Industrial Products Network Update for Friday, June 23, 2023
OPERATIONAL PERFORMANCE
The operation continues to deliver consistent overall service performance on the network. We have generated some improvement this week in key service metrics.
Though slightly lower than the prior week, average car velocity increased versus the prior month, and terminal dwell was reduced compared to the previous week and last month. Our local service compliance measure, which reflects our timeliness in handling carload freight, has improved versus last week and is at 90.3 percent.
Heavy rainfall in northwestern Wyoming triggered multiple landslides last week on a portion of our Casper Subdivision, approximately 100 hundred miles south of Billings, Montana. Our main line was out of service through the area for about 36 hours as clearing efforts were occasionally suspended due to safety concerns.
Mudslide on the Casper Subdivision, Wyoming – June 2023
Strong storms on Saturday night forced temporary service outages on multiple subdivisions in Oklahoma and southern Kansas due to fallen trees and power outages on our main lines.
In both areas, normal traffic patterns have resumed.
INDEPENDENCE DAY OPERATING PLAN
Train service will not be curtailed due to the holiday; however, BNSF plans to minimize the number of yard, local and road-switch assignments at terminals on Tuesday, July 4, consistent with customer activity and volume demand. Connecting carriers who have reduced operations for the holiday may cause delays on interline traffic.
Customer Support will maintain a limited staff on Independence Day. Regular coverage will resume on Wednesday, July 5.
SERVICE EXPECTATIONS FOR THE WEEK AHEAD
BNSF capital gangs remain active throughout the network with several major ongoing expansion and maintenance projects.
Beginning Sunday, trains to/from the Dallas-Fort Worth area will experience delays as BNSF crews continue work on a multi-year, multi-phased expansion project to add several segments of second main line track from north Fort Worth, Texas, to Temple, increasing capacity and improving velocity on this busy route. For this phase, multiple construction windows, ranging from 16 to 36 hours, will occur over eight days. The first window starts on Sunday and will last approximately 16 hours as construction begins near downtown Fort Worth.
In the Pacific Northwest, a 31-hour construction window for a planned bridge replacement will begin on Sunday morning on our Fallbridge Subdivision in Washington, our key east-west route running between Pasco and Portland, Oregon.
Bridge Replacement Preparation, Washington - June 2023
Additionally, on Tuesday, a 48-hour outage for a planned maintenance project will begin at our Argentine train yard in Kansas City, Kansas.
As always, our operations and engineering teams are working together to mitigate any delays as much as possible. We will continue to update customers on additional construction windows and significant service interruptions associated with these projects. If you have questions about your shipment and need assistance, we encourage you to utilize Message Us on the BNSF Customer Portal or contact your marketing service representative.
This afternoon and tonight, severe thunderstorms and heavy rains are anticipated from southeastern Montana and eastern Wyoming through southern South Dakota and central Nebraska. Further south, in Texas, heat warnings and advisories are in place, with the potential for heat index values to reach 117 degrees in certain regions. Extreme heat is forecast to continue in Texas next week and to expand into the lower Mississippi River Valley this weekend and next week. BNSF teams are monitoring these areas for any potential service disruptions. In most other areas of the network, favorable operating conditions are expected this week.
We thank you for your business and appreciate the opportunity to serve as your transportation service provider. We welcome your feedback and questions.