BNSF Railway, Norfolk Southern, and the Northwest Seaport Alliance announced on April 2 that they have redesigned their service offerings to reduce the number of days it takes for a container to travel from the West Coast to Chicago. 

Currently, it takes nine days for an intermodal container to leave the ship at the Ports of Tacoma or Seattle and then reach Chicago. However, due to operational changes at the ports, this time has now been reduced to six days. To improve service to destinations east of Chicago, BNSF and NS are now collaborating on a smoother and quicker handoff in Chicago. 

“This service product collaboration was an outcome of listening to our joint customers, who emphasized the desire to use more rail, but would need to also reduce inventory carrying and total landed transportation costs out of their networks in 2025,” said BNSF Group Vice President, Consumer Products Jon Gabriel. “We are proud to deliver a solution that accomplishes these goals.”

Railroad officials said the changes have resulted in the fastest route between the Pacific Northwest and Chicago. 

“At Norfolk Southern, we’re focused on delivering smart, customer-centric solutions—and this enhanced service from the Pacific Northwest to the Midwest is exactly that,” said Shawn Tureman, Vice President of Intermodal Automotive Commercial. “By collaborating with BNSF and the Northwest Seaport Alliance, we’re offering a faster, more reliable rail option that helps shippers reduce transit time, cut costs, and streamline supply chains heading into 2025 and beyond. —Justin Franz