BNSF News

Employees on Central Region Battle Snow, High Winds and Extreme Cold

2009-12-10

BNSF employees from Ravenna, Neb., to Burlington, Iowa, including Lincoln, Neb., fought bitter temperatures, deep snow drifts and high winds to help protect BNSF freight. Some 60-70 trains were affected overnight on Dec. 8.

The Lincoln, Neb., yard was paralyzed and unable to process any rail cars for several hours. From Alliance, Neb., to Gillette, Wyo., bitter temperatures, high snow drifts and blasts of wintry air brought freight to a standstill. Snow drifts were anywhere from 8-10 feet.

Employees worked through the day to resume normal operations.

In Omaha, Neb., the BNSF intermodal facility closed a couple of hours early after contacting the one customer who had not yet arrived. With 5 inches of snow on the ground -- and another 6 inches forecast -- the facility was closed to ensure employee safety. Traffic in Omaha resumed injury-free on Dec. 9.

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