Digest: NTSB releases preliminary report on BNSF fatality in Southern California

Aereal photo of rail accident site

NTSB preliminary report outlines circumstances of March 3 fatal BNSF incident The National Transportation Safety Board will examine safety rules related to switching, close clearances in rail yards, and the effects of fatigue and medical issues on crew members as it continues its investigation into a fatal accident involving a BNSF Railway employee in Southern […]

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Big Skies & Iron Rails, Winter, Episode 2

Big Skies & Iron Rails logo on a scenic winter background with snow, evergreen trees, and BNSF locomotive

Railroad photographer/videographer Tom Danneman resides in Wisconsin, but his heart never wanders from the American West – even during the harshest days of winter. Take a cinematic trek with him, as he immerses us to the clash with the cold, charms of the quiet, and the continuous challenges railroads face under Big Skies & Iron […]

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Big Skies & Iron Rails, Winter, Episode 2

Big Skies & Iron Rails logo on a scenic winter background with snow, evergreen trees, and BNSF locomotive

Railroad photographer/videographer Tom Danneman resides in Wisconsin, but his heart never wanders from the American West – even during the harshest days of winter. Take a cinematic trek with him, as he immerses us to the clash with the cold, charms of the quiet, and the continuous challenges railroads face under Big Skies & Iron […]

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Digest: Judge rules for ‘Cascades’ engineer in suit against Amtrak

Wrecked passenger train

Judge grants Cascades train 501 engineer partial summary judgment in suit against Amtrak A judge in Washington state has ruled that Amtrak is strictly liable for the fatal 2017 derailment of an Amtrak Cascades train in DuPont, Wash., meaning a trial later this year over a claim by the train’s engineer will only be to […]

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Digest: New MBTA subway cars have derailed six times near site of recent incident

Rapid transit trainset in factory

Car weight may be a factor in derailments by new MBTA subway cars The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority’s new Orange Line subway cars have derailed six times near Wellington Station in Medford, Mass., since the first new cars entered service, and their weight may be a factor. New England Cable News reports five of those […]

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BNSF Railway locomotives reviewed

Three diesel locomotives outside shop building

The motive power fleet of BNSF Railway, which celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2020, has come a long way since Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe and Burlington Northern merged in 1995. The railroad has transformed its roster from one of the most eclectic in modern times to a more refined fleet of locomotives with a […]

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Digest: BNSF train derails in California desert, spilling alcohol

A vertical image of a train derailment in an arid landscape with low-angle sunlight.

BNSF derailment leads to spill of denatured alcohol Some 25 to 35 cars of a BNSF train derailed Wednesday near the remote San Bernardino County, Calif., community of Ludlow, spilling “several thousand gallons” of denatured alcohol from a leaking tank car, according to a county fire department spokesman. The Victor Valley Daily Press reports the […]

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BNSF is bouncing back from harsh winter weather as service, volume recover

An orange BNSF Railway locomotive leads a train over a snow-covered multi-track main line.

FORT WORTH, Texas — BNSF Railway is recovering quickly after blasts of extreme winter weather raked the system last month. BNSF has turned the corner on restoring fluidity to its network as volume recovers after the weather shocks, John Miller, the railroad’s group vice president of industrial products, told the Pacific Northwest Association of Rail Shippers […]

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Digest: Court rules against railroads in fuel-surcharge case

Trains Magazine placeholder image

Judge rules against railroads on evidence in fuel-surcharge case A federal judge has denied a request by four Class I railroads to exclude certain evidence from a long-running case over fuel surcharges that involves more than 200 major shippers. The motion by BNSF, CSX, Norfolk Southern, and Union Pacific contended that federal law permits limited […]

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Digest: Longmont, Colo., council to consider legal options over RTD commuter rail project

Denver_RTD

Longmont, Colo., city council to meet on legal options regarding Northwest Rail project The Longmont, Colo., city council is planning a closed-door meeting Tuesday to consider the city’s legal options to push Denver’s Regional Transportation District to commit to building a long-planned, much-delayed commuter rail line to the community. The Longmont Times-Call reports the executive […]

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Digest: BNSF, UP update recoveries from winter weather

BNSF logo

BNSF, UP update recovery efforts from winter weather The most recent updates from BNSF Railway and Union Pacific as they recover from last week’s severe weather: — BNSF notified customers in a Friday update that it would take some time to clear traffic backlogs, particularly on the southern portion of the railroad, while all four […]

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BNSF dispatching, headquarters kept running during Texas power failures

BNSF logo

FORT WORTH, Texas – Although BNSF Railway’s operations have been disrupted by the widespread snow, ice, and record-breaking cold that swept across the southern areas of its system and crippled the Texas power grid this week, the railroad’s headquarters and Network Operations Center dodged a bullet. The headquarters campus, including the Network Operations Center and […]

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