BNSF introduces new Los Angeles to Houston expedited intermodal service

Earlier this month, Fort Worth, Texas-based Class I railroad carrier BNSF Railway said it rolled out a new, expedited, third-day rail service, running from Los Angeles to Houston. Company officials said that this service, which went live on July 10, is comparable to over-the-road service options and represents a significant advancement in the company’s ability to deliver fast, consistent and reliable transportation offerings.

BNSF said that this service runs from its Los Angeles-based Hobart intermodal facility to its greater Houston-area Pearland intermodal facility and is designed to meet the demands of shipments requiring enhanced speed and reliability. The company explained that this offers up what it called a competitive edge for rail shippers “seeking to optimize supply chains, especially for those currently draying freight from Dallas-Fort Worth to Houston.” And it also noted that with expanded capacity and improved transit times out of Southern California across BNSF’s busy Southern Transcon route, this new service brings more capacity and consistency for both current and prospective customers.

“Our expedited service from Los Angeles to Houston is a strategic development that not only extends BNSF’s market reach but also connects two major metropolitan areas more effectively,” said Jon Gabriel, BNSF Group Vice President, Consumer Products. “By continuing to create more opportunities to convert over-the-road (OTR) freight to rail, we provide a cost-effective, direct solution to bring freight to the dynamic and growing Houston area.”

A BNSF representative told LM that the impetus for this new Los Angeles to Houston service came from listening to its customers looking for solutions.  

“We see a big opportunity in the market to convert highway freight traffic to rail, and this new offering provides another competitive edge for shippers to optimize their supply chains more efficiently and more sustainably,” she said, adding that in the past the company used a standard, non-expedited intermodal product to serve this lane.

In terms of the key shipper benefits this service provides, the BNSF representative said that the new offering represents a faster, more consistent, more sustainable and reliable service option comparative to over the road options.

“These two large metro areas have yet to be utilized for rail volume, and we believe this new expedited service offers the speed and consistency to meet the growing demands of our customers,” she said.