feature story Railroads
“ We believe we will
continue to see
good economic
growth in the North
Texas region.”
– Carl Ice, BNSF
to be a transformational change in
the railroad industry. BNSF alone
burns more than a billion gallons of
diesel fuel annually. Results from
both static testing and rolling testing of the newly powered locomotives were positive, and the company
has now begun mainline testing on the
BNSF network.
In addition to efficiency, BNSF
is also a leader in the development
and implementation of positive
train control, or “PTC,” a predictive safety technology designed to
prevent train-to-train collisions,
enforce speed limits, and protect
roadway workers and equipment.
Legislation passed by Congress in
2008 mandates that PTC be put
into service by the end of 2015.
Since the enactment of this legislation, railroads have devoted enormous human and financial resources to develop a fully functioning
PTC system. As of mid-2014, railroads had spent approximately $4.5
billion of their own funds on PTC
development and installation. In
2014, BNSF invested $200 million
in PTC technology.
“That’s what makes this [North
Texas] area so fun and exciting from
the logistics side,” said Dr. Pohlen.
“We get so focused on being efficient and taking costs out and then
as new capabilities come along, we
are able to innovate and do something so different and new. You get
to see things that a few years ago
you would say, ‘You can’t do that,’
-- and now you can.”
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www.ntc-dfw.org
Tomorrow
As markets grow and develop,
like those in South America and
Mexico, BNSF will be well-positioned to help North Texas, and
the U.S., take advantage of these
growing economic opportunities
for business.
“It’s great to have BNSF headquartered here,” said Dr. Pohlen.
“They are a great addition to our
area as far as having thought leaders. To have that kind of community
and transportation leadership here
– it bleeds over to everything else
that is happening in the DFW area.”
BNSF takes pride in hiring many
of our country’s former military
members to staff their own ranks.
In 2013, more than 1,200 or 26
percent of all new employees were
veterans. BNSF currently employs
more than 7,500 veterans – close
to 17 percent of the company’s
total workforce – finding ways to
link high-performing veterans with
meaningful and challenging careers
at BNSF.
“Veterans – with their teamwork
and safety-first mentality – continue
to acclimate seamlessly into BNSF
positions and our culture. It is gratifying to see the ranks of veterans
employed by BNSF grow,” said Ice.
As the economy comes back
on track, BNSF continues to add
personnel, technological advancements, and capital improvements
to power into coming decades as
the nation’s railroad leader. In 2013,
Winter/Spring 2015
TOP LEFT: BNSF employee.
ABOVE: BNSF President and CEO Carl Ice took the helm
in early 2014.
rail saw increased demand from a recovering economy. In
that year, BNSF took more than 50 percent of the volume
growth that the rail industry experienced, handling more
than 400,000 of 800,000 units of growth in 2013. Forecasts
predict 2014 to net similar volumes, as well. This year,
BNSF announced a $5 billion capital expenditure plan,
with the largest portion going toward expansion and maintenance of its far-reaching networks. In Texas alone, BNSF
is investing $230 million, benefiting the railroad’s customers and ensuring the company’s long-term ability to handle
future growth.
“We believe we will continue to see good economic
growth in the North Texas region,” said Ice. “National forecasts of population and economic growth indicate that this
region will keep adding residents and jobs well into the future. And BNSF expects to be a contributor to that growth
by adding jobs and helping our customers grow their businesses. As we continue to build infrastructure and make
our business stronger and more competitive, we have the
effect of making our customers stronger and more competitive – from manufacturing, to agriculture, to energy production and the movement of finished consumer products,
BNSF will continue to play an important role in the global
supply chain and the North Texas region will continue to be
well positioned to serve a growing economy.”