(The Associated Press circulated the following article on October 5.)
SANTA TERESA, N.M. — Union Pacific Corp. plans to bring at least 285 new jobs to southern New Mexico with the construction of a $150 million terminal facility near Santa Teresa, the state’s two U.S. senators announced Thursday.
Democrat Jeff Bingaman and Republican Pete Domenici said the positions will include 205 engineers and 80 mechanical jobs.
They also said 260 other workers at an El Paso, Texas, terminal will move to the new facility at Strauss, near Santa Teresa. That would bring total jobs to 545.
The federal government has allocated $14 million to help relocate the rail facilities from El Paso to Santa Teresa.
The company also plans to build a new ramp in the area in the next 10 years that is expected to process at least 100,000 container units each year, they said.
Rep. Steve Pearce, R-N.M., whose district includes the area, said the move offers an economic opportunity for southern New Mexico. “We are beginning to capitalize upon our geographical advantage as the crossroads of the Southwest,” he said.
Shares of Union Pacific rose 39 cents to $89.93 in trading on the New York Stock Exchange.