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BNSF impacted by Hurricane Harvey


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#1 CNJRoss

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Posted 28 August 2017 - 10:53 AM

BNSF Customer Notification:
 

To: BNSF Customers

08/24/2017

 

BNSF Prepares for Hurricane Harvey



BNSF has initiated emergency preparedness activities as Hurricane Harvey approaches the Texas Gulf Coast. The storm, which is expected to strengthen into a major hurricane, is estimated to make landfall late Friday or early Saturday morning near Corpus Christi. In addition to strong winds, there is the potential for significant and perhaps historic flooding in the region as rainfall totals may exceed 15 inches in many locations, including Houston, as the storm lingers in the area this weekend.

In advance of the storm, all inbound and outbound traffic from Galveston Island will cease later today. Trains destined for Galveston will be held and/or staged at various locations until further notice. Railcars are also being moved away from low-lying areas of the Texas Gulf Coast.

We are taking steps to maintain BNSF operations in the Houston area, including the Pearland intermodal and auto facilities, through the weekend. Additional personnel are on call, and we have implemented procedures that address the risk for flooding in some areas of our facilities. While we are preparing to remain open, some dray carriers may choose to cease their operations in response to any adverse conditions.

BNSF crews in the area are ready to quickly respond to any washouts and the need for track repairs. We have pre-positioned portable generators, ballast and riprap in key locations. We have also established a command center to manage storm response on a 24/7 basis.

If you have questions regarding your shipment(s), please contact BNSF Customer Support at 1-888-428-2673 option 4, option 3.

We will continue to provide customers with updates regarding any significant service interruptions.



#2 CNJRoss

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Posted 28 August 2017 - 10:58 AM

BNSF Customer Notification:
 

To: All Impacted Customers

08/27/2017

Preliminary Report: Flooding in Pearland, TX
 

On Sunday, August 27th, 2017 at 08:00 a.m. CST, we received a preliminary report of roads flooding in Pearland, TX. The flooding conditions has prevented access into and out of the BNSF Pearland Hub facility at this time. The estimated time for opening the main roads has not been determined due to continued accumulation of rain projected throughout the day.

BNSF will continue to provide you with additional information as it becomes available. Customers may experience delays of 24 to 36 hours on shipments moving through this corridor.

Your shipments that may be delayed include the following, along with ETAs reflected in the BNSF system at the time this advisory was issued:

 



#3 CNJRoss

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Posted 28 August 2017 - 10:59 AM

BNSF Customer Notification:
 

To: All BNSF Customers

08/27/2017

Tropical Storm Harvey Impacting BNSF Operations in Southeastern Texas
 

Heavy rain and unprecedented flooding is causing significant service disruptions in the Houston area and throughout southeastern Texas. Nearly 30 inches of rain has already fallen in some locations. Major interstates are closed and local officials are encouraging residents to stay in place.

While BNSF's Houston (Pearland) Intermodal and Automotive are both open, road conditions are preventing access to the facilities and only emergency-related travel is advised. Train loading/unloading operations are currently suspended.

Customers should expect continued delays on shipments scheduled to move through the area. BNSF operations teams are re-routing some traffic to minimize disruption as much as possible. If you have questions about your shipment(s), please contact BNSF Customer Support at 1-888-428-2673 option 4, option 3.

Our round-the-clock Command Center continues to monitor this situation and is in frequent communication with local, state and federal emergency personnel. We will continue to provide customers with further updates.

 



#4 CNJRoss

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Posted 31 August 2017 - 01:15 AM

BNSF Customer Notification:
 

To: All BNSF Customers

08/28/2017

 

UPDATE: Tropical Storm Harvey Impacting BNSF Operations in Southeastern Texas

Widespread flooding in the greater Houston area caused by Tropical Storm Harvey is causing major disruptions to BNSF service and operations in the region. Some locations have received nearly 40 inches of rain and several more inches are expected during the next 48 hours.

