FORT WORTH, Texas – BNSF Railway says it’s working to clear a backlog of traffic on its busy Southern Transcon route linking Southern California and Chicago after a series of extreme weather events and a derailment.
The weather included record high temperatures around 120 degrees and high winds on the western end of the Transcon, and tornado warnings and lightning that forced temporary shutdowns at Chicago-area intermodal terminals.
In areas affected by the record high temperatures, BNSF reduced train speeds, stepped up inspections, and had to make track repairs in some areas, the railroad said in a service advisory on Tuesday.
BNSF also experienced a June 14 derailment at Marmon, N.M., some 60 miles west of Belen, that shut down both main trains for 24 hours, delaying trains on the busiest section of the Transcon.
“The combination of this derailment and the extreme weather created resource imbalances along this busy corridor from California into New Mexico,” BNSF says. “While we are making progress in resolving these issues, including the deployment of additional locomotives to the region, customers should expect lingering delays during the next few days until operations have fully normalized.”
Meanwhile, the railroad is monitoring the Rafael wildfire 20 miles southwest of Flagstaff, Ariz.. “The fire is currently not considered a threat to the Transcon but conditions in the region remain conducive for additional wildfires,” the service advisory says.
At the eastern end of the Transcon, BNSF’s four intermodal terminals — Corwith, Cicero, Willow Springs, and Logistics Park Chicago — have been bursting at the seams. Record volume, combined with chassis and container return times that are running as much as 48 hours longer than usual due to supply chain disruptions, has created a logjam in the terminals.
With terminals plugged due to elevated dwell times and labor shortages, BNSF has been forced to stage inbound trains in sidings, sometimes for days, to await space for unloading.
Severe weather compounded delays. “Multiple tornado warnings and lightning in the area caused several work stoppages Sunday afternoon and into the overnight hours,” BNSF says.
“To support recovery efforts, customers are encouraged to prioritize the pick-up of units that have been unloaded at these facilities,” the railroad says. “Prompt pick-up will help improve traffic flows, reduce lot congestion, and provide the space needed for processing inbound shipments as quickly as possible.”
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