(The following article by Andrew Webb was posted on the Albuquerque Journal website on October 30.)
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — The railroad that serves New Mexico, Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway, has seen record traffic, but service has remained free of the congestion plaguing Texas, says spokeswoman Lena Kent.
BNSF spokesman Joe Faust credited the difference to the railroad’s intricate logistics system, which aims to accurately deploy appropriate equipment where and when it’s needed.
“We are operating at capacity right now, so because of that, we have to be more effective in our planning,” he said.
BNSF has hired 2,300 new train crew members this year, Kent said. The firm, which had record quarterly revenues of $2.64 billion in the second quarter of 2004, predicts it will spend $1.9 billion on capital improvements this year. The improvements will include track upgrades and the purchase of 350 new locomotives to add to its fleet of 4,600, Kent said.
She did not know how many new employees would be in New Mexico. BNSF has major yard operations in Clovis, Belen and other parts of the state, and employs more than 1,500 in New Mexico, according to the Railroad Retirement Board.
Between 100 and 120 BNSF trains rumble through New Mexico daily. Union Pacific also has trackage in the state, and at least two short-line railroads offer freight service from small communities to main lines.
In New Mexico, most warehousing and manufacturing firms say they rely on truck or air cargo carriers for shipment. Like rail customers, they’re feeling the pinch of fuel surcharges, which are tacked on as a percentage of weight shipped.
Most customers expect the charges, said George Sharp, an operations manager for Albuquerque shipping firm Bax Global, which adds a fuel surcharge of $4.34 for a standard 68-pound package.
“We haven’t had any questions about it yet,” he said.