BNSF Railway’s Barstow International Gateway represents a $1.5 billion investment into a 4,500-acre rail and logistics hub in Southern California — the first of its kind for a Class 1 railroad. It will streamline container movement by eliminating multiple drays on the highway, moving ocean containers directly by rail to Barstow for on-site transloading and transfer to outbound trains. If successful, Barstow could bring smoother operations for ocean carriers, faster turnarounds for shippers using 53-foot containers and chassis, and less reliance on owner-operators. It also could ease the pressure on the international intermodal network and marine chassis providers to handle volume that grew by double digits in 2024. In this session, Ari Ashe, senior editor for intermodal at the Journal of Commerce, will sit down with BNSF CEO Katie Farmer to discuss Barstow’s future and the larger picture of moving cargo out of West Coast ports and delivering a reliable service product to cargo owners.