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Today, Union Pacific Railroad crews will begin work on a $6.25 million track improvement project in Clinton, Iowa.

Using the railroad's track renewal train (TRT), which can replace rail and ties at the same time in one pass, the workers will complete the project on July 18 — half the time such a project ordinarily would take, UP said.

Crews will remove and install 17,500 concrete ties, spread 25,700 tons of rock ballast, and replace about seven miles of rail, surfaces at two grade crossings and three turnouts.

Crews will use the TRT 909 renewal train, which UP began to operate three years ago. The TRT 909 can install up to 5,000 ties in a 12-hour day. Three sets of gantry cranes move concrete ties forward for the TRT to drop into place. The machine then threads new rail onto the ties.

The Iowa project is part of UP's $1.6 billion capital spending budget for 2008.