Union Pacific – Page 27 – Railfanning.org

Officials Announce Second Amtrak Cascades Train to Canada

June 20, 2007 Railfanning.org News Wire

SEATTLE, Wash. – Washington state, British Columbia, BNSF Railway Co. and Amtrak have reached an agreement to make infrastructure improvements that will permit a second daily Amtrak Cascades train between Seattle and Vancouver, B.C. Governor Chris Gregoire and Premier Gordon Campbell made the announcement June 8 at the King Street Station in downtown Seattle. The Province of British Columbia, Amtrak, and BNSF are funding this $7 million project, which includes construction of a new 11,000-foot siding track near Colebrook Road in Delta, B.C. The new siding track will allow for passenger and freight trains to pass one another at this

Amtrak, Union Pacific Reach Agreement for Passenger Train Performance Plan

June 20, 2007 Railfanning.org News Wire

WASHINGTON – Amtrak and Union Pacific Railroad have reached an agreement on a performance plan to reduce passenger train delays attributed to track conditions. Under the agreement, Union Pacific will limit speed restrictions that can cause Amtrak trains to fall behind schedule on Union Pacific’s routes. Union Pacific is the nation’s largest railroad and is one of the three biggest hosts of Amtrak service, including short-distance trains and parts of four overnight routes in the West, Pacific Northwest and Midwest. Imposing temporary speed restrictions is a common railroad practice. Frequently called “slow orders,” these restrictions are put into effect when

Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern to Offer Fastest Service Between Southern California and Southeast

April 30, 2007 Railfanning.org News Wire

OMAHA, Neb. — Union Pacific Railroad and Norfolk Southern Railway will significantly improve eastbound domestic transcontinental service from Los Angeles to the Southeast on May 21. The service improvement in this important high-volume lane will result from shifting traffic from the Memphis gateway to the new Shreveport, La., gateway. This new route, combining Union Pacific’s Sunset Route between Los Angeles and Texas with Norfolk Southern’s and Kansas City Southern’s joint venture line between Shreveport and Meridian, Miss., is nearly 150 miles shorter than the current route, making it the shortest, fastest and most reliable intermodal route between Los Angeles and

Amtrak Adjusts Missouri Service Schedules to Accommodate Trackwork

March 21, 2007 Railfanning.org News Wire

CHICAGO — Amtrak is adjusting train schedules between St. Louis and Kansas City effective April 2, 2007, due to a major track repair project by the line’s owner, Union Pacific Railroad (UP). The project will continue through the fall of 2007 and is expected to lead to improved ride quality and reliability. During the construction period, UP will install new rail, ties, ballast and replace surfaces at road crossings. Unlike 2006, when Amtrak and the Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) regularly chartered motorcoaches, this year’s plan calls for two daily round-trips to be provided solely by train. “Although we were

Rail Employees at Nation’s Largest Rail Yard to Confidentially Report ‘Close Calls’ Under New Federal Rail Safety Pilot Project

February 2, 2007 Railfanning.org News Wire

NORTH PLATTE, Neb. — Employees at the nation’s largest rail yard can now voluntarily and anonymously report “close call” incidents that could have resulted in an accident, but did not, without fear of sanction or penalty from their employer or the federal government as part of a new rail safety pilot project. “Having the opportunity to learn about and analyze these ‘close-calls,’ will help us identify and correct problems across the industry,” Federal Railroad Administrator Joseph H. Boardman said, noting that the aviation industry already has a similar program. FRA currently requires railroads to report a wide range of accidents

Service Alert: Missouri Mules Service Restored between St. Louis and Kansas City

January 15, 2007 Railfanning.org News Wire

Union Pacific Railroad has informed Amtrak the route used by the Missouri Mules passenger trains between St. Louis and Kansas City has reopened, following a weekend closure due to ice storms and resulting debris blocking the tracks. Therefore, service by Train 313, the afternoon westbound train from St. Louis, and Train 316, the afternoon eastbound train from Kansas City, resumes this afternoon. Also service by Train 311, the morning westbound train from St. Louis, and Train 314, the morning eastbound train from Kansas City, resumes on Tuesday, January 16. This information is correct as of the above time and date

Service Alert: Missouri Mules Disrupted by Railroad Closure between St. Louis and Kansas City

January 13, 2007 Railfanning.org News Wire

Union Pacific Railroad has informed Amtrak of several blockages on the route used by the Missouri Mules passenger trains between St. Louis and Kansas City. The railroad could not provide an estimate of when the tracks will be cleared of trees and other debris caused by freezing rain and ice. In addition, more than a dozen freight trains were halted on the route between St. Louis and Jefferson City. Therefore, the westbound trains from St. Louis, Trains 311 & 313, and the eastbound trains from Kansas City, Trains 314 & 316, have been cancelled for today. No alternate transportation is

FRA: New Era of Rail Safety with Approval of First Positive Train Control System

January 9, 2007 Railfanning.org News Wire

WASHINGTON – The first Positive Train Control (PTC) system capable of automatically controlling train speed and movements to prevent certain accidents, including train collisions has been approved. “This is a major achievement that marks the beginning of a new era of rail safety,” said Federal Railroad Administrator Joseph H. Boardman. “The steps FRA and railroads are taking show that applying PTC technology can work and will provide important safety benefits.” In 2005, FRA revised federal signal and train control regulations to facilitate and enable development and deployment of PTC technology, Boardman said. Specifically, the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) approved the

UP Tests Experimental Locomotive Exhaust Filter

December 15, 2006 Railfanning.org News Wire

OAKLAND, Calif. – Union Pacific Railroad has begun a year-long test in an Oakland rail yard to determine if an experimental after market exhaust system filter will reduce diesel engine emissions in older railroad locomotives. “Our goal is to find innovative methods of further reducing exhaust emissions to create a better environment,” said Bob Grimaila, Union Pacific’s vice president for environment and safety. A 1,500-horsepower yard locomotive built in November 1982 has been retrofitted with diesel particulate filters or “DPFs.” The DPF initiative is the result of a four-year program, funded in part by Union Pacific, to assess exhaust after

UP: Moving Record Trainloads of Coal

December 6, 2006 Railfanning.org News Wire

OMAHA, Neb. – With winter energy needs nearing their peak, Union Pacific is moving record trainloads of coal from Wyoming’s Southern Powder River Basin (SPRB) and coal-producing mines in Colorado and Utah. During November, Union Pacific moved 20 million tons of coal from the SPRB and Colorado and Utah, an increase of nearly 8 percent over November 2005. The railroad posted its third best average daily performance in the SPRB, averaging 35.7 trains per day. The movement of Colorado and Utah coal posted its best daily train numbers of the year in November, averaging 11.6 trains per day. Union Pacific