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By spring’s end, Union Pacific Railroad expects to complete three track improvement projects totaling more than $42 million.

The Class I will spend about $11 million to upgrade a line between Grand Junction, Colo., and Helper, Utah. To be completed by May’s end, the project calls for removing and replacing 75,600 ties, installing three miles of new rail in various curves, spreading 17,000 tons of ballast and renewing road surfaces at 20 grade crossings.

Last year, UP spent about $43 million on capital projects in Colorado and $47 million on work in Utah.  

The railroad also will spend more than $28 million to upgrade a line between Marshall and Buckner, Mo. To be completed by mid-June, the project calls for removing and installing about 41 miles of new rail, renewing road surfaces at 64 crossings and upgrading 12 switches.

Finally, the Class I will spend more than $3 million to upgrade a line between Poplar Bluff and Neelyville, Mo. To be completed by April’s end, the project calls for removing and installing about 21,000 ties, spreading 6,600 tons of ballast and renewing road surfaces at 15 crossings.

Last year, UP spent more than $80 million on capital projects in Missouri. In 2009, the railroad plans to invest $1.8 billion in track infrastructure improvements system-wide.

Meanwhile, BNSF Railway Co. will spend about $15 million to upgrade a 29-mile line between Galesburg and Wilbern, Ill. To be completed in about four months, the work involves undercutting and repairing roadbed, and replacing more than 70,000 ties.

BNSF expects to spend about $2 billion this year to upgrade and maintain infrastructure.

For more information on all the Class Is’ MOW programs in 2009, see Progressive Railroading’s April issue.