From Altamont Press:
BNSF outlines Holiday Operation Plan
The BNSF Railway Company’s Christmas and New Year's operating plans will focus on meeting customers’ expectations while allowing as many members of Team BNSF as possible to spend time with their families during the holidays.
To the extent possible, carload train service during the holidays will generally operate according to normal schedules, subject to crew availability. Train schedules will be adjusted in some cases on Christmas Day and New Year's Day to allow employees to spend time with their families. Trains will not operate out of the origination terminals between 06:00 and 14:00, on Christmas Day, Sunday, Dec25, and between 22:00, New Year's Eve, Saturday, Dec31, and 06:00, Sunday, Jan01.
Since many merchandise unit-train customers plan reduced operations through the holidays, some merchandise unit-train service will be curtailed.
BNSF will continue to operate intermodal trains over the Christmas and New Year's holidays. However, delays of up to 48 hours may occur to destination availabilities due to lighter volumes of traffic and possible train consolidations. Shipments that either originate or arrive at destination Saturday, December 24, through noon on Monday, Jan02, may experience extended destination availabilities of 24 to 48 hours.
Unit coal trains – both loaded and empty – will operate normally over the Christmas holiday. However, BNSF will attempt to keep trains at the crew’s home terminal between 10:00 and 14:00 on Christmas Day, Sunday, Dec25, if capacity exists at the terminal. On New Year’s Eve, Saturday, Dec31, and New Year’s Day, Sunday, Jan01, unit coal trains will operate normally.
Since many non-unit train coal customers plan reduced operations over the holidays, to the extent possible, BNSF plans to minimize the operation of freight trains out of origin terminals.
For unit grain trains, Christmas Day and New Year's Day are shuttle holidays, on which customers may choose to move their official spot times by contacting the BNSF Grain Desk at least eight hours in advance. Throughout the holidays, BNSF will attempt to keep the grain network running at a high level to match the increased demand. If crew and locomotive capacity is available, the train will run. BNSF will coordinate with all customers who are willing to work during the holidays and use extra service if necessary to meet demand. - BNSF Today
