Upgrades on tap for UP line in Kansas; improvements on agenda for four crossings in Ohio

Union Pacific Railroad plans to spend $8 million to upgrade a line between Herington and Whitewater, Kan.

The project involves replacing 52,000 ties, installing 25,000 tons of ballast and renewing surfaces at 67 grade crossings. Work began July 16 and is scheduled for completion by September's end.

The project is one of nearly 1,500 that UP plans to complete across its 32,000-mile network this year to help improve train operating efficiency, reduce motorists' wait times at crossings and enhance safety.

Meanwhile, the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio last week approved upgrades to four crossings in Marion, Holmes, Shelby and Huron counties that involve two other Class Is.

CSX Transportation will install mast-mounted flashing lights and roadway gates at a crossing in Prospect; Norfolk Southern Railway will install mast-mounted flashing lights and gates a crossing near Loudonville; Indiana and Ohio Railway will install mast-mounted flashing lights and gates at a crossing near Jackson Center; and Ashland Railway will install mast-mounted flashing lights and gates at a crossing near Willard.

All work must be completed no later than April 23, 2015. Funding for the four projects will be covered by federal dollars.