs, Ill., but it’s safe to assume it’s been quite a while. But the way that crossing quickly disappeared is another reminder of […]
MISSOULA, Mont. — The Big Sky Passenger Rail Authority, the group seeking to return passenger service to southern Montana, has agreed to help BNSF Railway seek a federal grant for improvements on the route of the Empire Builder, the existing Amtrak service in the northern part of the state. The Missoula Current reports that the $15 […]
SAN CLEMENTE, Calif. — The unstable slope along the rail line used by Amtrak and Metrolink trains in south Orange County continues to move, but excavation is scheduled to begin today (Friday, Nov. 11) for the installation of ground anchors to stabilize the hillside, the San Diego Union-Tribune reports. Passenger service on the Surf Line […]
RUGBY, N.D. — With extreme winter weather expected tomorrow (Friday, Nov. 11) and Saturday, BNSF Railway has notified Amtrak that it will enact directional running between Minot and Fargo, N.D., for those days, forcing the westbound Empire Builder to miss scheduled stops in Grand Forks, Devils Lake, and Rugby. Forecasts are for 10 to 15 […]
ROCHELLE, Ill. — The city of Rochelle has broken ground on its new Intermodal Transload Center, which will offer both intermodal service and transloading for a variety of commodities. Intermodal service could begin as early as spring 2023, the city says. “The Union Pacific Global III Intermodal facility abruptly idled in 2019, leaving local industries […]
CHICAGO — J.B. Hunt executives see the potential for major growth with partner BNSF Railway next year thanks to rival Schneider shifting its intermodal business to Union Pacific. Schneider’s move to UP, effective Jan. 1, comes a year after another major truckload carrier, Knight-Swift, left BNSF for UP. “We have massive capacity becoming available to […]
OMAHA, Neb. — BNSF Railway’s profits declined in the third quarter due to a combination of lower volume and higher operating expenses. The railway’s operating income fell 7.1%, to $2.1 billion, on revenue of $6.5 billion, a 16.8% increase, BNSF’s parent company, Berkshire Hathaway, reported on Saturday. Revenue rose due to higher fuel surcharge revenue […]
