Jun 17, 2023 SOURCE: BusinessWire

BNSF is Prepared for Intermodal Volume Increases Through the West Coast

BNSF Railway Company (BNSF) is ready for increasing intermodal volume through the West Coast ports after the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) and the Pacific Maritime Association (PMA) announced that they reached tentative contract agreements on Wednesday.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230616381077/en/

BNSF Intermodal train rolls through the desert outside of Barstow, California. (Photo: Business Wire)

“We are beginning an exciting chapter in the future of the West Coast ports, and BNSF has made key investments over the past several years in preparation to support both immediate and long-term volume growth for intermodal, our largest segment with the most growth potential,” said Katie Farmer, President and CEO.

Since 2019, BNSF has spent more than $2 billion in capital expansion, increasing the overall capacity of its tracks, railcars and facilities. These investments have increased BNSF main line track capacity by 58 miles, totaling approximately 30,000 feet for new production tracks and approximately 6,000 new parking spaces at BNSF intermodal facilities. BNSF is also actively deploying new technologies to improve consistency, capacity, and customer experience. “We’re creating an integrated intermodal network, both physically and digitally to ensure we are a supply chain partner of choice into the future,” said Tom Williams, Group Vice President, Consumer Products.

Recently, BNSF has expanded capacity at its intermodal facilities on the West Coast by increasing parking capacity at its Los Angeles intermodal facility by 500 spaces and installing new crane stacking technology, as well as added transloading capacity in the Seattle region. Additionally, BNSF is continuing a multi-year project to increase efficiency at its San Bernardino intermodal facility in the Inland Empire, and has positioned 100 locomotives as a “ready fleet” across the West Coast and other strategic network locations to respond to any potential service disruptions.

BNSF has also expanded capacity and capabilities at its inland intermodal facilities at locations such as the BNSF intermodal facility in Alliance, TX, where 3 miles of production tracks, 2,000+ parking spaces and a new multi-lane ingate have been added. Likewise, in the greater Chicago area, at Logistics Park Chicago (LPC), BNSF has expanded its use of remotely operated cranes to maximize capacity and improve throughput, gaining 18 hours of productivity each day, and has increased parking capacity by approximately 20% through continued expansion work at the BNSF Cicero intermodal facility. BNSF has also secured approximately 2,000 additional parking stalls in secondary locations around its intermodal facilities to utilize as needed to better handle volume surges.

In 2023, BNSF is continuing a project to add a total of approximately 45 miles of triple track between Barstow and Needles, CA, with about 30 miles coming online in 2023, as well as completing a 50-mile double track segment in Kansas, closing up one of the last major single track sections remaining on the Southern Transcon connecting the West Coast to Chicago. BNSF has also taken the first steps this year in constructing a new second main track bridge over the Missouri River at Sibley. This will be a major undertaking over the course of the next couple of years, and will significantly complement the double track work completed west of Kansas City, offering customers faster transit times and better consistency, as well as improving the ability to handle seasonal volume swings across the Southern Transcon.

BNSF is also actively deploying new technologies to improve consistency, capacity, and customer experience, including enhancing the driving interface app RailPASS, as well as implementing a new pickup appointment system for stacked units at LPC in the fourth quarter of 2023 to reduce dray drivers’ time spent in a facility and improve efficiency. Through additional technologies that optimize both unit loading and de-ramping, as well as others that support inventory accuracy, BNSF will not only improve transit consistency and facility fluidity by best utilizing available parking capacity, but will also have the ability to have every shipment parking location being known in real-time to help with a seamless driver pick-up experience and train loading efficiency.

With all the measures taken to increase network fluidity, velocity and capacity, BNSF is ready to handle the increased demand through the West Coast and meet customer service expectations.

About BNSF Railway

BNSF Railway is one of North America’s leading freight transportation companies. BNSF operates approximately 32,500 route miles of track in 28 states and also operates in three Canadian provinces. BNSF is one of the top transporters of consumer goods, grain and agricultural products, low-sulfur coal, and industrial goods such as petroleum, chemicals, housing materials, food and beverages. BNSF’s shipments help feed, clothe, supply, and power American homes and businesses every day. BNSF and its employees have developed one of the most technologically advanced, and efficient railroads in the industry. We work continuously to improve the value of the safety, service, energy, and environmental benefits we provide to our customers and the communities we serve. You can learn more about BNSF at www.BNSF.com.