(The following appeared on the Progressive Railroading website on June 12.)
On July 7, BNSF Railway Co. and Norfolk Southern Corp. plan to launch a new “steel-wheel transcontinental” service for container-on-flat-car traffic moving between NS’ Rickenbacker intermodal terminal in Columbus, Ohio, and BNSF’s Hobart terminal in Los Angeles.
The new service is tied to a collaborative effort between BNSF and NS to improve performance and increase interchanges of Chicago gateway traffic, the railroads said. The Class Is will offer expedited transit through Chicago and a fifth morning service both eastbound and westbound.
The railroads also will provide six days per week service frequency from Hobart to the following NS terminal locations: Cleveland; Detroit; Croxton, Erail and the Elizabeth marine terminal in New Jersey.; Pittsburgh, Harrisburg and Morrisville, Pa.; and Norfolk and Norfolk International, Va.