For over 140 years, Barstow, California, has thrived as a key rail hub near the Inland Empire, with the Barstow diesel shop playing a crucial role in keeping BNSF locomotives running smoothly. Since 1947, the shop teams have been essential to keeping our trains on track. When a train arrives, they perform inspections to identify any issues, handle repairs, and take care of routine maintenance like diesel servicing.
With the ability to service 20 locomotives at a time, Barstow’s diesel shop manages the second-highest traffic volume on our network while maintaining the lowest locomotive downtime. But speed isn’t their only focus—safety is at the heart of everything they do. With over 500,000 hours worked in the first six months of the year, and a team of 400-plus employees, the shop has inspected and repaired more than 12,000 locomotives without a single injury. Keeping both employees and locomotives safe ensures that our train crews and freight move safely too.
“We’re proud of this team for the hard work they put in and keeping safety as our core value,” said Daniel Rodriguez, shop superintendent. “This team is critical to the world’s fifth largest economy [California], and the entire rail network.”