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Union Pacific Railroad plans to spend more than $11 million to upgrade a 66-mile line between Minneapolis and Ottawa, Minn.

The project calls for removing and installing about 82,000 ties, renewing surfaces at 64 grade crossings, replacing more than one mile of rail in various curves and spreading 42,600 tons of ballast.

The work is part of UP’s $3.3 billion capital spending budget for 2011. In May, the Class I’s board approved a plan to boost the railroad’s capex by $100 million from $3.2 billion to $3.3 billion.

UP also recently was named 2010 rail carrier of the year by WWL Vehicle Services Americas Inc. The award recognizes the railroad’s timely delivery, quality and customer service efforts for automotive traffic. UP directly serves five vehicle assembly plants, distributes imported vehicles from seven West Coast ports and one Gulf Coast port, and operates or accesses 43 vehicle distribution centers.