How BNSF drives greater resiliency in service
By MIKE PAGEL
Staff Writer
Railroading is an outdoor sport, so there are inherent and unpredictable challenges like weather. Because we can’t control weather, we manage what we can by proactively mitigating its effects.
This year, we plan to spend $3.8 billion on capital of which $2.84 billion will be devoted to maintaining infrastructure. We’re also strengthening our network against impacts from weather and other potential service disruptions.
“Over the years, we’ve continuously driven greater service consistency through proactive actions,” said John Cech, vice president of engineering. “We see data trends for where or why service interruptions occur, and we focus those actions on protecting our network from the things that cause them.”
Here’s a glimpse of the investments and work being done to keep our network safe and strong:
Track Lifting:
In flood-prone or high-risk areas, we raise the level of the track to protect it against the next flooding event. Over the last five years, we’ve raised more than 16,000 miles of track up to a foot and 2,200 miles more than a foot to reduce the risk of a washout.
Slope Armoring & Stabilization:
We stabilize and armor slopes adjacent to our tracks to defend infrastructure from instability and erosion caused by flooding. This involves increasing the resistance to flood-driven erosion by placing rip-rap (large rock), geotextiles and more extensive earthwork as required. Additionally, the structural resilience of the subgrade is improved by constructing buttresses, trench drains, retaining structures and subgrade injections.
About 400 miles are protected across our network, and over the last five years, we have protected an additional 13.4 miles with slope armoring and stabilization.
Slide Fences:
To protect our track from rockslides or falling rock, we install slide fences, a series of wires suspended by poles to form a fence. When debris breaks one of the wires, an electrical circuit is disrupted, and train operations are stopped until the track can be cleared.
We have 100 miles of slide fences installed in key areas across our network to help protect against falling rocks on our track.
Fuel Cells:
About 700 propane fuel cells are installed throughout our network to provide temporary power for signal and crossing systems, predominantly in hurricane zones in the South and where we consistently see power outages.
Propane fuel cells supply immediate and reliable backup power. This allows significantly shorter recovery time to restore train operations.
Switch Enhancements:
Multiple initiatives improve the reliability of switches when temperatures change. During winter, our 5,800 switch heaters across the network help keep switches from freezing up.
As an example, at our Minneapolis terminal, we have 214 heated switches – a mix of gas-powered hot air blowers and electric rod and pan heaters. Recent upgrades there help keep the hump bowl reliable during the winter months as electric heat is being replaced with gas blowers, which melt more snow and faster than electric.
Day in, day out, our teams across the network ensure that these and other efforts are having a positive impact on keeping freight moving for our customers, reliably and safely.
