BNSF Industrial Rail Park lands in Gainesville In 2019, a 1,000 acre logistics center park was proposed in Sanger

BNSF Railway has recently commenced construction on a new rail connection that will serve the Camp Howze Industrial Rail Park in Gainesville. This park is situated one mile west of Interstate I-35 and four miles north of State Highway 82.

Spanning 489 acres, this master-planned development is expected to become one of North Texas’ largest rail-served industrial sites, with projections indicating the potential for over 7 million square feet of future industrial development, according to city officials in Gainesville. Camp Howze is recognized as a BNSF Certified Site.

In 2019, BNSF Railway proposed a 1,000-acre logistics center park located between Sanger and Valley View. A logistics park is a fully permitted development designed to facilitate easier access to the DFW area and surrounding markets via new rail-served sites.

The proposed site was to stretch from Lone Oak Road to County Road 2411, extending south past Chisam Road on the east side of I-35. At that time, BNSF was negotiating with landowners for the project.

The planned logistics park would’ve spanned two counties, with approximately 60% located in Cooke County and 40% in Denton County. The estimated cost for the project was around $500 million, with an additional $40 million earmarked for land acquisition. The project would’ve fallen within the extraterritorial jurisdiction (ETJ) of Valley View and Sanger. At the time, BNSF hoped that the City of Sanger would annex the purchased property and provide utilities, given its proximity to the Wal-Mart Logistics Center and R&L Carriers Company.

Some of the land targeted by BNSF for purchase fell within the Lake Ray Roberts Planning and Zoning area, which is located 5,000 feet from the shoreline of the lake. This could pose zoning challenges for BNSF. However, representatives indicated that the project’s site map could change depending on landowner willingness to sell. As a result, it might shift farther west of the lake and slightly further south along the railroad, depending on the land BNSF could acquire. They mentioned that the site plan could be flexible.

Ultimately, the project did not materialize, as local landowners were unwilling to sell. Instead, BNSF found a site farther north. On June 18, 2026, community leaders, state officials, economic development partners, and BNSF representatives gathered to celebrate the start of rail construction in Gainesville. This rail connection will directly serve the park, with services expected to commence in the second quarter of 2027 and expand as customer demand grows, as stated by city officials.

BNSF is developing the project in collaboration with Camp Howze Development Partners, the City of Gainesville, the Gainesville Economic Development Corporation, Cooke County, North Central Texas College, and BNSF shippers like Buzzi Unicem Cement, which will be the park’s first tenant.

The development will also include a more than 30-acre transload facility for truck-to-rail and rail-to-truck operations, along with a planned 200,000-square-foot freight forwarding facility. Together, these assets will provide park tenants with multimodal connections to regional, national, and global markets.

Scott Bates, BNSF's Vice President of Economic Development, stated, “This project represents one of BNSF’s most significant recent investments in North Texas. By providing modern, ready-to-serve rail infrastructure, BNSF and Camp Howze are positioned to accelerate development timelines and attract the type of rail-served industries that strengthen local economies and support long-term growth.”

BNSF Railway is one of North America’s largest freight railroads. Headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas, the company operates a network of approximately 32,500 route miles across 28 U.S. states and 3 Canadian provinces. It has been a wholly-owned subsidiary of Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway since 2010.

BNSF plays a vital role in the North American supply chain by transporting billions of tons of goods annually. Major cargo types include:

Consumer Products: High-value retail goods and parcel shipping (acting as a top transporter of intermodal containers).

Agricultural Products: Moving bulk grain and food products from the Midwest and West to global markets.

Industrial and Energy Products: Hauling construction materials, petroleum, chemicals, and low-sulfur coal.

The railway connects more than 40 major ports and operates nearly 40 intermodal hubs. Its massive transcontinental route structure connects major West Coast maritime ports with inland hubs and Eastern U.S. rail networks.