Burlington Northern Santa Fe’s Barstow International Gateway railroad project inches forward, with a public hearing scheduled in May.
The city of Barstow’s Planning Commission will host the public hearing to receive public comment regarding the planned $1.5 billion “B.I.G.” project located less than a mile west of the city.
The public hearing is scheduled at 1 p.m. on Saturday, May 16 at Barstow Community College’s Performing Arts Center, 2700 Barstow Road.
During the meeting, the planning commission will also consider a recommendation to the Barstow City Council regarding the proposed city general plan update and “B.I.G.” project.
The hearing will consider a comprehensive update to the city’s general plan (Horizon 2023 to 2048), the adoption of the BIG Specific Plan, and related zoning and pre-zoning. The annexation of unincorporated lands into the city, Barstow Fire Protection District and Odessa Water District will be discussed.
Additionally, the approval of a development agreement with Burlington Northern Santa Fe for the BIG project, approval of a tentative track map, and certification of an environmental impact report are on the agenda.
The B.I.G. Project
Situated on nearly 4,500 acres, the integrated rail facility would transfer goods from international to domestic containers and create roughly 20,000 new jobs while helping to address logistics and supply chain issues.
The project includes a large-scale, intermodal rail facility, warehouse and logistics, a solar facility and related infrastructure.
The project area is generally bounded by the Mojave River to the north, Main Street/Route 66 to the south, Lenwood Road to the East, and Hinkley Road to the west, including proposed annexation areas.
In 2025, the Bureau of Land Management announced the approval of a noncompetitive sale of public lands in San Bernardino County to Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway for the B.I.G. project, the Daily Press reported.
The Bureau of Land Management Barstow Field Office identified the public land, valued at $98,000, as suitable for private sale.
The property is isolated, surrounded by private lands, and difficult for the Bureau of Land Management to provide public access.
Submitting comments
The public is invited to attend and to speak at the meeting.
Written comments may be submitted before the hearing by email at generalplan@barstowca.org, or by mail sent to 220 E. Mountain View Street, Suite A, Barstow, CA 92311.
Daily Press reporter Rene Ray De La Cruz may be reached at RDeLaCruz@VVDailyPress.com. Follow him on X @DP_ReneDeLaCruz
This article originally appeared on Victorville Daily Press: Barstow International Gateway hearing set for 20,000-job rail project
Reporting by Rene Ray De La Cruz, Victorville Daily Press / Victorville Daily Press
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