Rail Infrastructure
Rail infrastructure plays a critical role in moving goods and people efficiently. Freight and transit systems connect neighborhoods, cities, ports, terminals and industrial facilities to broader supply chains and must support growing volumes, complex operations and reliable access in demanding operating environments. Owners depend on rail investments to unlock capacity, improve operational efficiency and support long-term economic competitiveness.
Why Rail Infrastructure Matters
As demands increase, rail infrastructure must accommodate heavier loads, longer trains and efficient interfaces with marine, roadway and industrial systems. Strategic rail improvements help reduce operational constraints, improve safety and strengthen end-to-end supply chain reliability.
Rail projects often focus on improving access and operational efficiency at ports and rail-served industrial sites, as well as resolving conflicts where rail intersects with other infrastructure. Grade separations and rail-related structures help improve safety, reduce congestion and support reliable freight operations over the long term, while minimizing impacts to surrounding communities and adjacent transportation networks.
The Burns & McDonnell Advantage
We bring a multidisciplinary approach to rail infrastructure that connects planning, engineering and construction into a cohesive delivery strategy. By engaging planners, designers and builders early, we help clients align scope, cost, schedule and constructability — reducing risk and improving decision-making from the outset.
Our teams support freight-focused rail projects using a range of delivery methods, including design-build, progressive design-build and engineer-procure-construct (EPC), helping align scope, cost and constructability early in the process. This flexibility allows us to tailor delivery strategies to client goals, funding constraints and operational requirements, providing greater certainty and transparency throughout project development.
This integrated approach is particularly valuable for rail projects at ports, terminals and industrial facilities, where active operations, tight schedules and coordination with multiple stakeholders are common. We plan and phase work to maintain operations, reduce disruption and keep critical freight moving during design and construction. By combining strategic planning, rail engineering, structural design, and construction experience, projects advance with clarity and continuity from concept through delivery.
How We Approach Rail Solutions
We support comprehensive solutions that integrate rail systems with ports, terminals and industrial facilities, delivering efficient connections across the supply chain. Our work balances operational needs, safety considerations and long-term asset performance. These capabilities allow us to deliver solutions that balance operational needs, safety considerations and long-term infrastructure performance.
Our work includes rail access planning for ports and terminals, design of rail-related structures and grade separations, and coordination with adjacent roadway and utility infrastructure. Planning and design decisions are informed by constructability, permitting and operational sequencing, allowing projects to be implemented efficiently while managing risk and minimizing impacts to ongoing operations.
