Innovation has been in somewhat short supply of late in an intermodal rail sector that has been dominated by inwardly focused precision scheduled railroading (PSR) considerations, but now the emphasis seems to be shifting away from cost-cutting and toward growth. Nowhere is that more apparent than in the recent announcement by BNSF Railway that it plans to go “big,” in the form of its proposed Barstow International Gateway (BIG). More than just another new terminal, this project has the potential to transform the entire Southern California intermodal picture.
The shortcomings of the current structure have been clear during the recent...
