BNSF

A federal court ruled Tuesday that BNSF Railway can’t be held liable for vermiculite shipments that spread asbestos contamination along its tracks in Libby.

Briefs: Glacier National Park is ending its ticketed entry system this summer; A merger between two major freight-rail companies has drawn concerns from rail-dependent states, including Montana; A historic resort near Glacier National Park is slated to close operations in March.

For decades, Libby residents have lived with the deadly aftermath of asbestos exposure from a closed vermiculite mine. It contaminated the local baseball fields where kids played, it was in gardens, and it insulated homes. Hundreds have died from asbestos-related diseases. Two families were awarded damages from BNSF Railway in 2024. Now the railway is appealing that decision, saying it's not liable for those deaths.

The U.S. Attorney for Montana says the Lincoln County District Court overstepped its jurisdiction by allowing BNSF Railway to seize an asbestos clinic’s property in Libby. It's the latest development in a long-standing legal battle.

A Libby clinic that screens locals for asbestos-related diseases was shuttered this week. A district court authorized the seizure of the clinic’s property to pay a court settlement.

Railroads helped build the state we know today. Now, rail travel has all but disappeared in Montana, and many unused lines are going dormant or being abandoned. What happens to them next?

BNSF Railway is appealing a recent jury trial that awarded two families $4 million each for health issues stemming from asbestos contamination. The appeal has put another trial on hold.

A trial over whether BNSF Railway is liable for contaminating the Libby area with asbestos began Monday. Conservation groups sued the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Monday over the agency's decision to deny endangered species protections for gray wolves in Montana, Idaho and Wyoming.

State environmental officials are investigating after a BNSF locomotive leaked diesel fuel along a more than 60-mile stretch of track across northern Montana.

Nearly two dozen property owners near Paradise filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court alleging the River Road East Fire was started by a railcar. The fire burned a little over 17,000 acres near Paradise and destroyed around 15 homes in August.