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Japan Freight Railway (JFR) representatives recently met BNSF Railway Co. officials at the Class I’s Fort Worth, Texas, headquarters to exchange information on damage prevention, environmental issues and technological developments.

JFR representatives presented Japan Railway Technical Research Institute studies on systems designed to predict natural disasters. The studies show changes in groundwater’s chemical makeup can help determine when a natural disaster is eminent.

BNSF officials discussed efforts to detect and prevent track damage using slide fence detectors, settlement detection devices and alarm systems. They also reviewed initiatives designed to reduce air emissions, such as building state-of-the-art fueling facilities.

JFR and and BNSF have been meeting the past two years to exchange information. During previous meetings, they discussed accounting and costing systems, information technology systems and maintenance-of-way best practices.