News Release BNSF Railway Asks Rail Fans for Cooperation To Keep America's Rail System Safe FORT WORTH, TEXAS, June 7, 2006: BNSF Railway Company (BNSF) is recruiting rail fans to help keep BNSF properties safe by reporting suspicious activities and to help prevent possible security breaches. “Keeping America’s rail transportation network safe from crime and terrorist activity is a high priority for the railroad industry,” says William Heileman, BNSF general director, Police and Protection Solutions. “Every day across the country, rail fans photograph and watch trains as they pass through communities. It seems natural to harness their interest to help keep America’s rail system safe.” Rail fans can register for the program by going to the Citizens United for Rail Security (CRS) Web site (http://newdomino.bnsf.com/website/crs.nsf/request?open). CRS participants will receive an official identification card along with access to news and information on the BNSF CRS Web site. To report suspicious activity, CRS members and the public can call (800) 832-5452. The information will be taken by a BNSF representative and routed for appropriate response. “Supporting homeland security in this manner is positive for everyone," says Carl Ice, BNSF’s executive vice president and chief operations officer. "It supports the nation's security efforts, improves safety within our company and the community, and improves operations by helping to remove the impact of criminal acts and accidents." The CRS program is an outgrowth of another BNSF grassroots program, called BNSF ON GUARD, which encourages employees to report suspicious activities, trespassers or individuals to BNSF’s Resource Operations Call Center (ROCC). The BNSF ON GUARD program, which started in 2003, has been successful, with more than 200 employees reporting suspicious activities since its inception. Employees have reported theft, vandalism, arson, attempted suicide, and other criminal violations, threats to safety, or unusual events on or near railway properties. “Security is everyone’s business. Because of heightened security status, Americans are being asked to be the ‘eyes and ears’ for law enforcement," says John Clark, BNSF assistant vice president, Resource Protection Solutions Team. "At BNSF, our police team continues to educate employees on work, personal and home security, as well as working to change employee behavior to increase awareness of security risks." A subsidiary of Burlington Northern Santa Fe Corporation (NYSE:BNI), BNSF Railway Company operates one of the largest railroad networks in North America, with about 32,000 route miles in 28 states and two Canadian provinces. BNSF is among the world's top transporters of intermodal traffic, moves more grain than any other American railroad, transports the components of many of the products we depend on daily, and hauls enough low-sulphur coal to generate about ten percent of the electricity produced in the United States. BNSF is an industry leader in Web-enabling a variety of customer transactions at www.bnsf.com. BNSF Headquarters BNSF Railway Company 2650 Lou Menk Dr. 2nd Floor P.O. Box 961057 Fort Worth, TX 76161-0057 Phone: (817) 352-1000 Also See... BNSF Today News Releases BNSF Store Careers Suppliers BNSF Facts Railway Magazine Railroad Emergencies Report railroad emergencies: BNSF Resource Protection Team (800.832.5452)
I got an email from BNSF Friday and printed out the "ID card". Really did it to help calm the track maintenance crews who work for CSX (BNSF leases track rights through Holland). Those CSX maintenance guys seem to have a lot of spare time on their hands - they really go out of their way sometimes to check out railfans - which I can understand if the railfanning was being done on CSX property - but these guys go right up on private property to "check" us out. I'm sure that it's better for them to be safe than sorry, but maybe CSX could save a ton of money by better utilizing the time of the maintainers...
I thought we always did report problems or suspicious activity. We don't need the card, we just need the number to call. And we do need someone on the other end of the line to treat the report like a real problem -- that is the REAL problem IMO.
They are not looking for help very hard based on the unfriendly attitude we experienced last weekend.
Folks, a topic similar to this has been started in the BNSF forum... Click here to visit... Mods, this can be closed, if required..
Just my opinion. FWIW: I have worked for BNSF (BN [Q]) going on 28 yrs, both Union and Exempt. Other than a few Knuckle Heads, BNSF is a very good place to work. I can clearly see them understanding the value of the Rail Fan (we call'em FOAMERS). The upper management seems to be openminded, fair and progressive. I feel confident in saying BNSF is probably the best RR to work for. Employees that don't feel this way probably never worked for another RR. There are always malcontents, subversives and people that think they should get without giving and those that realy did get a bad break. When you sift out all the rhetoric and look at the truth it is plain to see. As far as any "unfriendly attitudes" this I would say, is more someone's personal thick headed MO than rr policy. PS: I ran into Steve Glischinski (the author) one quiet summer Sunday morning in Ravenna NE. He got some shots he wouldn't have been able to get without a guide. When I was an Officer, I often took Foamers up in the yard tower at Alliance, NE. UNDERSTAND: BNSF takes tresspassing or what looks like it may become tresspassing very seriously. Have Fun!
