BNSF Railway, Norfolk Southern (NS) and the Northwest Seaport Alliance (NWSA) have announced a collaboration to enhance intermodal service from the Pacific Northwest.
The partners aim to deliver a three-day-faster service for inland point intermodal (IPI) traffic originating from the ports of Seattle and Tacoma, Washington, destined for or connecting through Chicago.
The redesigned service plan focuses on efficiency and speed. NWSA will now build trains with less than two days of dwell time off the dock, creating the density needed for seamless connections to and through Chicago. This streamlined process, coupled with BNSF’s Northern Transcon route, will result in faster transit times and improved consistency for cargo shippers.
“This service product collaboration was an outcome of listening to our joint customers, who emphasized the desire to use more rail, but would need to also reduce inventory carrying and total landed transportation costs out of their networks in 2025,” said BNSF Group Vice President, Consumer Products Jon Gabriel, in a joint release.
The Seattle/Tacoma port complex has already demonstrated its commitment to efficiency, reporting what they claim is industrywide low rail dwell times so far this year. As of April, import dwell at the Port of Tacoma (Husky and Washington United Terminal) are averaging around 2.8 to 3 days, while T18 in Seattle sees three days.
The partners attributed this to operational changes that prioritize rail loading.
John Wolfe, chief executive of NWSA, said the partnership exemplifies how collaborative and innovative efforts can meet shippers’ needs and deliver superior service.
The revamped service promises significant time savings. The total transit time from ship arrival to Chicago will be reduced to just six days – a three-day improvement the partners claim is the fastest service from any Pacific Northwest gateway in North America.
The Canadian ports of Vancouver and Prince Rupert in British Columbia this year have been struggling with extended dwell and rail issues to the U.S. midwest.
The collaboration extends beyond the initial leg of the journey. NS (NYSE: NSC) and BNSF have optimized their interchange process, delivering all traffic to a single location (NS’ center in Ashland, Ohio) for a crew swap before continuing to inland markets in Ohio, Pennsylvania and beyond.
Shawn Tureman, vice president of intermodal automotive commercial at Norfolk Southern, emphasized in the release that this enhanced service aligns with the company’s focus on delivering smart, customer-centric solutions. The faster, more reliable rail option will help shippers reduce transit times, cut costs and streamline their supply chains as they look toward 2025 and beyond.
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