(The following appeared on the Sioux City Journal website on April 17.)
OMAHA — Union Pacific Railroad plans to invest $3.1 million this year on track improvements between Alton and near Sheldon, Iowa, the company announced today.
When the project is complete, crews will have removed and installed 17,700 ties, spread 11,600 tons of rock ballast to ensure a stable roadbed and replaced the road surface at 19 crossings, according to a Union Pacific news release. Work is scheduled to begin Friday, with completion expected in mid-May.
The improvements are part of the $1.6 billion Union Pacific plans to invest in 2008 to maintain track across its more than 32,300-mile system.
After track improvement projects, communities benefit from smoother road crossing surfaces, the company said. Trains do not occupy crossings as long because they can operate more efficiently.