BNSF 4500 Acre Facility near Barstow

Interesting . . . .

Is BNSF going to have all electric trains in callyfornia????

I saw that, and it is a real deal. Train from the ports to Barstow, then into various tracks and trains throughout USA.

BNSF Railway Co. aims to invest more than $1.5 billion in a new Barstow facility that expands its role as an economic anchor in the High Desert and transforms the way global cargo moves across the U.S. from Southern California ports.

The private-railroad giant owned by Berkshire Hathway Inc. announced its plans for a "Barstow International Gateway" driven by "clean-energy powered cargo-handling equipment" at an all-day event Saturday meant to celebrate Barstow's 75th year as an incorporated city.

The expected date of completion isn't clear, and some regulatory hoops remain before construction can begin, but BNSF said the project will span about 4,500 acres on the west side of Barstow with a new "rail yard, intermodal facility and warehouses for transloading freight from international containers to domestic containers," according to a company statement.


The company also predicts that this project will create 20,000 "direct and indirect jobs," though it's unclear how many of these jobs will be in Barstow versus those at the two cargo-receiving hubs connected to the site, the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach.

In a statement, BNSF president and CEO Katie Farmer said, "The Barstow International Gateway will maximize rail and distribution efficiency regionally and across the U.S. supply chain and reduce truck traffic and freeway congestion in the Los Angeles Basin and the Inland Empire.


“This will play a critical role in improving fluidity throughout our rail network, moving containers off the ports quicker, and facilitating improved efficiency at our existing intermodal hubs, including those in the Midwest and Texas," Farmer continued.

The current system of moving international cargo from the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach centers on trucks hauling 40-foot shipping containers to warehouses in either Los Angeles or the Inland Empire, according to BNSF's website. The goods in those containers are sorted and reloaded onto 53-foot containers, then trucked to a Los Angeles railyard to be transferred by train or simply driven by truck across the country.

"This process creates inefficiencies and unnecessary truck trips within the Los Angeles Basin and Inland Empire," the website states.

The plan is for the Barstow International Gateway to change this by allowing cargo to be transferred from the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach directly to Barstow via rail through the Alameda Corridor.

A rail facility would transport these containers to Barstow, where they would be moved onto trains headed across the U.S. The new intermodal facility would exist to transfer the containers between rail and "transload warehouses" using electric yard trucks. The purpose of the transload warehouses would be for "repackaging and processing goods arriving at the Intermodal Facility from international containers into domestic containers," BNSF states on its website.

The company has support for the plans from Gov. Gavin Newsom's Office of Business and Economic Development, the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, the San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors and the City of Barstow.

"Rail plays a critical role in moving goods safely and efficiently, while reducing emissions due to congestion in many of our high-traffic corridors," stated Trelynd Bradley, a deputy director at the governor's business and economic development office.

The City of Barstow will develop an environmental-impact analysis for the project as required by the California Environmental Quality Act, which is one hurdle that must be met before construction can begin.

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"BNSF is working directly and collaboratively with affected property owners," the company said in reference to Barstow locals living near the proposed site.

The project won't require any physical changes to facilities at the Port of Los Angeles or Port of Long Beach. According to BNSF, the project is a private investment and won't rely on taxpayer funding.

"This facility will bring thousands of jobs to Barstow, while increasing equity, opportunity and the economic competitiveness of the high desert," Barstow City Manager Willie Hopkins Jr. said in a statement. "BNSF has been an important part of our city since its inception and on this 75th anniversary, we are proud to partner with them to ensure our success in the future."

By The Way, speaking of trains in Cali:
No Passenger trains LA to San Diego until further notice because AMTRACK says the rail beds are deteriorating along certain stretches. Freight will still run.

It was nice for us because the train let you off across and just steps from the Cruise terminal. Also the really cool Guild Hotel was a few steps away too.
Get on the train here in Simi,, step off in San Diego, board the boat for Cabo and/or the Panama Canal & Caribbean.
Gonna miss all that. Going to have to drive and park.

Scheduled completion 2099

Clean-energy powered cargo-handling equipment - why, are they afraid they'll offend some people of color by using diesel powered equipment in Barstow and it'll become a big ol' racial brouhaha?

bldrinker said:

Scheduled completion 2099

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I think that they did that to not make RB and Speed car debut more painful…..

HNL2LHC said:

I think that they did that to not make RB and Speed car debut more painful…..

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That’s a good point.

