Class I Briefs: UP, BNSF, CSX, NS
Written by Marybeth Luczak, Executive Editor
Part of a systemwide standardization initiative, new green-red switch targets indicate to operators when trains will be guided—or switched—from one track to another. (Caption and Photograph Courtesy of UP)
Two members of Union Pacific’s (UP) Big Spring, Tex., Transportation team have logged more than 1,000 days reportable injury-free. Also, BNSF, Norfolk Southern (NS) and UP are ranked on the Military Times’ “Best for Vets” employer list; and BNSF, CSX and NS receive 2024 Military Friendly® employer recognition.
UP Conductor Camilo Nieto and locomotive engineer Brandon Shifflett’s focus on group communication, mitigating risks and building a safety-minded team have enabled them to record more than 1,000 days reportable injury-free, according to the Class I railroad.
The key motivation for these two members of the Big Spring, Tex., Transportation team is going home safe to families and friends.
“No matter how busy we get or how much variability we have, safety is the first and last conversation during any crew engagement,” UP Manager-Train Operations Zakk Frye said.
According to UP, collaborative efforts among Big Spring’s team members, Frye and locomotive engineer Marsha Young resulted in changing switch targets to visible arrows “to help reduce the potential for human-factor derailments.” Upgraded as part of a systemwide standardization initiative, the green-red targets indicate to operators when trains will be guided—or switched—from one track to another.
Additionally, the team maintains safety checklists for each customer location “to heighten awareness about any potential risk,” said UP, which noted that yard-cleaning and vegetation-removal efforts also ensure work can be done safely and efficiently.
BNSF, NS and UP were recently highlighted in the Military Times 12th-annual “Best for Vets” employer list. The Military Times surveys companies and organizations to identify and highlight the efforts that they make to recruit, retain, and support current and former service members, military spouses, and military caregivers. The 2023 survey ranked BNSF 37th on the list of 230 companies receiving the honor; NS 214th; and UP 156th.
“We’re honored to be recognized for our military-friendly culture, and we’re proud of our veteran employees who apply the skills they acquired while serving our nation to keep America on the move,” said BNSF in a Nov. 11 LinkedIn post. At BNSF, nearly 1 in 5 members of the team are military veterans.
“It’s an honor to be recognized as a top employer for veterans,” said Annie Adams, Executive Vice President and Chief Transformation Officer at NS. “The skills and experience that current and former service members bring with them into their work here at Norfolk Southern are a huge asset to our railroad, our customers, and to the broader economy we support. We are grateful to have so many incredible veterans on the Thoroughbred team.”
NS employs more than 2,000 active and veteran service members, extending all the way up to the C-Suite and accounting for nearly 10% of the company’s workforce. NS said it offers a veteran employee resource group, which provides an avenue for veterans to connect, support, and learn from one another, as well as a Career Skills Program, which assists transitioning members of the military as they begin to plan for civilian life.
CSX on Nov. 6 announced that it has again been named a “Best for Vets” employer; it came in at No. 34.
BNSF, CSX and NS are three of the 311 employers named as Military Friendly® in 2024 by Military Friendly, an organization that evaluates companies’ “commitment, effort and success in creating sustainable and meaningful benefit for the military community.”
The annual Military Friendly designation is based on survey responses and publicly available data on more than 1,500 organizations.
“Organizations earning the Military Friendly Employers designation have wholeheartedly invested in comprehensive and impactful initiatives that bring about positive, life-changing results,” said Kayla Lopez, Senior Director of Military Partnerships at Military Friendly. “We salute these exemplary employers who raise the bar and understand that hiring military personnel is not merely an act of goodwill but a testament to a standard that truly embodies sound business wisdom.”
“Being recognized for hiring veterans is a welcome validation of our efforts, but the real reward is seeing the positive impact veterans have on our ONE CSX culture of teamwork and service,” said Diana Sorfleet, CSX Executive Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer. “All across our network, CSX veterans exemplify the ONE CSX principles of collaboration and inclusion, both in our workforce and in the communities we serve.”
