FORT WORTH, Texas — BNSF set an all-time monthly record for terminal dwell in July, with cars spending an average of 21 hours in its major yards.
Terminals that set new marks for low dwell include Barstow, Calif.; Belen, N.M.; Northtown, Minn.; and Pasco, Wash.
BNSF’s intermodal and automotive terminal in Pearland, Texas, which serves the Houston area, achieved 100% on-time performance.
“Our teams are getting it done! They’ve risen to the challenge this year to push our service to new levels of efficiency,” Matt Garland, BNSF’s chief transportation officer, said in a LinkedIn post today.
BNSF began looking at ways to unclog its yards early last year, an effort that was accelerated last July after the railroad brought in veteran operations guru Ed Harris, a consultant who has served as chief operating officer at three Class I railroads.
The yard efficiency initiative puts an emphasis on having all departments — from field operations and service design to the Network Operations Center and continuous improvement team — rigorously adhere to terminal processes, including departing on time.
The railway also has more tightly integrated the four computer systems that play a role in yard productivity.
