Dive Brief:
- BNSF Railway and Norfolk Southern are jointly redesigning a three-day faster inland point intermodal service connecting the Northwest Seaport Alliance to Chicago, according to an April 2 press release.
- The now active service targets joint customers that need more rail coverage while reducing inventory carrying and landed transportation costs, BNSF Group VP of Consumer Products Jon Gabriel said in the release.
- “With reduced on dock dwell and faster transit, results will be 3 days faster, with the total time from ship to Chicago at 6 days, the fastest from any PNW gateway in North America,” the release said.
Dive Insight:
The Pacific Northwest originating service will help transport consumer goods eastbound and export meat and U.S. manufacturing goods westbound, a BNSF spokesperson said in an email.
As part of the service, Norfolk Southern and BNSF will interchange traffic at one location in Chicago known as NS-Ashland where a single crew swap will take place. Then, rail shipments will move toward inland markets in Ohio, Pennsylvania and other locations.
“The seamless hand-off across BNSF’s Northern Transcon route enables faster transit and better consistency for cargo shippers,” according to the release.
The lower dwell time reduces the direct carrying costs for the shipper, the BNSF spokesperson said. It will also reduce the variability of service enabling more conversion from highway to rail, they added.
NWSA touts the lowest rail dwell times in the U.S., per the release. The port has had an average dwell time of 3.4 days in 2025 following a four-day average in 2024, according to the spokesperson.
“By collaborating with BNSF and the Northwest Seaport Alliance, we’re offering a faster, more reliable rail option that helps shippers reduce transit time, cut costs, and streamline supply chains heading into 2025 and beyond,” Shawn Tureman, VP of intermodal automotive commercial at Norfolk Southern, said in the release.
BNSF has previously teamed with J.B. Hunt Transport Services to expand intermodal service for time-sensitive freight, promising up to 95% on-time delivery. Both logistics companies also partnered with Ferromex in November 2023 to offer shippers a U.S.-Mexico intermodal service.
Norfolk Southern, meanwhile, collaborated with Canadian National that same year on an intermodal service to connect the southeastern U.S. market to several points in Canada.