With multiple washouts and high water reported on BNSF main lines in the area, all traffic destined to/originating from Houston has been suspended. Other area rail lines, including those with BNSF trackage rights, have also been forced out of service.

All operations at BNSF Houston-area railyards and facilities, including our Pearland Intermodal and Automotive facilities, are currently suspended. Portions of major interstate highways in the Houston area remain closed and officials continue to urge residents to stay off local roadways. Our 24/7 Command Center remains in frequent communication with local, state and federal emergency personnel to evaluate conditions and determine when operations can safely resume.

Our crews are planning to conduct an aerial assessment today, weather permitting, to determine the current extent of damage and flooding impacts to our main lines. With additional flooding likely during the next few days, normal train flows in the area may not resume for an extended period. Customers should expect continued delays on shipments scheduled to move through the area.

 



#5 CNJRoss

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Posted 31 August 2017 - 01:18 AM

BNSF Customer Notification:
 

To: All BNSF Customers

08/29/2017

 

UPDATE: Tropical Storm Harvey Impacting BNSF Operations in Southeastern Texas



Widespread flooding in the Houston area and other parts of southeastern Texas continues to cause major disruptions to rail service and BNSF operations in the region. Another eight to 12 inches of rain fell during the past 24 hours and several area reservoirs are at maximum water levels.


Several BNSF subdivisions remain out of service due to multiple washouts and high water reported. All traffic destined to/originating from Houston, as well as traffic scheduled to route through Houston, remains suspended. Other area rail lines, including those with BNSF trackage rights, have also been forced out of service.

Harvey+Map+2017-08-29.jpg

 

All operations at BNSF Houston-area railyards and facilities, including our Pearland Intermodal and Automotive facilities, are also suspended as road closures continue to limit access to these locations. There is currently no estimate on when these facilities may reopen.

Given the size and scope of this historic flooding, normal train flows in the area are not likely to resume for an extended period. Customers should expect continued delays on shipments scheduled to move through the area.

BNSF crews will be conducting inspections and beginning repair work today in some locations. Equipment and resources are positioned to support these restoration efforts as conditions improve. As always, safety is our top priority.

We will continue to provide customers with further updates.

 



#6 CNJRoss

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Posted 02 September 2017 - 05:29 PM

BNSF Customer Notification:
 

To: All BNSF Customers

 

08/31/2017

Working to Restore BNSF Service & Operations in Southeastern Texas
 

As conditions improve along the Gulf Coast, BNSF crews are making significant progress in restoring rail service and facility operations in the Houston area and other areas of southeastern Texas. Service was restored on the Houston Subdivision last night as well as to a greater portion of our Galveston Subdivision, from Temple to just south of Alvin, Texas. We also expect to have service restored on our Conroe Subdivision between Somerville and Dobbin this afternoon.

 

 
Large+Version+Harvey+Map+2017-08-31.PNG

 

 

BNSF rail yards at Silsbee, Galveston and Beaumont remain closed due to flooding. Our South Yard, Dayton Yard and Casey Yard have reopened with limited operations. The Houston (Pearland) Intermodal Facility is accessible through our automated gate system (AGS) and train loading and unloading operations have resumed. The Houston (Pearland) Automotive Facility is also now open with unloading operations starting back up today. Customers should be advised that road closures in the area may continue to impact access to facilities that have re-opened. Day shift operations at the Port Terminal Railroad Association (PTRA) yards are expected to resume tomorrow.

Trains that are currently staged will be ready to move as blocked routes are cleared and destinations are able to receive. We continue to re-route or divert as much traffic as possible around the area until flood waters recede and storm damaged lines can be repaired. Routes are open into central Texas and traffic is moving through San Antonio, including trains destined for Mexico through our Eagle Pass gateway.

