Flooding Impacting Southwest Operations - Gallup and El Paso Subdivisions Out of Service

BNSF is working to restore service in New Mexico, where days of heavy rain across the Southwest have caused widespread flooding. Local officials have described it as a once-in-a-generation event. Rivers in northwestern New Mexico and southern Colorado rose to near-record levels, leading to evacuations, emergency declarations, road and highway closures and power outages. New Mexico remains under a statewide flooding emergency, and on Saturday the governor requested a federal emergency declaration for the hardest-hit areas, including Laguna Pueblo, where floodwaters affected BNSF's tracks.

On the Gallup Subdivision, part of our Southern Transcon route between Southern California and the Midwest, floodwaters rose quickly late Saturday afternoon and flowed over the tracks at several locations near Laguna, New Mexico, about 70 miles west of Belen, taking both main tracks out of service.

Floodwaters flow over both main tracks on the Gallup Subdivision near Laguna, New Mexico - October 2026.

BNSF engineering teams were in place and began repairs Sunday as the water receded. One main track is expected to return to service this afternoon, with trains running on a single track through about 12 miles of the repair area. Work on the second main track continues, and a time to return it to service has not yet been determined. Customers should expect some residual delays as we work through backlogged traffic and service recovers.

On the El Paso Subdivision, which connects Belen with El Paso, Texas, runoff from the flooding has also flowed over the tracks between Sabinal and La Joya, south of Belen, taking the line out of service. BNSF teams are inspecting the track and assessing the damage, and a time to return the line to service has not yet been determined.

Crews repair flood-damaged track near Laguna, New Mexico, on the Gallup Subdivision - October 2026.

Floodwaters are receding near Laguna, but rivers in the area remain high. Dry weather is expected through midweek, though rain returns to the forecast late in the week, and saturated ground leaves the region vulnerable to additional runoff. Our operations teams are closely monitoring conditions and taking the necessary actions to minimize service disruptions.

Customers with shipments moving to, from or through the Southwest should expect delays as recovery efforts progress. When tracing freight, customers may see nonstandard routings, locations and interchanges, and longer-than-normal transit times.

For impacted shipment inquiries, please use the "Message Us" feature on the BNSF Customer Portal (registration and login required) or contact BNSF Customer Support at 1-888-428-2673. Additionally, please reach out to your BNSF marketing representative with any questions.