Railroad BNSF stresses safety but is still held back by longstanding industry issues, report finds

Freight carrier BNSF generally strives to improve safety on a consistent basis, but that message doesn’t always reach frontline workers, who often feel uncomfortable reporting safety concerns for fear of disciplinary action, according to an evaluation released Wednesday by regulators.

The Federal Railroad Administration’s investigation into BNSF’s safety culture also found that the company continues to struggle with the same problems that have plagued the industry for years.

This new report is the second the agency has completed to concerns about railway safety after the disastrous February 2023 Norfolk Southern derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, while working on view all major railways.

The BNSF survey is more positive than last summer’s Norfolk Southern Reportwhich stated that managers at that railway company were too often content with doing only the minimum in terms of safety.

FRA found that company leaders consistently emphasize safety as a core value, but that some lower-level managers within the railroad still prioritize running trains ahead of safety.

“Changes in messaging are creating doubt among frontline workers about the railroads’ true goals, priorities and commitments,” the agency said in the report.

Regulators It also reiterated the recommendation that BNSF and all major freight carriers join the confidential federal safety reporting line, where employees can report concerns without fear of punishment.

BNSF received praise for launching a pilot program with that hotline for its dispatchers earlier this year, but the FRA said it should be available to all rail workers. The industry has a long history of retaliation against employees who report too many safety concerns, because these issues delay trains during repairs.

All important promised railways to join that 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 has not yet commented following the report’s public release on Wednesday morning.

BNSF is one of the nation’s largest railroads, with tracks crisscrossing the western United States. It is based in Fort Worth, Texas, and is owned by Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway conglomerate of Omaha, Nebraska.