A train in San Bernardino County came under gunfire Monday night during what authorities described as an attempted robbery with echoes of an old-fashioned Wild West heist.
The shooting unfolded as the train moved through the remote Cajon Pass, the rugged corridor between the San Bernardino and San Gabriel mountains. A group of suspects allegedly opened fire on officers with Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railway, known as BNSF, in an apparent effort to rob the train.
No officers or train crew members were injured in the attempted train robbery. Authorities have not said what the suspects may have been targeting, and it remains unclear whether anything was taken.
Video from the scene showed a large law enforcement response, including several San Bernardino County Sheriff’s deputies and air support overhead. An ambulance and a fire engine were also seen in the area.
The investigation into the attempted robbery remains ongoing.
BNSF is among the largest freight railroad companies in the United States. According to the company’s website, its rail network covers “32,500 route miles in 28 states and three Canadian provinces.”
A significant portion of that freight rail system runs along the West Coast, with BNSF lines stretching from San Diego to Vancouver and beyond.
Large-scale train robberies are uncommon today, though they were once closely associated with the expansion of railroads in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Still, theft remains a costly problem for the rail industry: major U.S. railroads reported more than 75,000 theft incidents in 2025, amounting to more than $200 million in losses, according to the Association of American Railroads.
Cajon Pass is about 20 miles northwest of San Bernardino.
The California Post reached out to BNSF and the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Office for comment.
