Huge BNSF Investment In North Dakota; BNSF To Make Largest, Single-Year CAPEX In Company's History -- All Driven By CBR And The Bakken; March 8, 2014

A reader tells me that there are 300 BNSF job openings in Minot. It wouldn't surprise me.

BNSF is making a huge investment in North Dakota according to The Minot Daily News: 

BNSF will be making record infrastructural investments in North Dakota, including in the Minot area, to improve rail transportation in the state.

"In 2014 we plan to make our largest, single-year capital investment in our company's history. Our investments of capital in expansion and maintenance in North Dakota will be a critical part of efficiently, and safely, facilitating the growth from the state, in particular, crude and agriculture, and growth elsewhere on the network," Ice said.

Ice said BNSF's maintenance investment grows as volumes grow. "In North Dakota this year, BNSF is spending $125 million to keep the existing tracks and facilities strong. Last year set a record for replacement and maintenance spending in the state $112 million."

He said replacement capital expenditures in North Dakota and elsewhere have also been growing since 2009.

"Our planned expansion and efficiency capital will be more than $900 million in 2014, of which $265 million will be spent in North Dakota. This spending is part of a three-year capital expansion plan for North Dakota. We plan to spend $396 million over three years on the Glasgow subdivision alone that will result in over 100 miles of double track and the construction of three critical sidings.

From the Tioga Tribune:

The work planned this season includes 46 miles of new second main track between Minot and Williston.

“In particular, crews are building a railroad bridge just east of Tioga,” McBeth said.

“There is currently a bridge for the existing main track and this additional bridge will be constructed for the second main track.”

Work on the bridge portion of the project should be complete later in the spring, she said.

West of Tioga, crews have been laying track for the second main track, she said. Work will continue on that project in stages throughout the summer.

Specifics:

• double track the line from Minot to Glasgow, MT ($162 million)
• add sidings between Fargo and Grand Forks ($26 million)
• add sidings between Bismarck and Glendive, MT ($14 million)
• add sidings along Devils Lake ($13 million)
• add sidings and an interchange track through the Port of Pembina ($13 million)
• invest in Centralized Traffic Control along the Jamestown, ND, subdivision ($11 million)
• add sidings along the KO subdivision, between Fargo and Minot ($8 million)

Meanwhile:

Random update on BNSF efforts to improve agricultural shipments in the northern tier, The Dickinson Press is reporting:

... customers were notified Feb. 20 that a predicted return to cold temperatures would hamper equipment velocities, particularly in the north. He said there are also problems with throughput in the Chicago network caused by previous weather events and heavy volume. He said the company is shifting some traffic through Memphis and St. Louis, and that wet conditions in the Pacific Northwest have hampered unloading there at some facilities.

U.S. past-due grain car shipments last week increased to 11,698 throughout its system — up 632 cars from the previous week. The U.S. average past-due car count increased to 17.9 days, up from 15.4 the previous week. A past-due shipment is every single car that is at least four days past the “want date” requested by the elevator or shipper.

Past-due shipments in North Dakota increased to 5,512 — up by 451 cars from the previous week. The average North Dakota delay is 18.6 days per car, which increased from 17 days late the previous week.