CSX
CSX recovery efforts are progressing after Hurricane Helene struck last fall, with service resuming north of Spruce Pine, N.C., on the Blue Ridge Subdivision, the railroad reported Jan. 31 via social media.
For railroads, the storm was the second worst behind Hurricane Harvey in 2017, Loop Capital Markets Managing Director Rick Paterson reported in October, and it sent CSX and Norfolk Southern “to quickly remediate track washouts, clear downed trees and restore power.” Helene was “unique among recent storms,” Paterson noted, as it “left both railroads with some significant infrastructure damage, primarily in North Carolina around Asheville, one of the communities most devastated by Helene.” CSX, he noted, “lost two bridges and sustained 44 miles of track damage between Erwin, Tenn., and Spruce Pine, N.C.,” which is some 40 miles northeast of Asheville and sees about five to seven trains per day, “mostly merchandise plus a little coal.”
Since then, CSX has since been rebuilding washed out tracks and repairing flooded railcars. In a special video (watch, top), CSX Manager of Train Operations David Snyder discusses the CSX ONE team’s work to return service to Quartz Corporation in Spruce Pine. “It’s been a great team effort to get us back up there,” he said in the video released on LinkedIn and social media platform X. “Hurricane Helene pretty much stopped us in our tracks and really washed out our tracks, destroyed the railroad. Spruce Pine specifically was a little town up there on the top of the mountain, and working tirelessly to get up there to this customer has been so significant to us. It shows everybody, shows even our own employees and our customers, that we’re fighting to get back, we’re coming back, and we’re back up there now.”
The Engineering and Mechanical teams have worked tirelessly, according to Snyder, noting that there is ”a lot of dangerous stuff going on with rebuilding the track, and the track structure” in this environment, “so it’s a great effort from them … We haven’t had any injuries that I know of, and that is a testament to our CSX folks out here … It’s a tough thing to do especially now when you’re dealing with all the cold weather and the snow. And you’re on top of the mountain, you know, that makes it even tougher. We’re going the right way since we’ve gotten to Spruce Pine. We’re actually moving a little north of there now, rebuilding the track structure. We still have a lot of devastation to go through, lots of track to pull out of the river; we’ve still got a bridge to rebuild. But we’re taking steps in the right direction, we’re getting there. We’re going to continue that, continue our service, continue fighting until we get this railroad back.”
CSX noted in its social media posts that it is “deeply grateful to our railroaders for their commitment to safety and teamwork” and “[t]ogether, we’re working to support our customers and local communities as they recover from Hurricane Helene.”
For more on CSX’s support of local communities and its operational and financial report for 2024 and outlook for 2025, read: CSX Hosts Holiday Express Celebration in Response to Hurricane Helene and CSX: 2024 ‘Had its Challenges’, respectively.
“Quick thinking and dedication” helped CSX police agents rescue a 12-year-old girl from human trafficking in Philadelphia, Pa., according to the railroad, which on Jan. 30 released a video of the story (watch above). Senior Special Agent Mike Bullard and Special Agent Dave McCann last month “identified the young victim, collected vital information, and immediately alerted local law enforcement.” Their proactive efforts, CSX said, “ensured the girl’s safe recovery and access to the critical care and support she needed.”
“The ONE CSX culture played a big role in this,” Agent McCann reported. “Whether you’re an employee, a visitor to the terminal, or a subcontractor, we work together to protect each other. When you see something that doesn’t look right, pay attention and report it to 911 and to the CSX PSCC (Public Safety Coordination Center).”
The agents’ actions did not go unnoticed, CSX reported. Bullard and McCann earned the CSX PSCC Recognize, Record, Report Award, which recognizes not only “their excellent judgment and life-saving intervention,” but also “the vital role vigilance plays in the fight against human trafficking,” according to CSX. Human trafficking forces individuals—through coercion, fraud, or violence—into exploitative labor, services, or commercial sexual exploitation. Millions of people around the world fall victim each year, regardless of age, gender, or nationality, according to CSX.
“At CSX, safety is a priority and a core value that extends beyond the workplace,” the railroad said. “The company remains steadfast in its commitment to protecting the most vulnerable members of the communities it serves. This commitment is exemplified by the exemplary actions of Agents Bullard and McCann, who remind us of the difference we can make when we take decisive action.”
