BNSF Railroad Focuses on Safety But Still Hampered by Long-Standing Industry Issues, Report Says
Freight railroad BNSF generally works consistently to improve safety, but that message doesn’t always reach front-line workers who often don’t feel comfortable reporting safety issues for fear of punishment, according to an assessment released Wednesday by regulators.
The Federal Railroad Administration’s review of BNSF’s safety culture also found that the company continues to be hampered by some of the same problems that have been common in the industry for years.
This new report is the second that the agency has produced in response to rail safety concerns following the disastrous Norfolk Southern of February 2023 derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, while working for review all major railways.
BNSF’s balance sheet is more positive than last summer’s Norfolk Southern Reportwho claimed that the leaders of this railway company were too often content to do the minimum to ensure safety.
FRA found that company leaders consistently emphasize safety as a core value, but at lower levels of the railroad, some managers still prioritize keeping trains moving ahead of safety.
“The changes in messaging create doubt among front-line employees about the railroad’s true goals, priorities and commitments,” the agency said in the report.
Regulators They also reiterated their recommendation that BNSF and all major freight railroads sign up for the federal confidential safety reporting hotline so workers can report concerns without fear of retribution.
BNSF was praised for launching a pilot program with this hotline for its dispatchers earlier this year, but the FRA has said it must be available to all railroad workers. The industry has a long history of retaliation against workers who report too many safety problems, because these problems slow down trains during repairs.
All the main ones the promised railways to join this federal reporting system after Eastern Palestine, but so far only BNSF and Norfolk South have announced limited pilot programs.
“Effective reporting systems improve safety by reducing risks and enable changes and repairs to be made so that safety incidents do not recur,” the report said.
BNSF did not immediately comment on the report after it was released publicly early Wednesday.
BNSF is one of the nation’s largest railroads, with tracks spanning the western United States. It is based in Fort Worth, Texas, and owned by Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway conglomerate, based in Omaha, Nebraska.
