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BNSF Honors Four State DOTs for Grade Crossing Safety
Written by Carolina Worrell, Senior Editor
Left to Right: Calvin Cook, Crossing Inventory Specialist, Montana Department of Transportation (MDT); Mary Ann Monaldi, Manager of Public Projects, BNSF; John Althof, Rail/Highway Safety Unit Supervisor; MDT; Matt Jones, Executive Director of Public Affairs, BNSF; and Chris Dorrington, Director of MDT. (BNSF photo)
BNSF on July 1 announced that it is honoring four state Departments of Transportation (DOT) in Idaho, Montana, New Mexico and Wyoming with the inaugural “Tracking to Zero” awards for their “dedication to improving crossing safety in their communities,” a first-of-its kind initiative to reduce grade crossing incidents across the Class I’s 32,500-mile network.
The inaugural awards have been awarded to the four states for averaging less than one grade crossing incident per one million BNSF train miles traveled. Date reported in 2023 to the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) confirms the findings, according to the Class I.
Additionally, BNSF stated in an X (formerly Twitter) post that it would also like to recognize the Illinois DOT as a “State to Watch” this year, with a rate of 1.1 incidents per million BNSF train miles, nearing that 1.0 safety milestone.
“BNSF’s commitment and passion for safety sets us apart,” said BNSF Assistant Director of Public Projects Richard Scott. “In 2023, we had our best year for employee safety in our company’s 175-year history, leading the industry. It’s important we also recognize those communities who are committed to helping us maintain the lowest grade crossing collision rate in the industry.”
Examples of actions taken by the winning state DOTs to improve railroad crossing safety include, but are not limited to:
- Installing grade-crossing separations.
- Enhancing signal systems at existing crossings.
- Researching and piloting new crossing safety technologies.
- Utilizing both state and federal funding to maximize railroad crossing safety improvements.
- Prioritizing community education and utilizing land use planning and awareness campaigns.
- Implementing various measures to reduce railroad trespassing.
“Because trains are limited in their ability to prevent a collision, safety gains are better achieved by improving how drivers interact around railroad tracks,” Scott added. “State DOTs can make a big difference when it comes to their communities’ safety by prioritizing rail safety projects and campaigns that help drivers make better decisions.
“Grade crossing safety is an integral part of BNSF’s operations and culture. It involves daily cooperative efforts between the railroad and the more than 5,000 communities in 28 states (and three Canadian provinces) we serve. Since 1995, BNSF’s rate of grade-crossing collisions has declined from an average of 5.3 incidents per million trail miles, to 1.89 in 2023.
BNSF’s safety vision includes zero grade crossing incidents on its railroad. In the Class I’s efforts to reach less than one incident per million miles traveled on its system by the year 2030, BNSF says it will continue to recognize DOT teams leading the way in the railway’s efforts.
