BNSF Railway

Keeping BNSF’s Bold Vision for the Future of Rail on Track

As a leader in one of America’s oldest and most essential industries, BNSF Railway operates where innovation, legacy infrastructure, and a complex web of evolving regulations and growth demands meet. Its 32,500-mile rail network (the largest in North America) drives commerce and connects California to the global marketplace.

For more than a decade, Meyers Nave has guided BNSF through California’s legal and political landscape. We develop long-range permitting strategies; strengthen relationships with regulators; overcome environmental hurdles under CEQA and NEPA; tackle intricate air quality, water quality, and greenhouse gas issues; and defend high-profile megaprojects in state and federal courts.

Recognized as a “leading firm for private clients focused on complex, public-facing transportation and development projects,” our behind-the-scenes legal and political strategies advance critical infrastructure, streamline supply chains, and support sustainable, forward-looking solutions for the state’s continued growth.

Our work comes to life in BNSF projects at the center of California’s freight network:

Barstow International Gateway (BIG)

Meyers Nave is lead counsel for BNSF’s $4.5 billion, 4,500-acre Barstow International Gateway (BIG), a groundbreaking facility set to revolutionize California’s rail logistics. This state-of-the-art megaproject (the first transit project selected by Gov. Newsom to unlock special expedited review under SB149) will streamline the movement of goods by allowing containers to be transferred directly from ships at the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach onto trains bound for Barstow and the rest of the nation—cutting one million truck hauls annually and accelerating goods movement across the country. It will also process westbound freight to improve efficiency for trains headed to ports and other California hubs along the coast. As the first project of its kind developed by a Class I railroad, BIG promises to reduce traffic, stimulate economic growth, and support sustainable shipping and supply chain logistics for decades to come.

California High-Speed Rail

We advise BNSF on partnering with the California High-Speed Rail Authority to redevelop existing track for high-speed passenger service, a project that would reshape public transportation in California. Our work spans multiple jurisdictions, with coordinated consultations under NEPA and Section 404 with the Federal Railroad Administration and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

Needles Third Main Track

This award-winning project adds 30 miles of a third main-line track near Needles, California to ease congestion, increase capacity, and ensure the safe, timely movement of goods between Southern California ports and the rest of the country—a major infrastructure enhancement designed to improve freight mobility and efficiency along one of the nation’s busiest rail corridors. Meyers Nave guided BNSF through the approval process for this project. When the Regional Water Quality Control Board initially denied a Water Quality Certification, our team leveraged the Clean Water Act and the Interstate Commerce Commission Termination Act, resulting in the Board’s approval of BNSF’s revised application.

Southern California International Gateway

Meyers Nave advised BNSF on this $700 million project and successfully defended BNSF in seven consolidated lawsuits and related appeals challenging the project, addressing CEQA, environmental impact, social justice, and federal preemption challenges.

With 40 years of government and regulatory insight and an outstanding record of success, Meyers Nave is proud to help BNSF advance its bold vision for the future of commercial rail—turning today’s legal and regulatory challenges into tomorrow’s opportunities.