The Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railway Company (BNSF) and Norfolk Southern Railway Company (NS) have announced a partnership to provide coast-to-coast, non-stop intermodal service for container loads of freight between California and the East Coast.
“This will reduce transcontinental transit times by at least a day for our customers,” said Steve Branscum, group vice president, BNSF consumer products business unit. “The agreement not only improves transit times, but allows us to provide shippers with coast-to-coast service that is a competitive, cost-efficient alternative to over-the-road shipping.”
Mike McClellan, NS’s Intermodal Marketing vp, said that by offering a run-through service that eliminates Chicago cross-town truck transfers, the integrated rail service will increase reliability between major markets in the Northeast and Southern California.
“It will provide a higher level of service quality to our existing customers and give highway shippers an excellent alternative,” McClellan said.