TPC said:

By The Way, speaking of trains in Cali:
No Passenger trains LA to San Diego until further notice because AMTRACK says the rail beds are deteriorating along certain stretches.
It was nice for us because the train let you off across and just steps from the Cruise terminal. Also the really cool Guild Hotel was a few steps away too.
Get on the train here in Simi,, step off in San Diego, board the boat for Cabo and/or the Panama Canal & Caribbean. Gonna miss all that. Going to have to drive and park.

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Doesn’t appear to have happened yet.
Just sat down in my shop about 1/2 mile from the train tracks in Carlsbad and heard a train horn go through.
I know there are issues in Del Mar where the tracks run right on the bluffs, but everywhere else I think is pretty solid.
Also there is a lot of freight that runs on those tracks as well.
Be interesting to see if the shut down is for real.

So are they going to hire armed security for this new yard?? The tweakers in Barstow are frothing at the mouth at the thought of this. Maybe it will lure some of the ghetto trash out from LA.

bldrinker said:

Scheduled completion 2099

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did they really say that?
I can find a target opening date.

So make it easier for the tweakers and thieves to rip off the trains...Now they don't have to come down from the high desert to steal all the shit off the trains. And I'm sure the BNSF employees will loooooove living to Barstow

Clank123 said:

Doesn’t appear to have happened yet.
Just sat down in my shop about 1/2 mile from the train tracks in Carlsbad and heard a train horn go through.
I know there are issues in Del Mar where the tracks run right on the bluffs, but everywhere else I think is pretty solid.
Also there is a lot of freight that runs on those tracks as well.
Be interesting to see if the shut down is for real.

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Different issue.
trains are running Oceanside to SD. Nothing going north of oceanside rail yard. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/oct/01/amtrak-san-diego-los-angeles-trains-suspended

Is the bullet train going to have a stop in the new yard

Have the unions agreed to allow the rail cars to be loaded at the docks ? That's a real issue in my opinion . Secondly that will really help the business in Barstow. Thirdly the military could do live action defense training till the tweakers spread the word

Clank123 said:

Doesn’t appear to have happened yet.
Just sat down in my shop about 1/2 mile from the train tracks in Carlsbad and heard a train horn go through.
I know there are issues in Del Mar where the tracks run right on the bluffs, but everywhere else I think is pretty solid.
Also there is a lot of freight that runs on those tracks as well.
Be interesting to see if the shut down is for real.

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It's for real. I think we're still running freight, but passenger service for sure doesn't go all the way for now.

Does this mean no more 4 lanes wide harbor trucks going up Cajon at 25mph!? That would be badassed!

Singleton said:

Different issue.
trains are running Oceanside to SD. Nothing going north of oceanside rail yard. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/oct/01/amtrak-san-diego-los-angeles-trains-suspended

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Wow. Thanks for that.
Amazing.

Singleton said:

did they really say that?
I can find a target opening date.

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Obviously no. But given I have lived in the High Desert since 1987. I have learned not to get to excited when big projects get Announced.

Shit takes forever.

4Waters said:

Is the bullet train going to have a stop in the new yard

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Oh yes the coveted bullet train.

That project will go just as smoothly as that other bullet train that is billlions upon billions over budget and no where near done.

A train to Vegas is pure fuckin genius. I mean riding a train to Vegas is so much better than an air plane. (Sarcasm)

By the time that train gets built cars will fly.

bldrinker said:

Obviously no. But given I have lived in the High Desert since 1987. I have learned not to get to excited when big projects get Announced.

Shit takes forever.

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If you factor in CA environmental approval, that could be a real date

Clank123 said:

Doesn’t appear to have happened yet.
Just sat down in my shop about 1/2 mile from the train tracks in Carlsbad and heard a train horn go through.
I know there are issues in Del Mar where the tracks run right on the bluffs, but everywhere else I think is pretty solid.
Also there is a lot of freight that runs on those tracks as well.
Be interesting to see if the shut down is for real.

Click to expand...

They said they will still run freight but suspend passenger service.

Bnsf makes everything they do sound like fairy dust! Like bldrinker said they have said this before and have bought land and canceled projects. All its going to do is cause more congestion on the cajon and if you didn’t know thats how the train rails are setup now port to Barstow. The infrastructure is the same there just building a new yard if it happens.

I read years ago that Victorville was going to be a POE . Freeway from Victorville to Lancaster has had environmental impact report approved years ago . Adelanto is already a huge shipping hub. So what BNSF is proposing might warrant a look at their stocks .

I heard years ago they were trying to incorporate the airport in Victimville as a hub and customs center. Sounded like a good idea, but as mentioned before sounds like the unions may battle for rights.