According to the USDA's Grain Transportation report, BNSF railroad has announced it will end its restrictions on shipments into California on September 4. In late June, BNSF began limiting shipments of some commodities, including some agriculture, with the goal of improving performance.
Since July, a number of grain commodities and food products have been exempted from the restrictions. BNSF said the embargo enabled the railroad to “significantly reduce backlogs and drive greater efficiencies for trains moving both towards and in California, and throughout our network.”
Across its network, BNSF’s number of unfilled grain car orders has improved significantly since its peak in early June. However, BNSF’s average number of grain shuttle train roundtrips into California remains well below average. In 2021, BNSF originated 51 percent of US Class I railroad grain carloads, so strong performance from BNSF will be necessary to minimize disruptions in the upcoming harvest.