Fort Worth, Texas —Freight railroad BNSF is generally striving to improve safety on a consistent basis, but that message doesn't always reach front-line workers who say they don't feel comfortable reporting safety concerns for fear disciplinary action, according to an assessment released Wednesday by regulators.
The Federal Railroad Administration's review of BNSF's safety culture also found that the company continues to be held back by some of the same issues that have been common across the industry for years.
The new report is the second one the agency has completed to addressrailroad safety concernsfollowing the disastrous February 2023 Norfolk Southernderailmentin East Palestine, Ohio, as it works toreview all the major railroads.
The BNSF review is more positive than last summer'sNorfolk Southern report, which said executives at that railroad were too often satisfied with only doing the minimum for safety.
I want to be clear: we are holding Norfolk Southern accountable.
On February 10, EPA issued a letter to Norfolk Southern to document the release of hazardous contaminants. It also outlines cleanup actions at the site and our authority under the law to hold them accountable. pic.twitter.com/acqfq7tdvS
The FRA found that company leaders consistently stressed safety as a core value, but at the lower levels of the railroad, some managers still prioritize keeping the trains moving ahead of safety.
"Changes in messaging create doubt among front-line craft employees as to the true goals, priorities and commitments of the railroad," the agency said in the report.
Regulatorsalso reiterated their recommendation for BNSF and all the major freight railroads to sign on to the confidential federal safety reporting hotline for workers to report concerns without fear of being punished.
BNSF earned praise for launching apilot programwith that hotline for its dispatchers earlier this year, but the FRA said it needs to be available to all rail workers. The industry has along history of retaliatingagainst workers who report too many safety concerns, because those issues slow down the trains while repairs are made.
All the majorrailroads promisedto join that federal reporting system after East Palestine, but so far only BNSF andNorfolk Southernhave announced limited pilot programs.
"Effective reporting systems improve safety by reducing risks and allow for changes and repairs to be made so safety incidents do not recur," according to the report.
BNSF didn’t immediately comment on the report after its public release early Wednesday.
BNSF is one of the nation's largest railroads, with tracks crossing the Western United States. It is based in Fort Worth, Texas, and is owned by Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway conglomerate of Omaha, Nebraska.
Merit Street Media
