Class I Briefs: BNSF, CSX, UP

Two of BNSF’s automotive facilities, operated by service partner Inter-Rail Group, were recognized by the Association of American Railroads (AAR) as among of “the best in North America.” (BNSF Photograph)

Two BNSF automotive facilities earn quality excellence awards from the Association of American Railroads (AAR). Also, CSX and Union Pacific (UP) are among the 100 companies on Forbes’ Net Zero Leaders list; and more than 1,000 UP managers wrap up a two-day “Operational Excellence” workshop.

BNSF

AAR on June 4 recognized Kansas City Auto (Kans.) and San Diego Automotive (Calif.)—BNSF facilities operated by Inter-Rail Group—for quality excellence, according to BNSF. Respectively, they received an Origin of the Year award (earning a score of 99.45%) and a Destination of the Year award (earning a score of 99.98%) during the 131st Damage Freight Prevention Convention.

Automotive facility audits “are stringent and thorough, and conducted unannounced by [AAR wholly owned subsidiary] MxV Rail at all rail-served facilities, including plants and ports across North America,” BNSF reported. Audit metrics include operation safety, quality, physical security, and facility maintenance.

“We are so proud of our auto teams in both Kansas City and San Diego for this accomplishment, as we know this was no easy feat,” BNSF Director of System Hub Operations Tara Sprinkle said. “This is the first origin award win for BNSF, and the first time for us to have both origin and destination wins in a single year. We look forward to continuing to build upon these achievements in delivering consistent, high-quality service to our customers.”

CSX’s Total Distribution Services Inc. unloading facilities in Nashville, Tenn., and Palm Center, Fla., took home Destination of the Year awards; each automotive facility earned a score of 99.98%.

CSX / UP

Forbes has ranked CSX (No. 84) and UP (No. 20) on its Net Zero Leaders List of 100 public U.S. organizations with a market valuation of at least $1 billion. This is the second consecutive year the two Class I’s have earned a spot on the list that covers 42 industry sectors—from airlines and e-commerce to real estate, retailing and transportation. CSX and UP were the only companies in the Transportation category.

The list highlights companies that are “helping to slow global warming by eliminating or compensating for the pollution they, their suppliers and their customers produce,” according to the magazine.

Forbes used data from Sustainalytics and Morningstar “to rank the companies’ commitment to a net-zero future.” The publication evaluated factors such as each company’s climate governance, strategy, and risk management capabilities, as well as how each company’s financial health and competitive edge enable them to overcome industry challenges and economic downturns.

“We are honored by Forbes’ acknowledgment of our dedication to environmental stewardship,” CSX Vice President of Stakeholder Engagement and Sustainability Bryan Tucker said. “This recognition is a testament to the effort our entire team is putting forth in adopting innovative technologies and operating practices that reduce greenhouse gas emissions, enhance fuel efficiency, and promote sustainable supply chain operations.”

CSX and UP, along with Norfolk Southern and The Greenbrier Companies, were among the 450 U.S.-based companies recently named to USA Today’s America’s Climate Leaders 2024 list for achieving significant reductions in emissions intensity between 2020 and 2022.

UP

More than 1,000 UP Operating managers from every craft recently gathered in San Antonio, Tex., for “Operating Excellence,” a two-day workshop that the railroad said focused on “developing leadership skills, business acumen and a deeper understanding of the critical role front-line teams play delivering operational excellence.”

“Each year, the goal of our workshop is the same,” UP Executive Vice President-Operations Eric Gehringer told attendees, according to the Inside Track section of the railroad’s website. “We rely on the leaders in this room to identify improvement opportunities from what you learn here, and then be intentional about sharing those insights with your teams.”

Attendees heard from senior Operating leaders on topics supporting UP’s “Safety, Service and Operational Excellence = Growth strategy.”

“As leaders, our job is to plan, help our team execute and hold ourselves accountable,” said John Turner, UP Senior Vice President-Operations, who “encouraged managers to consider the railroad as a whole when making decisions that could have a downstream effect,” according to Inside Track.

Craft-specific breakout sessions focused on collaboration and accountability. Mechanical managers “developed personal action plans and set goals to support key safety, engagement, variability and productivity initiatives, while Engineering leaders participated in hands-on injury-prevention sessions hosted off-site by the railroad’s Technical Training experts,” Inside Track reported.

Additionally, the Transportation, Premium Operations, and Safety teams partnered with colleagues from Customer Care and Support, Network Planning and Operations, and the Harriman Dispatching Center “to execute tabletop exercises focused on aligning collectively when facing critical decisions impacting the entire system,” according to Inside Track.

Commented UP Senior Director-Measures and Evaluation Manas Bharadwaj: “It’s a great opportunity to develop our network perspective. We’ve all been guilty at some point of not taking a holistic view of the decision at hand.”

UP Manager-Train Operations Crystal Mayberry added that “[c]onsidering all available alternatives enables us to make the best possible decisions. These are principles we can apply to our daily work to achieve our safety, service and growth goals.”