BNSF shares slate of work planned in Minnesota

BNSF Railway Co. has revealed plans for 2013 capital improvement projects in a ninth state. The Class I has budgeted $95 million for track maintenance and capacity expansion projects in Minnesota.

Capacity projects in the state include terminal improvements at Northtown Yard in Minneapolis to expand rail-car classification and inspection capacity by reconfiguring tracks and switches; expanding parking capacity at BNSF's automotive facility in St. Paul to support growth in new automobile traffic; and signal upgrades for positive train control implementation.

The railroad's track maintenance program in Minnesota involves surfacing and/or undercutting more than 1,800 miles of track, and replacing 55 miles of rail and about 290,000 ties.

"[Our] capital investments in Minnesota will help ensure our network is prepared for growing demand for freight rail," said BNSF Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Matt Rose in a press release. "We are focused on investing to meet our customers' expectations and on expanding capacity where growth is occurring."

The Minnesota work is part of BNSF's record-setting $4.3 billion capex program from 2013. Over the past few months, the Class I also has shared breakdowns of planned work in Kansas, Missouri, Montana, Oklahoma, Nebraska, North Dakota, Texas and Washington.