BNSF impacted by northwestern wildfires

BNSF Railway Co. reported to its customers yesterday that it is experiencing an operational impact due to a track outage caused by wildfires in Essex, Mont. The Class I informed customers in an Aug. 31 service advisory that the railroad’s main track though the area was [...]

BNSF: court order could disrupt economy

LA CROSSE, Wis. — BNSF Railway says a temporary court injunction against use of its new track through the La Crosse River marsh would damage the railroad and disrupt the economy of the northern part of the country. In documents filed this week, attorneys for BNSF challe [...]

Former General Chairperson Robert Swert dies

Retired former General Chairperson Robert E. Swert, 89, of Port Charlotte, Fla. and formerly of West Chester, Pa. died August 20, 2015, in Port Charlotte. After serving in the U.S. Army Air Corps, Swert hired out as a brakeman with the New York Central Railroad. Swert began h [...]

Fire crews take the train

With thick smoke impeding visibility and foiling aircraft operations over the past couple of days, BNSF Railway trains have been shuttling fire crews and heavy equipment into the Sheep Fire at the southern edge of Glacier National Park. There firefighters have been working to [...]

Phoenix voters OK tax to fund light-rail

Phoenix-area voters on Tuesday approved a comprehensive transportation plan that would significantly increase public spending on light-rail and other transit projects, city officials announced yesterday. According to unofficial results, nearly 55 percent of voters approved th [...]

FRA issues advisory on ballast defects

FRA is issuing this safety advisory to emphasize the importance of timely repairing ballast defects and conditions on main tracks. FRA notes that ballast defects and ballast conditions that are not repaired in a timely manner can lead to future defects. FRA believes it is imp [...]