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Union Pacific Railroad’s monthly record of 986 originated coal trains in Wyoming’s Southern Powder River Basin (SPRB) in January lasted just two months.
In March, UP originated 1,056 coal trains, averaging a little more than 34 trains per day — two daily trains more than the railroad’s all-time average of nearly 32 trains per day set in January.
Yet another high-water mark UP bested in March was its two-day record of 76 trains originated, set July 12 and 13, 2000; March 8 and 9, UP originated 78 trains.
Besides records, March also brought a milestone for UP: The railroad March 17 loaded its 100,000th coal train out of SPRB since UP and the former Chicago & North Western Railroad completed a 107-mile line to the region in August 1984.
UP officials believe recent coal-train efficiencies are due to capacity improvements along its coal corridor, the use of high-horsepower locomotives and distributed power in coal trains, and the success of the joint UP/Burlington Northern Santa Fe coal-train dispatching area within BNSF’s Ft. Worth, Texas, dispatching center.