BNSF’s Barnard Receives AAR’s John H. Chafee Award
Written by Carolina Worrell, Senior Editor
John Barnard, Director of Fueling Operations for BNSF and 2023 John H. Chafee Environmental Excellence Award recipient (left) with AAR SVP of Safety & Operations Mike Rush (right).
The Association of American Railroads (AAR) on April 25 named John Barnard, Director–Fueling Operations for BNSF, the recipient of its 2023 John H. Chafee Environmental Excellence Award in recognition of his environmental stewardship.
In his role with BNSF, Barnard is responsible for the fuel supply, purchasing and capital maintenance across the railroad’s 50-plus fuel facilities. With more than 90% of the railroad’s emissions associated with locomotive fuel usage, Barnard “plays a key role in advancing BNSF’s emission reduction initiatives and improving environmental and sustainability metrics across its operations,” the Class I said. Beyond BNSF, Barnard’s leadership and advocacy on the testing and deployment of renewable diesel and biodiesel has been “key to the widespread usage of these fuels across the entire rail industry.”
Additionally, Barnard has “deployed pragmatic, innovative solutions that have enhanced fuel tank inspections and reduced fuel spillage for the railroad,” BNSF said. Barnard’s innovative thinking has allowed the Class I, with the help of robotic technology, to overhaul how it inspects fuel tanks. Using these robots, BNSF says, has “increased the efficiency, quality and safety of fuel tank inspections that can be performed without human entry into the tank and occur while fuel tanks are still full.”
Barnard has also patented his Glass Eye Monitoring System (GEMS), which increased safety, improved fuel dispensing efficiency and reduced locomotive fuel tank spillage across the network. “His example and tireless pursuit of improvement across fueling operations has made him a trusted voice on driving measurable progress across the railroad and the entire industry,” BNSF said.
“Each day across the nation, railroaders are driving the industry forward in safety, efficiency and our commitment to a more sustainable future,” said AAR President and CEO Ian Jefferies. “John Barnard, our 2023 Chafee award honoree, has spent three decades advancing BNSF’s fueling practices to substantially reduce emissions and other environmental impacts across the railroad. Congratulations to John and all the nominees whose leadership and passion is pivotal to building an even more environmentally responsible rail industry.”
In addition to Barnard, four other railroaders were nominated for the 2023 John H. Chafee Award, which was named in honor of the late Rhode Island senator, a strong advocate for environmental causes and the eco-friendly benefits of rail transportation, according to AAR. Nominees included:
- Kim Bowling, Director–Wayside Diagnostics, CSX Transportation
- Panos Kokkinos, Director–Facilities Services, Norfolk Southern Corporation
- Michael Robb, Manager–Enterprise GIS Data, CPKC (formerly Canadian Pacific Railway)
- Nick Sahinen, Manager–Road Operations, Union Pacific Railroad
