SALINA -Union Pacific is boosting safety and efficiency with an approximately $57 million infrastructure investment in Kansas this year.
In a media release they indicated the projects funded by Union Pacific benefit Kansas’s overall transportation infrastructure without taxpayer funds.
Union Pacific’s investment plan funds a range of initiatives: $43 million to maintain railroad track and $12 million to maintain bridges in the state. Key projects planned this year include:
- $13 million investment in the rail line between Topeka and Herington to replace 102,740 railroad ties and install 53,137 tons of rock ballast.
- $4.8 million investment in the rail line between Junction City and Salina to replace 33,828 railroad ties and install 327 tons of rock ballast.
“Union Pacific’s targeted investments fund projects that strengthen our railroad tracks, increase safety and minimize delays as trains travel through communities across Kansas,” said Donna Kush, Union Pacific vice president – Public Affairs, Northern Region. “Maintaining a healthy railroad is the foundation of our ability to serve customers and communities across the state.”
This year’s planned $57 million capital expenditure in Kansas is part of an ongoing investment strategy. From 2012 to 2016, Union Pacific invested more than $425 million strengthening Kansas’s transportation infrastructure.
Union Pacific plans to spend $3.1 billion across its network this year. The company has invested $51 billion since 2000, contributing to a 40 percent decrease in derailments during the same time frame.