BNSF approved to build $4 billion rail hub in California, expected to be operational by end of 2028
BNSF Railway announced that its $4 billion Barstow International Gateway (BIG) project has been approved by the Barstow City Council and will break ground later this year, with a target of becoming operational by the end of 2028. The project spans 4,500 acres and will integrate rail yard operations, intermodal transport, and transloading warehousing functions, aiming to shift container distribution from port-adjacent communities inland, reducing approximately 205 million truck miles, and deploying zero-emission equipment such as gantry cranes.
Core Summary
- BNSF Railway will move forward with its $4 billion Barstow International Gateway (BIG) project after receiving approval from the Barstow City Council,according to a press release issued in June。
- The project spans 4,500 acres and will include a rail yard, intermodal facility, and transloading warehouses. The warehouses are designed to convert eastbound international containers into domestic container shipments; the facility will also consolidate westbound freight to improve the efficiency of trains returning to the ports and other California terminals, the press release said.
- A BNSF spokesperson told Supply Chain Dive via email that construction will begin later this year, with the goal of becoming operational by the end of 2028.
Deep Dive
BNSF's $4 billion investment aims to strengthen supply chain resilience by moving container sorting and handling operations away from congested communities near the ports to the inland Barstow area.
"By bringing shippers together in one location and integrating transloading, rail, and warehousing operations, the BIG project can reduce total logistics costs at scale, delivering systemic efficiency gains that ultimately translate into affordable prices for goods in the U.S. supply chain," a BNSF spokesperson said.
Under the plan, containers arriving at the Port of Los Angeles and Long Beach will no longer be trucked to warehouses near the ports. Instead, they will be transferred to rail via the Alameda Corridor and travel along BNSF's mainline directly to Barstow.
Tom Williams, BNSF's executive vice president and chief marketing officer, said the connection from the San Pedro Bay ports helps shorten transit times and increase capacity.
Additionally, the BIG project aims to shift more freight from road to rail. This is expected to reduce truck mileage by approximately 205 million truck miles (about 330 million truck kilometers) in 2028, with emission reductions continuing to expand thereafter.
According to the press release, the company plans to deploy zero-emission rail-mounted gantry cranes, hybrid rubber-tired gantry cranes, and electric plug-in connections for refrigerated units at the Barstow facility.
"By building a more resilient, efficient, and lower-carbon freight network, we provide shippers with faster, more reliable inland access and improve overall network fluidity," said Katie Farmer, BNSF's president and CEO.
BNSF firstannounced the BIG project in 2022, and it is subject to review under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). A company spokesperson said: "CEQA is a comprehensive and often lengthy process that requires environmental impact analysis, public comment, and agency coordination before a project can proceed."
The project currently faces opposition from environmental groups including the Sierra Club, Earthjustice, and the Natural Resources Defense Council,according to a Sierra Club press release。
These environmental and environmental justice organizations have sued the City of Barstow, alleging that approving the BIG project will cause air pollution and harm the local ecosystem.