rail

BNSF Names Three Safety Employees of Year; UP Chicago Unit Hits 380 Injury-Free Days

BNSF recognized three Safety Employees of the Year for 2025 across its operations. Bob Courteau was honored for his work on the mechanical team maintaining locomotives and freight cars. Matt Oldham received the award for the engineering team, responsible for track, structures and signal systems maintenance. Jakob Szyzdek was recognized for his contributions to the transportation team operating trains, yards, terminals and intermodal hubs. The honorees were celebrated April 14 in Fort Worth, Texas, alongside other systemwide employees.

Meanwhile, Union Pacific's Chicago Service Unit achieved a major safety milestone, reaching 380 consecutive injury-free days. The service unit was recognized May 8 at the Illinois State Capitol by the Illinois House for earning the 2025 Safety Bell Award. The Chicago unit posted the lowest derailment rate among UP's 13 service units, establishing a new benchmark for the railroad.