Union Pacific Railroad Opens New Rail Yard in Western Wyoming
OMAHA, Neb., May 19, 2011 –Union Pacific Railroad representatives, customers and community leaders from western Wyoming today officially opened a new $24 million rail yard about 20 miles west of Green River. The rail yard provides vital support for the nation’s economic growth and shipping the products American families and businesses use every day.
“The Blacks Fork Rail Yard is the latest example of our company’s commitment to grow with our customers and provide great service,” said Jim Young, Union Pacific chairman and chief executive officer. “By improving the way rail cars are sorted for specific destinations, we are increasing efficiency, creating faster delivery time, and helping our customers compete in a global economy.”
Rail yard construction began in August 2008 and was completed in December 2010.
Features of the Blacks Fork Rail Yard, offering advantages for Union Pacific customers, include:
• A total of 47,000 feet of track including three tracks with capacity to handle 150 rail cars each.
• A new bridge over the Blacks Fork River.
• Five automatic electronic identification readers strategically placed in the rail yard to assist in monitoring rail car movements.
• Thirteen switches, the devices that move a train or rail car from one track to another, for flexibility in sorting customers’ rail cars by destination.
• 27,000 ties, with 11,000 made from steel and the remainder wood.
• 86,000 tons of rock ballast to ensure a stable roadbed.
Union Pacific plans to spend approximately $3.3 billion in 2011 to support America's current and future freight transportation needs and enhance the safety and efficiency of the railroad's 32,000-mile network. Improvement projects such as this are examples of Union Pacific continuing to support its customers' business through strategic investments.
Improved and additional rail capacity benefits everyone. It allows freight rail service to grow, helping to build a cleaner environment. Union Pacific can move one ton of freight nearly 500 miles on a single gallon of diesel fuel, and, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, freight trains are nearly four times more fuel efficient than trucks. Motorists also benefit from reduced congestion on highways as a single Union Pacific train can remove up to 300 trucks off our roads.
About Union Pacific
Union Pacific Corporation owns one of America's leading transportation companies. Its principal operating company, Union Pacific Railroad, links 23 states in the western two-thirds of the country. Union Pacific serves many of the fastest-growing U.S. population centers and provides Americans with a fuel-efficient, environmentally friendly and safe mode of freight transportation. Union Pacific's diversified business mix includes Agricultural Products, Automotive, Chemicals, Energy, Industrial Products and Intermodal. The railroad emphasizes excellent customer service and offers competitive routes from all major West Coast and Gulf Coast ports to eastern gateways. Union Pacific connects with Canada's rail systems and is the only railroad serving all six major gateways to Mexico.
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Media Contact: Mark Davis, 402-544-5459 or mwdavis@up.com
www.up.com
www.facebook.com/unionpacific
www.twitter.com/unionpacific
“The Blacks Fork Rail Yard is the latest example of our company’s commitment to grow with our customers and provide great service,” said Jim Young, Union Pacific chairman and chief executive officer. “By improving the way rail cars are sorted for specific destinations, we are increasing efficiency, creating faster delivery time, and helping our customers compete in a global economy.”
Rail yard construction began in August 2008 and was completed in December 2010.
Features of the Blacks Fork Rail Yard, offering advantages for Union Pacific customers, include:
• A total of 47,000 feet of track including three tracks with capacity to handle 150 rail cars each.
• A new bridge over the Blacks Fork River.
• Five automatic electronic identification readers strategically placed in the rail yard to assist in monitoring rail car movements.
• Thirteen switches, the devices that move a train or rail car from one track to another, for flexibility in sorting customers’ rail cars by destination.
• 27,000 ties, with 11,000 made from steel and the remainder wood.
• 86,000 tons of rock ballast to ensure a stable roadbed.
Union Pacific plans to spend approximately $3.3 billion in 2011 to support America's current and future freight transportation needs and enhance the safety and efficiency of the railroad's 32,000-mile network. Improvement projects such as this are examples of Union Pacific continuing to support its customers' business through strategic investments.
Improved and additional rail capacity benefits everyone. It allows freight rail service to grow, helping to build a cleaner environment. Union Pacific can move one ton of freight nearly 500 miles on a single gallon of diesel fuel, and, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, freight trains are nearly four times more fuel efficient than trucks. Motorists also benefit from reduced congestion on highways as a single Union Pacific train can remove up to 300 trucks off our roads.
About Union Pacific
Union Pacific Corporation owns one of America's leading transportation companies. Its principal operating company, Union Pacific Railroad, links 23 states in the western two-thirds of the country. Union Pacific serves many of the fastest-growing U.S. population centers and provides Americans with a fuel-efficient, environmentally friendly and safe mode of freight transportation. Union Pacific's diversified business mix includes Agricultural Products, Automotive, Chemicals, Energy, Industrial Products and Intermodal. The railroad emphasizes excellent customer service and offers competitive routes from all major West Coast and Gulf Coast ports to eastern gateways. Union Pacific connects with Canada's rail systems and is the only railroad serving all six major gateways to Mexico.
-
Media Contact: Mark Davis, 402-544-5459 or mwdavis@up.com
www.up.com
www.facebook.com/unionpacific
www.twitter.com/unionpacific