BNSF engineering teams continue to inspect and evaluate affected areas of our network. Our Command Center is operating around-the-clock to coordinate our efforts throughout the region.
 

harvey-2.jpg

Water flows beneath washed-out BNSF track Aug. 29 near F.M. 787 northeast of Cleveland, Texas, due to flooding caused by Tropical Storm Harvey

 

With this unprecedented, large-scale flooding, we understand that many of our customers have been significantly impacted. We encourage customers to contact their BNSF representative, or BNSF Customer Support at 1-888-428-2673 (option 4, option 3), about the status of your shipment(s). We are also working to implement an additional reporting tool to assist customers in submitting information to BNSF on the status of their shipping and receiving facilities that will help further enable the recovery.

We will continue to provide customers with further updates.

 



#7 CNJRoss

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Posted 06 September 2017 - 12:01 PM

BNSF Customer Notification:

To: All BNSF Customers

 

09/05/2017

UPDATE: Restoring BNSF Service & Operations in Southeastern Texas
 

With improving conditions and aggressive efforts by our BNSF crews, rail service on most BNSF subdivisions in the Houston area and throughout southeastern Texas has been restored. All BNSF rail yards and facilities in the region are also open.

 

 

Harvey+High+Resolution+2017-09-05.jpg

 

Both our Longview and Silsbee Subdivisions near the Louisiana border are out of service at the present time. In addition, direct rail service between Houston and locations in Louisiana, which includes access through Dayton and Beaumont utilizing our trackage rights, remains blocked as restoration efforts are ongoing. Based on current estimates, however, our Longview and Silsbee subdivisions as well as the impacted main lines east of Houston are expected to return to service within the next 24 hours.

We are also experiencing ongoing challenges involving the primary rail line that provides access, via our trackage rights, to locations southwest of Houston, including Corpus Christi and Brownsville. Major bridge repair work that is needed near Sweeny, Texas will require an extended track outage. We are re-routing or diverting as much traffic as possible around this affected location as well as other areas that are currently blocked.

(The following paragraph was sent only to Ag and IP customers) Our Command Center continues to coordinate our recovery efforts throughout the region. As operating conditions have improved and we continue to restore service, BNSF has lifted embargoes previously put in place for most shipments destined to/originating from, or passing through, locations in the Gulf Coast region. (You can view all active embargoes at the AAR Embargo Railinc website here.) While a station or interchange may no longer be under embargo, operations at some customer facilities have not resumed.

To avoid additional supply chain disruptions, we are not servicing customer facilities that have yet to restore operations. If you have not already done so, we request that customers – both shippers and receivers – advise BNSF of any impacts to their operations and facilities. In addition to contacting either your BNSF representative or Customer Support, we have set up three alternatives for reporting facility damage, out-of-service track or other barriers to your normal shipping and receiving capabilities:

Facility Impact Form: click here
Facility Impact Hotline: 1-800-929-4117
Facility Impact Email: csharvey@bnsf.com
We also ask that shippers communicate with receivers in the Gulf Coast region to ensure they are operational before sending shipments.

As always, if you have questions about your shipment(s), please contact BNSF Customer Support at 1-888-428-2673 option 4, option 3.

We will continue to provide customers with further updates.

 



#8 CNJRoss

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Posted 07 September 2017 - 09:54 PM

Railway Age, 9/6/17:
 

BNSF speeding post-Harvey progress

 

 

Citing improving conditions and strong efforts by m/w crews, rail service impacted by Hurricane Harvey on most BNSF subdivisions in the Houston area and throughout southeastern Texas has been restored. All BNSF rail yards and facilities in the region are open.

 


BNSF’s Longview and Silsbee Subdivisions near the Louisiana border remain out of service. In addition, direct rail service between Houston and locations in Louisiana, which includes access through Dayton and Beaumont utilizing trackage rights over Union Pacific, remains blocked as restoration efforts continue. However, BNSF estimates both subdivisions as well as the impacted main lines east of Houston will to return to service late Wednesday, Sept. 6.

