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Barstow International
Gateway Project
December 2025
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About BNSF Railway
• Owned by Berkshire Hathaway
• ~37,000 employees
• Average of 1,200 trains/day,
approximately 10 million units per
year
• 32,500+ route miles in 28 states
and three Canadian provinces
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The Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach are the largest in the nation, approximately 30% of goods entering the U.S.
Record demand, coupled with inefficiencies, has put a strain on the ports’ goods movement network.
CURRENT PROCESS
1. International cargo arrives in 40-foot containers that are then trucked from the Ports to warehouses in Los Angeles or Inland Empire
2. Containers are unloaded, classified, and re-loaded onto 53-foot domestic containers
3. Domestic containers are either transported by truck to a railyard and loaded onto trains headed for
destinations across the United States; or are
trucked across the country
Goods Movement in Southern California
Credit: Nick C Prior, Wikipedia
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BNSF proposes building the Barstow International Gateway that will allow for fast, efficient rail service, moving goods on trains directly from the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach through the Alameda Corridor to integrated intermodal and transload facilities near Barstow, CA.
• $4B+ state-of-the-art master-planned
intermodal facility
• Largest facility in North America with +4,500 acres
• Fully integrated rail and transload for a streamlined supply chain
• Significant land for on-site warehouse development
• Access to the fastest intermodal route and largest hub network
• More sustainable supply chain solution
Barstow International Gateway (BIG)
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The Draft Environmental Impact Report
concludes:
9 BIG would enhance supply chain resiliency,
efficiency, and cost-effective goods
movement by rail and was identified in the
2024 adopted California State Rail Plan
to
help build toward an integrated statewide
rail and transit network and investments in
zero emission infrastructure
9 BIG would shift cargo from heavy duty
trucking to rail transport at a location away
from dense population centers
Draft Environmental Impact Report (EIR) Findings
“The Barstow International Gateway is the first
facility of its kind to be developed by a Class I
railroad. The facility will provide the space to
sort the containers that arrive on ships within
130 miles of the port. Instead of requiring
many truck trips to move the containers to this
location, the containers will be expeditiously
loaded onto trains regardless of their final
destination. Organization of the containers
and their contents will take place at a new
facility near the location of the long-time
classification yard in the Barstow-area desert.”
-California’s Freight Network p. 41
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Economy
• Over 20 years, BIG would create: approximately 62,000 direct, indirect and induced construction jobs, including union construction jobs and approximately 15,000 direct, indirect, and induced operation jobs
• In addition, the construction economic benefit is approximately $11 billion and operational economic benefit is approximately $7 billion
Environment
• Hundreds of millions of fewer truck miles as a result of converting freight movements from trucks to trains
• Net decrease in greenhouse gas emissions
BIG Benefits
mately
62,
000
on jobs
, including
15,000 direct,
efit is approximately
fit is approximately
s a result of
s to trains
s
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• Provides job opportunities closer to
home, reducing commutes
• Shifts freight off roadways, reducing
roadway traffic and wear and tear
• Located away from densely populated
residential areas
High Desert Community Benefits
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9 Draft EIR Release
9 Ongoing coordination with City of Barstow, San Bernardino County, Southern California Edison (SCE)
9 Regular meetings with wildlife agencies, Army Corps of Engineers and Lahontan Water Board
9 Incorporating best practices for sustainability in
infrastructure by leveraging the Envision framework
(developed by the Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure) Current Project Status
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Project Development Process/Next Steps
Feb. 2024
Notice of
Preparation (NOP)
March 2024
Scoping Meeting
Scoping Period
Ends
Preparation of
Draft EIR
Late 2025*
Release of Draft EIR
for review/comment
2026*
Release of Final EIR
Consideration by
Barstow City Council
Late 2026/
Early 2027*
Construction Begins
WE ARE
HERE
*Dates subject to change
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Thank You
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