State fining BNSF $105K over crossing defects
BELLINGHAM, Wash. (AP) - Washington state says it's fining BNSF Railway Co. $105,000 for not repairing seven railroad crossing defects in Whatcom and Skagit counties.
A railway spokesman says BNSF has already submitted a plan to fix those crossings by the end of March.
The Bellingham Herald reports that the state Utilities and Transportation Commission announced the penalty Monday. The newspaper says the commission sent the company a letter in December, outlining the problems and asking they be fixed or that a plan be developed to do so.
The UTC says a Jan. 29 inspection showed no repairs had been made.
BNSF spokesman Gus Melonas said Monday that his company's plan was submitted earlier this year. He says BNSF will be in touch with the state and will begin implementing the necessary repairs to meet the company's timeline.
Melonas said he had no comment on what further action BNSF might take.
The railway can request a hearing, ask for a fine reduction or pay the fine.
A railway spokesman says BNSF has already submitted a plan to fix those crossings by the end of March.
The Bellingham Herald reports that the state Utilities and Transportation Commission announced the penalty Monday. The newspaper says the commission sent the company a letter in December, outlining the problems and asking they be fixed or that a plan be developed to do so.
The UTC says a Jan. 29 inspection showed no repairs had been made.
BNSF spokesman Gus Melonas said Monday that his company's plan was submitted earlier this year. He says BNSF will be in touch with the state and will begin implementing the necessary repairs to meet the company's timeline.
Melonas said he had no comment on what further action BNSF might take.
The railway can request a hearing, ask for a fine reduction or pay the fine.
Finally-gettin rid of unsafe toothpicks...Almost was hit in 2008 at an unlit-unguarded RxR on the curve in Burlington with the box truck...
I certainly hope the fine sticks. Otherwise we are back in the never never land of a proclamation and its retrieval or modification. This type of maneuvering is senseless. If careful enough analysis shows the need for a fine due to not reaching an agreement then issue the fine and be done with it. No retraction, the process has moved past that point. Pay the fine.Â
At that point do not, do not use the fine as a club to cause movement. End of case. Â
let's share that money among the people who drive those crossings
Now if they could only fine BNSF for all the arbitrary 48 hour moritoriums they put on Sounder/AMTRAK service t try to kill off passenger traffic
@EMDF9A (Possible duplicate reply) BNSF has made hundreds of millions of dollars in the Puget Sound region by accepting money from Sound Transit and Amtrak (or their proxies) for line upgrades. They might not like passenger trains, but they will happily accept a check to allow them on their lines.Â
The moratoriums after a slide have nothing to do with wanting to kill off passenger traffic. It's due to the liability and risk associated with sending passenger trains through an active slide zone. Remember the recent double stack train that got nailed by that slide north of Seattle? Now substitute "Empire Builder" for "stack train" and you can imagine the hell they'd be under for allowing the train through so soon after the previous slide.Â
@AuburnGuy Substitute "Propane tank car" or "Ammonia tank car" and imagine the public safety disaster.
@Glassman @AuburnGuy Fine - shut the whole line down for 48 hours. I was addressing why the passenger trains are stopped for 48 hours.Â
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4H1jGry5biU