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#9 CNJRoss

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Posted 07 September 2017 - 09:54 PM

Railway Age, 9/6/17:
 

BNSF speeding post-Harvey progress

 

 

Citing improving conditions and strong efforts by m/w crews, rail service impacted by Hurricane Harvey on most BNSF subdivisions in the Houston area and throughout southeastern Texas has been restored. All BNSF rail yards and facilities in the region are open.

 


BNSF’s Longview and Silsbee Subdivisions near the Louisiana border remain out of service. In addition, direct rail service between Houston and locations in Louisiana, which includes access through Dayton and Beaumont utilizing trackage rights over Union Pacific, remains blocked as restoration efforts continue. However, BNSF estimates both subdivisions as well as the impacted main lines east of Houston will to return to service late Wednesday, Sept. 6.

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#10 CNJRoss

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Posted 07 September 2017 - 10:00 PM

BNSF Customer Notification:
 

To: All BNSF Customers

 

09/07/2017

UPDATE: BNSF Service & Operations in Southeastern Texas
 

BNSF has restored service on all of our subdivisions impacted by Tropical Storm Harvey in southeastern Texas. Trains were moving again on our entire Longview Subdivision yesterday morning and our Silsbee Subdivision, between Beaumont and Silsbee, Texas, returned to service last night. The primary rail line connecting Beaumont and locations in Louisiana has also re-opened to traffic.

 

Harvey+Map+High+Resolution+Version+2017-

 

While service has been restored on nearly all affected rail lines, track and signal work continues in some locations. Trains may experience delays during scheduled maintenance windows, and customers should expect extended transit times in the region until operations by BNSF and other rail carriers have fully normalized. We also continue to re-route some traffic around areas where service restoration efforts are ongoing, specifically locations along the Gulf Coast southwest of Houston.

Most embargoes put in place by BNSF and connecting railroads have been lifted, however, some remain active for shipments destined to/originating from, or passing through, locations in the region. (You can view all active embargoes at the AAR Embargo Railinc website here.) BNSF is issuing permits allowing shipments on a case-by-case basis. To request a permit, contact BNSF Customer Support at 1-888-428-2673 option 4, option 3.

We also ask that shippers communicate with receivers in the Gulf Coast region to ensure they are operational before sending shipments.

Inspecting Private Track & Equipment Impacted by Tropical Storm Harvey
We are focused on maintaining the highest possible safety in our operations during this recovery effort, which requires effective collaboration between BNSF and our customers to assess railcars and infrastructure that may have been damaged.

In areas where flooding occurred, BNSF Mechanical will inspect any cars that were in our possession at the time, while customers are responsible for inspecting private tracks and private railcars that were under their control. If flooding occurred at your facility, the following action(s) must occur prior to resumption of service:

  • Inspection of Private Tracks for Damage
    • Track inspectors need to look for possible washout or scouring locations and track surface deviations. These are very serious defects that need to be addressed before operations can resume on the tracks.
  • Inspection of System Cars on Private Track - The BNSF Mechanical team will need to inspect any system cars (including foreign & TTX railcars) that were flooded up to the roller bearings or air valve. Please contact MECHDLHoustonSupervisors@BNSF.com to arrange for the inspection of system railcars. BNSF will process these requests as promptly as possible. (Please note: repairs may take up to several weeks due to limited material.)
  • Inspection of Private Cars - All cars that were flooded up to the roller bearings or air valve need to be inspected. Please refer to your agreement with the railcar lessor to determine who will coordinate the inspection and repair.
    • If the water line reaches roller bearing on rail car, wheel set will need to be changed.
    • Water would need to reach 1.5 ft. to impact roller bearings and 2.5 ft. to impact air valve (4 ft. for Hopper)

Do not release railcars that were flooded up to the roller bearings (middle of wheel), or cars that had flood waters rise over the air valve.

As always, if you have questions about your shipment(s), please contact BNSF Customer Support.

Your business is important to us. Thank you for choosing BNSF as your transportation service provider.

 






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