All about the community of model railroading and rail enthusiasm
June 27, 2026
BNSF Railway announced in June the Barstow City Council approved the Barstow International Gateway (BIG) project, one of the most significant freight infrastructure investments in California history.
The BIG is a planned $4 billion 4,500-acre rail facility on the west side of Barstow, CA. The project includes a rail yard, intermodal facility and transload warehouses designed to more efficiently shift freight from international containers to domestic containers.
Containers arriving at the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach will move directly from ships to trains via the Alameda Corridor and onto the BNSF mainline to Barstow. At BIG, containers will be processed using zero emission cargo-handling equipment, then staged and built into trains headed east across BNSF’s national network. Westbound freight will also be consolidated at the facility, improving efficiency for trains returning to the ports and other California terminals.
“BIG is a transformative, next generation rail facility that will deliver meaningful benefits for our customers,” BNSF president and CEO Katie Farmer said. “By creating a more resilient, efficient and low-carbon freight system, we’re giving shippers faster, more reliable inland access and greater network fluidity. This $4 billion private investment strengthens the entire supply chain, reduces congestion at the ports and gives our customers a seamless product that also offers our customers greater optionality and flexibility.”
Currently, most international cargo at the ports arrive in 40-foot containers that are trucked to warehouses in Los Angeles or the Inland Empire. There they are unloaded, sorted, and reloaded onto 53-foot domestic containers that are either transported by truck to a rail yard in Los Angeles, where they are transferred onto trains or simply trucked across the country.
Intermodal shipping has grown in recent years on North American railroads. Last year, 14 million intermodal units were shipped in the U.S., according to the Association of American Railroads.
BIG represents a fundamental shift in how freight flows through the state, BNSF says. This shift is projected to eliminate approximately 205 million truck miles traveled in 2028, 269 million in 2033 and 312 million in 2048.
BNSF will deploy zero-emission rail mounted gantry cranes, hybrid rubber-tired gantry cranes, zero emission forklifts and hostlers, and electric plug-ins for refrigerated units.
Construction is expected to begin later this year.
The company also signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Mojave Desert Air Quality Management District to demonstrate zero emission technologies, including battery electric switcher locomotives. A similar agreement has been made with the California Air Resources Board to explore additional emissions reduction technologies and pursue grant opportunities. In addition, BNSF has voluntarily agreed to replace the existing switcher locomotives with Tier 4 switcher locomotives at its Barstow facility.
“BIG represents the kind of forward-looking investment that delivers real benefits for both the environment and the businesses that rely on a strong, efficient supply chain,” said Executive Director of the Mojave Desert Air Quality Management District Brad Poiriez. “By partnering with BNSF to demonstrate and advance zero emission technologies, we’re helping create a cleaner freight system that supports economic growth while protecting air quality for the communities of the Mojave Desert.”
BNSF says BIG is expected to generate significant economic benefits at the local, regional, and state levels, including approximately 62,000 construction-related jobs and 15,000 long-term operational jobs. The figures include direct, indirect and induced employment in San Bernardino County and will help strengthen the global competitiveness of the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach by establishing the first integrated rail and transload complex within 130 miles of the ports.
Over its first 20 years of operation, BIG is projected to deliver about 5,400 new direct jobs, $938 million in total earnings and $2.9 billion in total economic output, according to BNSF.
The project also includes major infrastructure improvements that include channel upgrades to reduce flooding, replacing the Hinkley Road bridge over the Mojave River and roadway circulation enhancements to improve traffic flow, safety and emergency access.
“The Barstow International Gateway project epitomizes our commitment to a bright future for the city, and we’re proud to partner with BNSF Railway to bring thousands of jobs, billions in economic output and major infrastructure improvements to Barstow,” said Barstow Mayor Timothy R. Silva.
