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BNSF has opened a new bridge over the Missouri River in Bismarck, North Dakota, replacing a 140-year-old bridge built by its predecessor, Northern Pacific.

The first trains crossed the new bridge last month, which spans 1,554 feet. Work is now focused on removing the old bridge, which was near the end of its life according to the railroad. Vertical and horizontal clearances of the old bridge limited loads that could be transported across the river.

The official cutover took 20 hours and a team of 50 people to shift rail traffic over to the new bridge.

“Putting our new BNSF bridge in service is incredibly important for our ability to continue serving customers in North Dakota and across our network,” said Amy McBeth, general director of public affairs, in a release. “It’s a massive private infrastructure project that facilitates interstate commerce and is the biggest project we’ll have in the state for several years.” 

Designing and permitting the bridge took nearly eight years to complete, and the railroad was challenged by winter weather, which shortened construction windows.

Work to remove the old bridge will continue through fall and winter, weather permitting, and full removal of the bridge is expected to be completed by mid-2027. 

— Nick Stewart

The post New Bridge Enters Service on BNSF in North Dakota appeared first on Railfan & Railroad Magazine.

Amtrak announced Thursday that both round trips of its Mardi Gras service between New Orleans, Louisiana, and Mobile, Alabama, will be canceled Friday as Hurricane Isaias approaches the Gulf Coast.

The northbound and southbound Crescent trains were substituted with buses Thursday, and both trains are canceled Friday, according to Amtrak’s website. The Sunset Limited and City of New Orleans are still expected to operate as normal on Friday.

Meanwhile, CSX issued a customer advisory Thursday, stating that it would be “closely monitoring” the storm. The railroad says it is moving rail cars out of low-lying areas, staging resources including generators and developing alternative routing and train plans as necessary.

“The safety of our employees, customers, and communities remains our top focus,” CSX said in the advisory. “CSX is proactively adjusting operating plans to protect people, equipment, and infrastructure while minimizing potential service disruptions.”

Hurricane Isaias is expected to make landfall late Friday into early Saturday either in Alabama or in the Florida Panhandle, bringing damaging winds, heavy rainfall, flash flooding and storm surge along much of the Gulf Coast.

— Nick Stewart

The post Hurricane Isaias Threatens Amtrak and CSX Operations appeared first on Railfan & Railroad Magazine.