Overcoming Supply Chain Challenges

The ongoing effects of the COVID-19 pandemic contributed to significant global supply chain congestion in 2021. BNSF helped our customers overcome these challenges by taking action to ensure the fluid movement of our freight at key risk points.

For example, at BNSF Logistics Park Chicago, we took two track segments from one of our widespan cranes out of service in order to create an additional stacked container area. This improved our ability to de-ramp inbound trains, allowing for immediate staging of units and giving trucking partners immediate freight access to help circumvent chassis shortages.

To meet increased demand in the greater Memphis region, we temporarily re-opened our Harvard Facility in Marion, Arkansas, for intermodal service.

We also increased lift capacity at our intermodal hubs, adding both equipment and personnel to meet customer demand.

Finally, to handle greater volumes, we augmented our intermodal flatcar capacity, increasing our fleet of 53-foot domestic flatcars by 20%.

Encouraging Economic Development

BNSF is always eager to support our customers who are ready to grow, increase their rail shipments, locate their facilities on or near our network and create community jobs. In 2021, BNSF customers and local economic development organizations invested approximately $1.5 billion to establish or expand rail-served facilities. This impressive investment is expected to create more than 1,700 jobs in local communities.

Highlights include:
The Gatorade Company, Inc. co-located at BNSF Logistics Park Kansas City for warehouse and distribution center capabilities, generating 200 local jobs.

Mark Anthony Brewing invested $450 million to build a new facility in Glendale, Arizona, capable of receiving tank car shipments of glucose and alcohol to produce its White Claw Hard Seltzer, creating 300 local jobs.

Northern Metal Recycling invested $75 million to construct a new facility at the Becker Industrial Park in Becker, Minnesota, to handle both manifest and unit train shipments of scrap metals, creating 90 new jobs.

Maintaining and Expanding our Network

Every year, BNSF invests billions of dollars to maintain our core network and related assets and to expand our capacity to handle our customers’ demand for increased volumes.

One key project continued in 2021 was the expansion of the Emporia subdivision on our Southern Transcon route. The Southern Transcon is our key intermodal route running from Southern California to Chicago, and its Emporia subdivision runs in Kansas between Wellington and Kansas City. This is the last segment of the corridor to have adjacent double-track. The new track improves capacity and the flow of trains on this key section of the Southern Transcon.

On our Northern Corridor, running from the Pacific Northwest to Chicago, a key ongoing project is the Sandpoint Junction Connector in Sandpoint, Idaho. When complete, the project will eliminate a major bottleneck for both freight and Amtrak trains.

Expanding Services

In 2021, BNSF launched a new service option for our intermodal customers, running between California and St. Louis.

Expanding Facilities

To better meet customer demand, BNSF is engaged in multi-year intermodal facility expansion projects in North Texas (Alliance) and Chicago (Cicero). We are also undertaking initiatives to improve intermodal facility efficiency in Southern California (San Bernardino).