FORT WORTH, TX -- (Marketwire) -- 11/06/08 -- BNSF Railway has completed construction of a
third main rail line through Cajon Pass in Southern California that will
increase capacity on BNSF's Chicago to Los Angeles Transcontinental
(Transcon) route from 100 to 150 trains a day. The $90 million project adds
almost 16 miles of third main track to BNSF's route into the Los Angeles
Basin.
Cajon Pass is located between the San Gabriel and San Bernardino mountain
ranges, just north of the City of San Bernardino. Approximately 75 to 100
freight and passenger trains currently traverse this route on a daily
basis. Each intermodal train on these tracks can take more than 250
long-haul trucks off of the region's local highways. Additionally, freight
trains are more fuel-efficient than trucks and can move one ton of freight
more than 400 miles on one gallon of diesel fuel.
"Cajon Pass is our only Southern California connection to the rest of the
BNSF network from the San Pedro Ports," said Mark Kirschinger, BNSF general
manager, California Division. "Maintaining efficient train movements
through Cajon Pass is critical to supporting the growth and vitality of
local, regional and the national economies."
Throughout the development process, BNSF worked closely with at least 17
public agencies, six utility companies, and the community on issues ranging
from enhancement and protection of the environment, to improved grade
crossings, drainage structures, as well as preservation of historical and
cultural resources.
Over the last four years, more than 300 BNSF employees and contractors
worked on the Cajon Pass project. In that time, crews moved more than 1
million tons of earth, placed approximately 42,000 concrete railroad ties,
and laid more than 30 miles of steel rail. The construction of this track
represents the first additional BNSF main track through Cajon Pass since
the second line was constructed in 1913, nearly 100 years ago.
About BNSF
A subsidiary of Burlington Northern Santa Fe Corporation (NYSE: BNI), BNSF
Railway Company operates one of the largest North American rail networks,
with about 32,000 route miles in 28 states and two Canadian provinces. BNSF
is among the world's top transporters of intermodal traffic, moves more
grain than any other American railroad, carries the components of many of
the products we depend on daily, and hauls
enough low-sulfur coal to generate about ten percent of the electricity
produced in the United States. BNSF is an industry leader in Web-enabling a
variety of customer transactions at www.bnsf.com.
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Contact:
Lena Kent
909-386-4140
