February 5, 2026 - TRA Newswire -

BNSF Railway and Hobby Lobby Stores, Inc. gathered in Oklahoma City to celebrate the opening of the Class I railroad’s new intermodal facility. Oklahoma Department of Transportation Executive Director Tim Gatz, Oklahoma City mayor David Holt and other legislative leaders and public-private partners were in attendance to mark the milestone with an official ribbon cutting ceremony January 22nd.

The 42-acre intermodal transfer center, which is now in operation for over a month, provides more streamlined, cost-efficient options for customer Hobby Lobby. The arts and crafts retailer was looking for a simpler and more economical movement of its loaded containers from the ports of Los Angeles/Long Beach, to the Dallas-Fort Worth area, where it was then trucked to Hobby Lobby distribution centers in OKC. 

At its full potential, the facility could eliminate up to 40,000 truck moves off Interstate 35 each year, cutting emissions between Dallas Fort-Worth and Oklahoma City and providing for safer highways.

“As the leading rail intermodal provider in North America, BNSF has a relentless passion for growth,” said BNSF Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer Tom Williams. “In order to be successful, we must take advantage of growth opportunities when we see them for our customers. Expanding into Oklahoma City to offer Hobby Lobby a new, unique solution to its supply chain needs is a chance for us deliver on that promise, and we are excited to watch the success this partnership will bring.”
  
“This is really a new day for Hobby Lobby and our city,” said Hobby Lobby Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Jon Cargill. “We are now prepared to bring the items our customers want directly to Oklahoma City, allowing us to supply our stores in a more efficient manner. It also provides the same efficiency to Oklahoma’s businesses, expanding access to markets all over the world.”

“This facility will be a tremendous asset to the economic infrastructure of our city for years to come,” said Oklahoma City Mayor David Holt. “Most of us don’t think about the logistical journey taken by the goods we purchase. There are many elements in that journey, and until now, we’ve not had, in Oklahoma City, the ability to take freight containers off a train at the end of their global journey to OKC. This will complete that infrastructure, which is good for our economy, and it will also remove trucks from our highways. Thank you to BNSF and Hobby Lobby for making it possible.”

“The opening of BNSF’s intermodal facility in Oklahoma City is a practical investment in Oklahoma’s economic future,” said ODOT Executive Director Tim Gatz. “With Hobby Lobby utilizing the site and future opportunities for farmers and producers to export goods to the West Coast, this project positions our state for continued growth and connectivity.”

In the future, Oklahoma farmers and other businesses will have the opportunity to utilize the facility for export to the West Coast. 

Photo credit: BNSF - Executive VP & Chief Marketing Office Tom Williams