Diageo North America is investing approximately $415 million to establish a new beverage distribution plant at a CSX Select Site in Montgomery, Ala. The 360,000-square-foot facility will have “a multi-million case annual production capacity” for the company’s beverage alcohol brands and is slated to create 100 jobs. It is expected to be fully operational in second-half 2025, according to Diageo.
“We are proud to contribute to the economic development of Montgomery, and deeply grateful to the city, state, and community leaders for their continued support,” said Marsha McIntosh, President of North America Supply at Diageo. “The new facility will not only bring our business closer to our customers and distributors in the south but also enable our broader supply network to operate more efficiently and sustainably. This investment underscores our commitment to building greater resiliency into our supply chain across North America.”
“We are proud that Diageo has chosen a CSX Select Site for their new beverage distribution plant,” added Christina Bottomley, CSX Vice President of Business Development and Real Estate. “This partnership highlights the value of rail’s efficiency and sustainability in meeting growing demand, creating jobs, and strengthening the local economy. It also underscores CSX’s dedication to supporting our customers at every stage, from site selection to ongoing service and beyond.”
For more on CSX Select Sites, read: Rickenbacker South Industrial Rail Park receives CSX Select Site Platinum designation, CSX Adds Eight Rail-Served Properties to ‘Select Site’ Program, and CSX Launches Select Site Online Property Search Tool.
BNSF
“BNSF is currently addressing service challenges that have impacted normal train operations on the western end of our Southern Transcon route, which runs between Southern California and the Midwest,” the Class I railroad told intermodal customers in a Jan. 31 online notification. “Last weekend, traffic delays occurred as our operations and engineering teams successfully completed the implementation of new bridge spans approximately 40 miles west of Needles, Calif. These repairs were essential for enhancing the long-term resilience and reliability of the track in this area.”
After completing the work, however, “extreme winter weather in the Southwest, with temperature fluctuations exceeding 40 degrees, caused track and equipment issues on the Needles Subdivision, which extends east from Barstow, Calif., to Arizona,” BNSF said. In response, the railroad reported activating a 24/7 command center and allocating extra resources and responders “to expedite recovery efforts and minimize impacts on our customers’ freight.” While BNSF said it had “seen good progress,” it anticipated that operations would improve in the week of Feb. 2.
Despite the challenges BNSF outlined, key service metrics have improved in several areas. “Average car velocity has increased by 5% compared to the previous week, although it is slightly lower than December,” the railroad said. “Terminal dwell time has been slightly reduced, and local service has improved by 4% compared to the previous week, remaining over 3% higher than the average level from [December].”
According to BNSF’s Jan. 31 customer notification, winter storm warnings were in effect for parts of the Pacific Northwest, Central and Northern California, and Northern Nevada. Heavy rain was expected, it said, with accumulations ranging from eight to 12 inches, along with mountain snow throughout the weekend of Feb. 1-2. Another storm system was slated to bring cold temperatures and snow to the Northern Plains at the start of the week, reported BNSF, which noted that its “teams are prepared to implement winter action plans in response to severe weather conditions and will address any service disruptions as quickly as possible.”
For the rest of the network, BNSF said, “favorable operating conditions are anticipated” for the week of Feb. 2.
Further Reading: BNSF: Intermodal Metrics ‘Showing Signs of Recovery’ and For BNSF, a $3.8B Capital Investment Plan.
BNSF also reported via social media that its Helena, Mont., helper crews and road-switcher team reached a safety milestone: seven years injury-free. “These locomotive engineers and conductors on helper locomotives tackle steep mountain grades and extreme winter conditions,” the railroad noted. “They provide the extra power needed to get trains over the Continental Divide, all while keeping safety a top priority.”
Their success comes from a “strong team mindset,” according to BNSF.
“We have a ‘protect your brother and sister’ mentality,” Montana Division Superintendent of Operations Mike Mattson reported.
“Congratulations to the Helena team for helping each other and meeting our customers’ needs,” BNSF said. “Your dedication keeps operations running smoothly and safely!”
Further Reading: BNSF Teams Celebrate Safety Records
