Press Releases
Union Pacific doing major track work in Iowa, Minnesota
Railway Track and Structures -- September, 2005
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Union Pacific is spending $47.2 million this year on track improvements between Boone and Denison, Iowa. Crews are removing and installing 196,181 concrete ties; spreading 222,000 tons of rock ballast; replacing the surfaces at 45 road crossings and replacing 24 turnouts. Work began on these projects July 14 and is scheduled to be completed by the end of October.
UP is spending $7.6 million on track improvements between Comus and Albert Lea, Minn. Crews are removing and installing 58,000 ties; spreading more than 22,000 tons of ballast; and replacing the surfaces at 78 road crossings and rail in six curves.
These improvements are part of more than $1 billion UP is planning to spend in 2005 to maintain track across the 33,000-mile system.
Also, fresh Washington State produce will soon make its way to New York State aboard UP and CSXT's new dedicated produce unit train. The service, made available through agreements with Railex LLC, is scheduled to begin in the first quarter of 2006.
The 55-car train will consist of new refrigerated boxcars that can carry as much as four truckloads of produce each. The high-speed travel time of 124 hours is achieved partly by keeping the train intact from its loading point until arrival as a unit at destination.
