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Burlington Northern Santa Fe's business-development efforts have been paying dividends by increasing carloads. During the past 18 months, the railroad convinced 11 companies to build or expand facilities in California alone, such as Coors Brewing Co., Quebecor Inc. and R.R. Donnelley.

When General Motors Corp. needed a new facility to replace a southern California automotive-parts warehouse, BNSF's economic development department worked with the automaker to locate a site, and create a rate and service package. GM and the railroad found a larger, more modern warehouse in Rancho Cucamonga; BNSF estimates the facility will handle 1,275 carloads annually.

"Working in partnership with state and local public and private economic development agencies, we can leverage [our] service and our area's advantages to benefit communities across the BNSF system," said Vann Cunningham, BNSF assistant vice president of economic development, in a prepared statement.

Last year, BNSF's economic-development team helped locate 130 new and expanded facilities along the railroad's lines, representing more than $5 billion in industrial development and 110,000 additional annual carloads.