BNSF officially opens Cadet Yard

BNSF Railway Co. officials will host a celebration today to mark the opening of the Class I's new Cadet Yard in Von Ormy, Texas.

Located 10 miles southwest of San Antonio, the Cadet Yard will serve as a switching and classification yard for BNSF traffic. The facility has 10 classification tracks, a departure track, a siding and capacity to hold 350 rail cars, according to a BNSF media advisory.

Prior to the yard's construction, BNSF traffic from Mexico entering the United States through Eagle Pass, Texas, was routed to a classification yard in Temple, Texas, to be switched and reclassified before it moved north or south to Gulf Coast customers.

The new yard allows BNSF to switch and classify freight closer to Mexico, as well as gain efficient access to more destinations, company officials said.