BNSF intermodal: We’re going where markets are growing
By SUSAN GREEN
Staff Writer
Current population data shows the fastest-growing areas in the U.S. are concentrated in the South and West. As cities in these regions grow, so does the need for more goods, which BNSF brings on intermodal trains with its trucking partners.
To meet demand, BNSF recently added new intermodal services providing the needed speed and efficiency, and all thanks to collaboration with Patriot Rail, the Utah Inland Port Authority and CSX, allowing us to immediately deliver that value.
“By continuing to create more opportunities to convert over-the-road freight to rail, we provide a cost-effective, direct solution to bring freight to the dynamic and growing areas,” Jon Gabriel, BNSF’s group vice president of consumer products, said. “Partnering with other transportation providers allows us to meet that need sooner than later.”
Here are some of the ways we’re helping to bring our customers – and their customers, the consumer – efficient, reliable intermodal services across our network and beyond.
LA-Houston
In July, we announced our new expedited intermodal service from Los Angeles to Houston that shaves two days from previous transit times. The new third-day service from the Hobart terminal in Los Angeles to the Pearland facility in the Houston area is designed to meet the needs of customers that require faster service, especially for those currently draying intermodal loads from Dallas-Fort Worth to Houston.
With expanded capacity and improved transit times out of Southern California across BNSF’s busy Southern Transcon route, this new service brings more capacity and consistency for both current and prospective customers.
New Salt Lake City intermodal facility
Also in July, in partnership with Patriot Rail and the Utah Inland Port Authority, BNSF officially opened our new intermodal facility in Salt Lake City. This facility will be used in conjunction with our new service between California and SLC.
“This new facility is an exciting opportunity to improve our capacity and efficiency as the industry’s intermodal leader, providing more flexible, competitive options for our customers,” said BNSF Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer Tom Williams. “This new facility will strengthen our supply chains from the West Coast to Utah and beyond.”
The 43-acre site is managed in close coordination with Patriot Rail, which will provide terminal operations and infrastructure support.
West meets East
Western railroad BNSF is partnering with CSX in the East to offer several new intermodal services. These will provide customers with seamless, efficient, coast-to-coast solutions and will include:
-
Coast-to-coast, direct domestic intermodal services between Southern California and Charlotte, North Carolina, and Jacksonville, Florida
-
Service between Phoenix, Arizona, and Atlanta, aiming to convert over-the-road freight to rail through a seamless product (between Phoenix and Flagstaff, two new 10,000-foot sidings will further support this growing market by enabling more efficient meet/pass operations on the route connecting to BNSF’s Southern Transcon)
-
Direct international intermodal services between the Port of New York and New Jersey, and Norfolk, Virginia, and Kansas City
This collaboration between BNSF and CSX is a direct example of delivering immediate value to customers with faster, more reliable service while maintaining the flexibility and optionality needed for effective supply chains.
Covering 32,500 miles, BNSF is the largest intermodal railroad, handling more than 1 million additional intermodal loads annually than our competitors. With that reputation, and a desire to grow with our customers, these new services promise to build on that history of success.
