BNSF M-GALPEI, BioUrja Critter, TZPR Local 9-26-25

When I left work this afternoon, I already knew Norfolk Southern's D49 local had arrived and departed, so I took I-474 to Peoria and went up SW Adams to find BNSF's M-GALPEI, the third turn this week, just getting permission to enter Tazewell & Peoria Railroad property at Darst Street. 

 

Sometime in late-April this year, M-GALPEI/M-PEIGAL changed from a Monday/Thursday pattern to Monday/Friday. There are still two or three days in between runs. No real difference. But I wondered if this new routine might signal a future increase in frequency, i. e., three instead of two weekly cycles. Although BNSF has occasionally operated a third weekly cycle in the past, I see no reason to do so on a regular basis unless there is a significant increase in traffic, or a company-wide change in operations strategy. 

 

I can't confirm whether this week's Wednesday run was the beginning of increased service or a fluke. I did not see the train itself, but BNSF 9100 and BNSF 6728 were on the north end of the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad's East Peoria Yard mid-afternoon Wednesday. The only reason to do this is if they had just cut off from delivering M-GALPEI. (A cut of cars in A-41 looked like it could have been M-GALPEI.) I did not see the train depart as M-PEIGAL but assume that it did so by late-afternoon. 

 

Yet there is some hope for a company-wide change in operations strategy. TRAINS Magazine's October 2025 issue contains an article, "BNSF makes moves to boost carload traffic," in which it states, "BNSF has increased service frequency for 225 of its merchandise customers. A carload facility that received three days of service per week, for example, might now see a BNSF local on its spurs five days a week. Some five-day-per week customers, meanwhile, went to daily service." 

 

Now BNSF's M-GALPEI/M-PEIGAL are symboled as manifest (or merchandise) trains, not locals, and the sole "customer" these days is the interchange with the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad at East Peoria. So I don't think that pertains to the recent increased service frequency for 225 customers. That said, BNSF has a Shortline Select program. Of five participants, two are Genesee & Wyoming Inc.-owned shortlines (Alabama & Gulf Coast, Portland & Western). 

 

But if BNSF aims to improve its carload service network and boost volume, it would not hurt to add a third weekly cycle for M-GALPEI/M-PEIGAL. Industrial development and expansion along the TP&W in recent years has surged interchange volume with BNSF at [East] Peoria. Incobrasa Industries' large expansion at Gilman might add more soybean meal and oil traffic to BNSF in the near future. Liberty Steel & Wire Co. could boost inbound scrap metal and outbound wire rod business. Aggressive marketing by BioUrja Renewables to uses its distilling capacity can increase alcohol and DDGS shipments on BNSF as well. Caterpillar and Komatsu machinery exports through Tacoma, Washington and Houston, Texas might increase as well. 

CAPTION: BNSF Railway train M-GALPEI (Manifest, Galesburg IL to Peoria IL) enters the Tazewell & Peoria Railroad in Peoria, Illinois mid-afternoon Friday, September 26, 2025. Shortly, it crossed the BioUrja Renewables LLC Riverside track just before the river. BNSF 6332 and BNSF 5833 have 21 cars.

After BNSF's M-GALPEI cleared, I stuck around the Sanger Street area knowing ADMX 932, actually owned by BIoUrja Renewables LLC, was getting ready to pull a cut of grain loads from the South Yard to the distillery uptown. 

CAPTION: ADMX 932, operating on BioUrja Renewables LLC's Riverside Track late-afternoon Friday, September 26, 2025, pulls 12 corn loads from the South Yard toward the distillery. The cars had been delivered earlier by the Toledo, Peoria & Western Railway. (Incobrasa covered hoppers are assigned to corn service at Inco Grain Ltd's Goodland, Indiana elevator.)

 

Finally, I caught some Tazewell & Peoria Railroad action. I first noticed IMRR 43 at Kickapoo Yard. 

CAPTION: A Tazewell & Peoria Railroad local enters BioUrja Renewables LLC's South Yard early evening Friday, September 26, 2025. IMRR 43, working Kickapoo Yard, suffered a "catastrophic failure" and had to be rescued by TZPR 1352. On the way to East Peoria, the crew grabbed three empty tank cars from Interstate Asphalt Corp's Peoria River Terminal.

- David P. Jordan