BNSF News

BNSF celebrates the completion of the Colton Crossing project

2013-09-04

BNSF and other project partners celebrated the completion of enhancements to one of the nation's busiest rail-to-to-rail crossings on Aug. 28. The US Department of Transportation, BNSF, Union Pacific Railroad, Caltrans, San Bernardino Associated Governments, Riverside County Transportation Commission, and the city of Colton celebrated this milestone with a ribbon cutting ceremony.

More than 100 trains from BNSF, Union Pacific, Metrolink and Amtrak pass through the Colton Crossing in Southern California daily.

The project included rail-to-rail grade separation via a new flyover that elevates the Union Pacific tracks 60 feet above the existing BNSF lines. This new structure vastly improves upon the previous structure, which called for north-south moving trains to stop while east-west moving trains passed through the crossing, and vice-versa.

"The Colton Crossing project is a critical component in improving California's goods movement system. The new flyover structure not only eliminates the inefficiencies and delays from having the two rail lines cross each other, but provides additional capacity for expected growth in freight and passenger rail," said Lena Kent, BNSF's director public affairs, Corporate Relations.

Because of a reduction in wait time at the crossing, officials expect a 31,000-ton decrease in greenhouse gas emissions.

The Colton Crossing Project, which began in November 2011, was completed 8 months ahead of schedule, and significantly under budget.

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BNSF Railway Company
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For more information on the company and its transportation solutions, visit the BNSF Web site at www.bnsf.com