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BNSF ‘expedited’ service coming to Northern Transcon
GREAT NORTHERN - MY FAVORITE U S RAILROAD,MY INTEREST CONTINUES EVEN WITH MERGERS WHICH MAKE IT ALL " G.N "TO ME.
MANY TIMES I VISITED RRUGBY,ND AND WAS INVITED INTO OFFICE TO WATCH OPERATIONS…ALSO VISITED GN OPERATIONS IN MINOT MANY TIME.\S
HIGHLIGHTS OF MY VISITS TO MINOT WAS TO TAKE WESTBOUND EMPIRE BUILDER TO GLASCOW MON TANA AND AFTER A COUP-LE HOURS THERE TAKE THE EASTBOUND EMPIRE BUILED BACK TO MINOT…GREAT ONE DAY OUTING…
GREAT NORTHERN - GREAT FOR FREIGHT -
I have memories too.Last spring a BNSF derailed ahead of the EMPIRE BUILDER that 3 of our family were on.SUBSTITUTE TRANSPORTATION provided by AMTRAK took the form of Yellow School Buses from the town of LIBBY MT. 154 miles to SPOKANE WA. Because there was no dining car @ the Spokane Sta.box lunches from SUBWAY were provided free of charge.
And one might recall the Milw. Road’s XL and Thunderhawk service on Lines West in the early 1960’s, which caused both NP and GN to jump.
More delays for Amtrak ???
Richard, I don’t see more delays for Empire Builder as I think returning Z service has a lot to do with the grain backlog backing off (either shipped as promised and farmers holding off on sending more grain to the market as prices have dropped), oil shipments leveling off and maybe pullback after oil prices fell and rig counts dropped and a significant investment in ND including CTC from Grand Forks to Minot and double track west of Minot. Also, a pipeline deal connecting the Balkan Oil field to Superior, WI was recently approved by Minnesota. That will add a significant pipeline capacity that wasn’t there before. .
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I think this is BNSF looking for a higher return on boxes with an unexpected availability in capacity.
I’m glad some railroads are building capacity to grow the business. Now let’s hope they have built enough that they don’t have to terminate them again.
Don’t forget that the American taxpayers contributed to the Devils Lake improvement project, on a line that BNSF claimed they didn’t need.
“Don’t forget that the American taxpayers contributed to the Devils Lake improvement project, on a line that BNSF claimed they didn’t need.”
Also don’t forget that the American taxpayers provide the infrastructure for all other modes of transportation whether they’re “needed” or not. The taxpayer contribution was insignificant compared to the many millions more BNSF spent on the line from Fargo to Grand Forks to Minot adding and extending sidings and CTC.
Hopefully, timely operation of the Empire Builder will fit into the operating plan as well …
GREAT NORTHERN - MY FAVORITE U S RAILROAD,MY INTEREST CONTINUES EVEN WITH MERGERS WHICH MAKE IT ALL " G.N "TO ME.
It’s Santa Fe all the way for many of us. Better yet, Big New Santa Fe.