(Union Pacific issued the following on March 21, 2011.)
OMAHA, Neb. — Union Pacific Railroad will continue improving Kansas’ transportation infrastructure with a nearly $19 million investment to enhance the rail line that runs from Groveland, Kan., to ten miles southwest of Hutchinson, Kan. The nearly 33-mile project includes removing and installing new rail, renewing the surfaces in 53 road crossings and replacing 14 switches – the devices that move a train from one track to another.
Union Pacific plans to spend approximately $3.2 billion in 2011 to support America’s current and future freight transportation needs and enhance the safety and efficiency of the railroad’s 32,000-mile network. Improvement projects such as this are examples of Union Pacific continuing to support its customers’ business through strategic investments.
Improved and additional rail capacity benefits everyone. It allows freight rail service to grow, helping to build a cleaner environment. Union Pacific can move one ton of freight nearly 500 miles on a single gallon of diesel fuel and according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, freight trains are nearly four times more fuel efficient than trucks. Motorists also benefit from reduced congestion on highways as a single Union Pacific train can remove up to 300 trucks off our roads.