On an unseasonably hot (36°C/97°F) afternoon, General Electric built Dash 9-44CW locomotives #4989 and #4681 are nearing Lucien with a container train.

Today, the BNSF Railway runs 20-30 trains per day on the mostly single track 282-kilometer (175 miles) Avard Subdivision. Since there are no signals, all movements are governed by track warrants communicated to the train crews by a dispatcher located in Fort Worth, Texas. Speed through the "dark territory" is restricted to a maximum of 79 kph (49 mph).