BNSF News

Recovery under way after flood conditions stop service on Colorado subdivisions

2013-09-23

Employees in the Denver area are beginning the recovery process after a week of heavy rains left rail washouts and service interruptions in their wake. The Brush and Front Range subdivisions were hit especially hard.

Traffic that would normally be routed through northern Colorado has been affected by the floods, causing BNSF to reroute traffic. BNSF track and signal inspectors and other employees are monitoring the flooded areas and resuming repairs as appropriate.

Steve Nettleton, general manager, Powder River Division, said employees have worked safely and effectively in preparing for flooding and dealing with the aftermath.

"Like all divisions, we have plans for managing flooding conditions, and employees were ready to handle rapidly changing conditions," he said. "We are continuing to monitor conditions and hope to return track to service as soon as possible. Since some of the areas affected are Union Pacific (UPRR) tracks, we are coordinating with them as needed."

Here's a summary of the areas affected by flooding.

• Tracks at South Colorado Springs, Colo., about 72 miles south of Denver, have returned to service.
• On the Front Range Subdivision, north of Denver, track near Boulder, Longmont, Berthoud and Loveland is out of service due to multiple washouts. This includes a bridge at Berthoud. The Front Range Subdivision is expected to be back in service by mid-week. Customers between Broomfield and Dixon may not be serviced until track is restored, although service through Fort Collins may be possible.
• On the Brush Subdivision, between New Hillrose and Messex (UPRR track), several locations have washed out with no estimates for return to service at this time. That could change soon if water levels continue to drop.
• On the UPRR's Moffat Tunnel Subdivision west of Denver, a significant washout affected BNSF traffic west out of Denver. The track was returned to service the evening of Sept. 22.

BNSF Headquarters

BNSF Railway Company
2650 Lou Menk Dr. 2nd Floor
P.O. Box 961057
Fort Worth, TX 76161-0057
Phone: (817) 352-1000

For more information on the company and its transportation solutions, visit the BNSF Web site at www.bnsf.com