advertisement

---

Yesterday, BNSF Railway Co. unveiled its new Memphis, Tenn., intermodal facility during a grand opening ceremony.

The Class I completed a $200 million expansion and rebuilding project at the facility to double lift capacity in the Memphis market, boost efficiency and improve air quality. The 185-acre facility is designed to handle 1 million lifts annually.

The terminal features eight wide-span, electric, rail-mounted gantry cranes that will significantly reduce the number of hostler trucks needed to move containers within the yard, according to BNSF. The facility also features a streamlined automated gate system for trucks entering and exiting the terminal. The system uses digital cameras to record images of containers, chassis and tractors. Drivers also will be identified using a biometric system.

The technological enhancements will boost security and improve throughput, as well as reduce truck idling time and emissions by 50 percent, BNSF officials said in a prepared statement.