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To: All BNSF Customers
04/05/2019

UPDATE: Midwest Flooding Recovery Efforts

BNSF teams continue to make progress in restoring service through areas of Iowa, Nebraska and Missouri impacted by record flooding. Throughout the past week, trains have been operating again on the entire Creston Subdivision, an integral link in our network connecting Nebraska and Iowa as well as the St. Joseph Subdivision, another critical route running between Lincoln, Nebraska and Kansas City. The full reopening of these two key subdivisions is a significant milestone in our ongoing recovery efforts.

The O’Neill Subdivision, which runs between O’Neill, Nebraska and Sioux City, Iowa, also returned to service last Monday night. We currently expect to reopen the Council Bluffs Subdivision, which runs between Council Bluffs, Iowa and Pacific Junction, where it intersects with the Creston and Napier Subdivisions south of Omaha, this weekend after high water levels hindered an earlier anticipated reopening.



Four other subdivisions remain either partially or fully out of service at this time:
  • Omaha Subdivision (between Omaha – Oreapolis, Nebraska)
  • Napier Subdivision (Pacific Junction, Iowa – Napier, Missouri)
  • Hannibal Subdivision (between the Iowa/Missouri border and West Quincy, Mo.; between Mark and Clarksville, Mo.)
  • River Subdivision (between Rush Island and Cape Girardeau, Mo.)

Where water levels have receded, crews are engaged in various repair projects in multiple locations. As we have reported, the work includes bridge reconstruction, which is taking place on our Omaha Subdivision, as well as the installation of new signals and ballast replenishment.

BNSF merchandise train running along restored track on the Creston Subdivision near Pacific Junction, Iowa


Crews assembling a new signal box in Fortescue, Missouri


Ballast replenishment onto tracks damaged by floodwaters near La Platte, Nebraska


As operating conditions improve, we are focused on moving traffic that has been staged for an extended period due to the service outages. We also continue to utilize re-route options where possible to move traffic through the area. Impacted customers tracing their freight may experience nonstandard routings, locations and interchanges as well as extended transit times.

For more information on BNSF flood recovery efforts, including the latest service outages map and current list of embargoed destinations in the region, please visit our flood recovery webpage: www.bnsf.com/floodrecovery. If you are affected by any of the current flood-related embargoes, information on making freight diversion requests is also available on this page.

As always, if you have questions about your shipment(s), please contact BNSF Customer Support at 1-888-428-2673.

We appreciate your continued patience and will continue to provide additional updates.

If you have any questions, please send an email to Customer.Notifications@bnsf.com