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BNSF Railway, in partnership with Norfolk Southern (NS) and the Northwest Seaport Alliance (NWSA), has launched a redesigned intermodal rail service that reduces transit time by three days for freight moving from the Pacific Northwest (PNW) to Chicago and beyond.
The new Inland Point Intermodal (IPI) service features a more efficient process at the NWSA ports of Seattle and Tacoma, where trains will now be built in under two days. This accelerated turnaround enables seamless transfer via BNSF’s Northern Transcon route, improving speed and consistency for shippers.
“This collaboration is the result of listening to our customers, who want to shift more freight to rail while lowering inventory and transportation costs,” said Jon Gabriel, BNSF Group Vice President, Consumer Products.
Thanks to operational enhancements, NWSA now reports the lowest rail dwell time in the U.S. so far this year. The updated service delivers cargo from ship to Chicago in just six days—the fastest transit time from any PNW port.
Norfolk Southern and BNSF will streamline the journey further by consolidating handoffs at a single Chicago location (NS-Ashland), facilitating quick crew swaps before cargo continues to inland destinations such as Ohio and Pennsylvania.
“This partnership is a great example of how we can innovate to meet the evolving needs of shippers,” added NWSA CEO John Wolfe.
The new service is effective immediately.
© 2025 David Mazor
Disclosure: David Mazor is a freelance writer focusing on Berkshire Hathaway. The author is long in Berkshire Hathaway, and this article is not a recommendation on whether to buy or sell the stock. The information contained in this article should not be construed as personalized or individualized investment advice. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.