BROADCAST BULLETIN – July 12, 2005

Here are some ISSUES your Association has raised with the BNSF Railway.  Please consider discussing these with BNSF representatives should you have the chance. 

 BNSF reported that in the first quarter of 2005 its fuel cost declined.  At the same time its fuel surcharge increased. 

 In January 2004 BNSF President Matt Rose announced that 6,000 new grain hopper cars would be purchased over the next four years.  This was to substantially exceed car retirements and so there would be a net gain.  But the December 31, 2004 BNSF Annual Report shows its covered hopper car fleet down about 1,200 cars from one year earlier.  Why is BNSF moving in the opposite direction of what was promised?

 In late February 2004 BNSF Ag Products advised customers to plan ahead and order their harvest transportation needs early.  Then in early May 2004 BNSF took 11,000 cars out of COTs, which can be booked up to six months in advance, and put them in the tariff lottery, which can be booked only a month ahead.   Now those cars seem to have disappeared from both programs.   There were 4,860 cars in the tariff lottery for August 2004, but only 900 for each month in 2005.  COT sales for Aug-Sep-Oct 2005 are suspended except for 1,000 singles in Oct.   Where are BNSF customers supposed to get cars? 

 Five state grain and feed associations wrote a letter to Surface Transportation Board Chairman Roger Nober last week disputing his cheery description of rail service last fall and winter.  The Letter to Nober is posted at www.ndgda.org   Nober’s letter being criticized has been posted at www.stb.dot.gov   Anyone else wanting to contact Mr. Nober can do so by email at rnober@stb.dot.gov or fax to 202-565-9013.  Copy other STB members Douglas.Buttrey@stb.dot.gov and Francis.Mulvey@stb.dot.gov , and sstrege@ndgda.org .

 Your Association Board of Directors will be holding its regular summer meeting in Fargo on July 14-15.  If you have any comments to share on these or other issues feel free to call one of the Directors.  The names and phone numbers are on page 2 of your 2005 North Dakota grain elevator directory.