The Northwest Seaport Alliance has approved the lease of 16 acres to BNSF Railway Company (BNSF).
This lease will allow BNSF to develop and operate a domestic intermodal facility on Lot M at the Port of Tacoma (US).
The new BNSF facility will increase the volume of freight moving to and from NWSA markets and US domestic markets by rail.
In fact, the lease uniquely places NWSA as a port directly served by two mainline railroads in domestic container traffic.
“Growing the NWSA’s domestic intermodal volumes has long been a goal for the Seattle and Tacoma gateway,” stated NWSA co-chair and Port of Tacoma commissioner president Don Meyer.
“The new facility will increase job opportunities while reducing truck emissions associated with moving cargo to inland markets,” he added.
BNSF currently operates a domestic intermodal facility in Tukwila serving NWSA’s Port of Seattle. The new Tacoma intermodal facility will bring additional key rail assets to the Pacific Northwest region with the potential for more than 50,000 container lifts in the coming years.
“The new Tacoma South facility builds upon our joint initiative with J.B. Hunt to substantially improve capacity in the intermodal marketplace while also meeting the expanding needs of our customers,” said Tom Williams, BNSF group vice president, consumer products.
“Our collaboration with the NWSA will help support greater warehousing and distribution needs in the fast-growing greater Seattle area,” he continued.
Increasing domestic rail traffic will reduce fuel consumption and air emissions caused by trucks.
Operations at the new facility are expected to begin in August of this year.
