Houston to Fort Worth – New rail service

We are pleased to inform you of the following changes within our intermodal network servicing the Houston to Dallas/Fort Worth market. The unprecedented challenges seen over the past year impacting drayage & chassis availability has led to increased dwell times in Houston and a sharp decline in reliability for our customer supply chains. In efforts to provide a more reliable & sustainable solution for imports routed via Houston into the Dallas/Fort Worth area, we will transition to a rail connection utilizing the BNSF rail network.

Effective January 2022, imports discharging in Houston for movement into Dallas/Fort Worth will begin moving by rail via the re-opened Barbour’s Cut rail facility. Maersk will arrange drayage from the ocean terminal to Barbour’s Cut where containers will load onto railcars for movement to the BNSF Alliance Intermodal facility. Containers will be available for pick-up or delivery from the BNSF ramp and all volume will be subject to BNSF tariff free time. (currently Day of Notification + 48 hours).

• Transit time from Houston to Fort Worth is one day.
• Dry cargo moving in 40’ and 45’ containers will be the first to start moving on the new rail routing. We will continue moving 20’ containers by truck until a later date in February.
• Standard rail acceptance policies for the BNSF network (hazardous cargo, weight, etc.) are applicable for this routing.
• We are partnering with our vendors to ensure early weekday availability at BNSF Alliance thereby drastically reducing the current dwell times on terminal. Cargo discharged in Houston will be available for pick-up in Fort Worth by the following week.
• For customers purchasing Store Door service, Maersk will continue to deliver shipments to their final destination.

Some key information for the BNSF Alliance ramp location is listed below for your reference.

Effective Date

This change will take place for vessels arriving in Houston after January 1, 2022. Bookings will reflect the appropriate ramp information. Any bookings that have already been made will be updated and revised booking confirmations will be sent.

BNSF Alliance Intermodal Facility (Fort Worth)

1111 Intermodal Pkwy.
Haslet, TX 76052
Gate Hours: 7 days per week, 24 hours per day

Please feel free to reach out to your local Maersk Customer Service representatives or check Local Information and Schedules for more details.

Thank you for your understanding. We look forward to continuously serving your global transportation needs.