After the storm: BNSF telecom quickly restores communication

When a telecommunications tower on BNSF’s line near Seymour, Missouri, was destroyed by a recent tornado, the situation was critical to safely continue train operations in the area. Multiple BNSF teams immediately responded with an impressive display of coordination and efficiency.

Here’s how it unfolded: At approximately 5:30 p.m. on Friday, March 14, a loss of communication was reported. As remote troubleshooting occurred, a telecom technician was dispatched to the site where he found the tower toppled to the ground. (Train traffic through the area had already been halted due to power issues and downed trees caused by the storm.) The communications outage affected about a 40-mile stretch of track.

Larry Ray, telecom manager, helped coordinate the response.

“We first talked to the dispatcher to understand the limitations and severity of the communications outage,” Ray said. “We then made some phone calls to bring in the closest COW (Cell on Wheels) mobile unit for backup communications.”

The closest available COW unit was in Denver, but telecom team members immediately began transporting it eastward to meet other westbound telecom team members in Hayes, Kansas, for the exchange.

Meanwhile, the local telecom team gathered materials to assemble the temporary tower on-site. The team was also diligent in configuring equipment and running studies to integrate this new tower into the network. In just over 36 hours, the new temporary 80-foot tower was erected, and communications were restored.

“We don’t do this (disaster recovery) very often, and sometimes it’s hard to plan for things like this,” Ray said. “But I’m proud of how we worked together. It was definitely a team effort to restore the communications so quickly.”

For railroaders, working under pressure gives them the opportunity to shine.

“These challenging situations not only underscore the exceptional leadership qualities but also the unwavering dedication and steadfast commitment of our BNSF team members,” said Mitch Beard, director of telecommunications. “Their proactive approach toward safety and their rapid response in times of distress truly embody the core values that we hold dear at our organization.”