Washington Business Spring 2019 | Washington Business | Page 37

business backgrounder | transportation
Washington state:
30 freight railroads,
spanning 3,056 miles
operated by 4,381
employees earning an
average annual wage
of $127,770.
It’s easy to forget about
rail and the important role it
plays in the economy. It’s been
part of the nation’s fabric for
so long that it doesn’t stand
out anymore. And when we
do notice it, it can be for the
wrong reasons.
But the truth is freight rail
remains a critical component
of the economy, providing the
nation with a highly efficient,
environmentally friendly and safe mode of transportation that also
provides thousands of family-wage jobs.
And rail isn’t just surviving — it’s thriving. But, as the economy and
the state’s population grow, the state’s transportation infrastructure is
not adequately prepared to handle roadway volumes and the ability to
add railway capacity is getting even more challenging.
by the numbers
Keeping rail infrastructure in shape to handle demand is extremely
capital-intensive.
In 2018 alone, BNSF invested $3.4 billion across its network for
maintenance, technology enhancements and new locomotives and
equipment, $175 million of which was spent in Washington state.
BNSF’s infrastructure is privately owned and financed. BNSF has 3,782
employees with a combined payroll of nearly $305 million.
Per 2017 data, Union Pacific railroad, the other major rail company
operating in Washington state, also made major investments in the
state: $28 million in payroll, $14.7 million in capital investment and
$128.6 million of in-state purchases.
According to data from the Association of American Railroads
(AAR), there are 30 freight railroads, spanning 3,056 miles in
Washington state that are operated by 4,381 employees who earn an
average annual wage of $127,770. And, each freight rail job supports
nine jobs elsewhere in the U.S. economy.
That data also shows that in 2017, 787,200 carloads originated in
Washington state and were moved out of state by rail or through the
ports and 1,105,600 carloads came into the state.
AAR also reports that the average rail shipper can move nearly two
times the amount of freight for about the same price it paid more than
35 years ago.
It’s not just cargo being moved on trains.
BNSF’s tracks also accommodate 10 Amtrak passenger trains daily
between Seattle and Portland as well as Sounder passenger trains.
“It’s a good partnership with Amtrak, the
state and Sound Transit,” Wallace said. “That
means BNSF’s investments on the rail not
only benefits freight rail, but passenger rail
as well. It’s a great opportunity for them to
run on the safest rail lines out there.”
safety, environmental heavy lifter
Today, America’s railroads move a ton of
freight an average of 473 miles on one gallon
of fuel, according to data from the AAR.
On average, railroads are four times more fuel efficient than
trucks, reducing transportation emissions by as much as 75 percent.
As an example, just one of BNSF’s double-stack intermodal trains,
or the trains that have two stacked containers on them, can take the
equivalent of 280 trucks off the road.
“When it comes to long-haul shipping, rail is the most
environmentally friendly way to move things on land,” Wallace said.
“Truckers are a critical part of the supply chain, but when it comes
to freight rail moving things long distances, we’re reducing emissions
and fuel usage and we’re also reducing wear and tear on the roads.”
“It’s a strong partnership,” said Nate Kaplan, state director for
GoRail, a national organization that educates community leaders
about the public benefits of rail and mobilizes them in support of an
even stronger rail network.
“You can’t pull a train up to the back of a Target or Walmart store,”
Kaplan said. “Trucks and trains, along with barges, ships and planes,
are part of an interconnected intermodal network that delivers 54 tons
of goods per American every year.”
And, Wallace noted, freight rail is safe. “When it comes to freight
rail, 99.999 percent of what BNSF moves from point to point moves
safely and without incident,” she said.
Today’s technology is also being put to use.
Since 2014, Union Pacific has used drone technology for rail
structure inspections, placing cameras where personnel would
normally be required to climb bridges and radio towers across its
network, with the ultimate goal of zero accidents and zero injuries.
Federal data from 2017 across key measures — including train
accident rate and employee safety — show that railroads are the safest
they have been in the industry’s 200-year history.
“The freight rail renaissance is not just good for consumers,”
Kaplan said. “We have the safest railroads on the planet, consistently
deploying new technologies and looking for ways to be even safer.”
Per AAR, railroads train 20,000 first responders annually and have
deployed the AskRail mobile application to give law enforcement and
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