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On Nov. 1, Union Pacific Railroad expects to increase the number of daily trains to 12 and train speed to 40 mph on a 58-mile line between Mt. Vernon and Chester, Ill.

The line's Mt. Vernon-to-Steelville portion hasn't handled much traffic for the past several years; the Steelville-to-Chester portion now averages two daily trains traveling between 10 mph and 20 mph.

UP is completing a $9.3 million project designed to remove track constraints currently limiting train numbers and speed. Crews are replacing 84,400 wood ties and spreading 25,800 tons of rock ballast to stabilize the roadbed.