Port of Los Angeles Begins Discussions with BNSF Railway Company on New Intermodal Facility
BNSF Railway Company has announced that it was selected by the Port of Los Angeles Board of Harbor Commissioners to begin discussions on a new intermodal container transfer facility about five miles north of the Port.
The facility, which will be developed on part of the Port’s existing classification yard, is located between Sepulveda Boulevard and Pacific Coast Highway, in a highly industrialized area with direct access to the Alameda Corridor.
This new intermodal facility will allow trucks loaded with cargo containers from ships to travel just a short distance before transferring the containers to rail cars that would then travel through the Alameda Corridor and on to destinations in the Midwest, Southeast and beyond.
"BNSF looks forward to working in partnership with the Port of Los Angeles to develop and operate this critical addition to the ports’ infrastructure ," said Matthew K. Rose, BNSF Chairman, President and CEO. "The new facility would significantly increase our capacity to service the ports’ customers and to strengthen the role of international trade in the Southern California economy in an environmentally responsible manner."
Rob Reilly, General Manager of Operations, Los Angeles, remarked, "The communities surrounding the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach can benefit directly from BNSF’s proposal. The development of a new intermodal near-dock facility will alleviate traffic congestion, improve air quality, and create local jobs."
The facility will improve the efficiency and safety of cargo transfer from ports to customers and allow shippers to take advantage of more efficient truck-rail transportation. The key benefits to be provided by the new facility include:
- Elimination of millions of truck miles annually from the 710 freeway while allowing truck drivers to make shorter and more frequent trips
- Under current operating practices, the addition of approximately 800 to 1,000 new jobs, representing nearly $40 million in annual direct wages and benefits, and hundreds of millions of additional dollars in indirect economic impact
- Critical new capacity to accommodate port growth while increasing use of the Alameda Corridor
Most importantly, BNSF is committed to working with the Port of Los Angeles, the local community and regulators to ensure that the facility incorporates environmentally friendly technology. BNSF works diligently to protect the environment, the health and safety of its employees, and the communities where they live and work. BNSF is the only railway member of the Global Environmental Management Initiative, a non-profit organization dedicated to fostering environmental, health, and safety excellence that includes numerous Fortune 500 companies.