UP to upgrade lines in Illinois, Wisconsin

By month's end, Union Pacific Railroad expects to complete upgrades on a line between Pinckneyville and Mount Vernon, Ill.

The $5.5 million project began June 22. Crews are replacing 34,500 ties, installing 12,800 tons of ballast and renewing surfaces at 64 grade crossings.

UP also plans to spend $6.1 million to bolster a line between Milwaukee and Sheboygan, Wis. The project — which began June 10 and is scheduled for completion by early September — calls for replacing 26 miles of rail, renewing surfaces at 62 crossings and replacing seven switches.

The projects are among nearly 1,500 that UP plans to complete across its 32,000-mile network this year to help improve operating efficiency, reduce motorists' wait times at crossings and enhance safety. In May, the Class I's board approved a $150 million increase in 2014 capital spending to $4.1 billion, in part to bolster more infrastructure.