BNSF fetes 'world's most modern' intermodal facility in Memphis

THE Burlington Northern Sante Fe (BNSF) railway held a gala ceremony recently to celebrate the completion of its seven-year project to create a state-of-the art intermodal facility in Memphis, which claims is the world's most modern.

With all the environmental bells and whistles, the intermodal hub, which has been fully operational since late last year, replaces the old Tennessee Yards off in Marion, Arkansas, reported the Memphis Commercial Appeal newspaper.

Wal-Mart is the biggest single customer of goods shipped in the containers, while trucking company JB Hunt is the single biggest haulier, said the report.

The Memphis yard represents BNSF's largest single capital investment in at least five years and one of the city's largest private investments in recent years, said Vann Cunningham, BNSF assistant vice president of economic development.

The site's capacity has been tripled to more than 600,000 container movements a year and go past a million - enough to meet BNSF needs for decades, Mr Cunningham said.

Said BNSF marketing vice president John Lanigan: "What we're doing on 185 acres would take roughly twice as much acreage under the old ways of doing intermodal."

(Source: www.schednet.com)