The BNSF CEO’s speech highlights the importance of improving service
SHAUMBURG, Ill. – The power of data, or more accurately, data put to good use, may not be the topic BNSF Railroad CEO Katie Farmer presented at the Midwest Railroad Shippers’ Winter Meeting. But it was a recurring theme in many of the issues she addressed during her keynote speech on the first day of the conference on Wednesday.
Information played a role in the farmer’s perspective for the BNSF Barstow International Gateway Intermodal and Logistics Project. Discussing the railroad’s program to test automatic tracks; and shippers in an effort to improve information on arrival times.
“I’m really excited about what we’re doing in Barstow,” said Farmer. “And it’s not just because of capacity. … What I’m really excited about is the conversations we have with our customers, the ocean carriers, the Dragon companies, the largest importers in the country. … We’re talking about not just capacity, but how we can share information with each other.”
“To give you an example, if I’m a big importer and I have a box on the container, wouldn’t it be nice if we could have all the information coming to us while we have a box on the ship? Make decisions, the customer can decide while the decision is on board, do I want to go to IPI (Inland Point Intermodal)? Do I want to stay in the area? Do I want to change it? We have that information, we can plan to work in the intermodal center around (us).
“That’s the kind of conversation we’re having, and that’s how we can adapt and improve the logistics park concept,” she said.
As for track inspections, BNSF has been working to extend Federal Railroad Administration waivers for its automated inspection program — an effort tempered by the FRA’s desire to make those waivers more difficult to obtain. (look out “The FRA’s purpose is to strengthen the laws . . .” Trains News Wire, Oct. 28, 2024.) But at the same time, Farmer said, he is working to develop an inspection system that would install cameras and lasers on locomotives in revenue service.
“It allows us to look at real-time, foot-by-foot pavement for any structural integrity issues. … It allows us to take that information, send it to (the company’s headquarters) in Fort Worth, and quickly, using machine vision and artificial intelligence, on that track. If there’s a problem, faster than ever. This allows us to take our track inspectors and move from finders to repairers to fix that track problem and large windows that interrupt service. It allows us not to take it, said the farmer.