BNSF restores joint BN/UP line in Wyoming's Powder River Basin

Earlier this week, BNSF Railway Co. completed repairs to restore a line in the Powder River Basin used by the Class I and Union Pacific Railroad. In mid-May, the line was damaged by heavy rains. Since then, a number of coal moves on BNSF and UP have been delayed.

However, since early August, 70 percent of missed trainloads have been attributable to mines, which have been unable to load trains because of pit landslides, no coal inventory or equipment upgrades, UP officials said in a prepared statement.

“Union Pacific hopes the mines will resolve those problems by the beginning of September so that UP and BNSF can take advantage of all available track capacity,” UP officials said.

The Class Is recently opened another segment of third main track in the basin. The railroads plan to build an additional segment and begin studying five-year capacity needs.