Hope you dont mind reading some BNSF headlines from
TO here in this place as I'm just a citizen these days
with no contacts so I have to fish the net to find out
anything. It seems the BNSF is in a deep hole right
now trying to get all this new business and current
business moving through North Dakota. It reminds
me kindof of when UP was trying get things organized
in the late 1990's after all the mergers and acquisitions
and things were really fucked up. If the BNSF has plans
for some double tracking to start in 2014, they are going
to have to wait until the ground is not frozen. This
traffic flow problem is going be with BNSF for many months
to come. The westbound Empire Builder is routinely 6-8hrs
late getting into Everett WA. Its more like 6-12hrs late.
I've seen some amazing moves by the BNSF running
trains in the GPNW the last 6-7 yrs. Every train can be
"killed" it seems. I know BNSF keeps certain Z-trains going
without a hitch but the rest including Amtrak is "wait your
turn". I guess its temporarily bad luck for BNSF to be under
capacity on their routes through North Dakota but BNSF has
a lot of experience in getting double tracks and triple tracks
built in a short time with the coal traffic boom the last 30 years.
You can bet the BNSF "Think-Tank" is hard at work on the
North Dakota problem.
http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?1,3334428
If you are in a horror movie, you make bad decisions, its what you do.