Railroad strike possible Friday

With harvest about to start, concern is surfacing over a potential interruption in rail service in the midwest.

With the threat of a possible strike affecting both the Union Pacific and Burlington Northern coming on Friday, Amtrak on Monday suspended passenger service between Chicago and the West Coast. This affected passenger trains normally running Kansas and Nebraska.

With three elevators capable of loading unit trains and a cement terminal, rail service remains important in Nuckolls County. During the fall harvest multiple unit trains of grain are normally shipped from Nuckolls County.

The Aurora Cooperative elevator at Sedan is served by the Union Pacific railroad. The cooperative’s Superior elevator is served by Burlington Northern Santa Fe. The Agrex elevator at Superior is served by both the Burlington Santa Fe and Union Pacific lines. The cement terminal is served by the Burlington Santa Fe.

The Burlington Santa Fe also brings bulk fertilizer to Superior distribution points.