Railroad operator Union Pacific is planning to invest $383m this year to improve transportation infrastructure in Texas, US.
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The investment will improve employee, community and customer safety, as well as increase rail operating efficiency.
Private investments in Union Pacific sustain jobs and ensure the company meets growing demand for products used in the resurgent economy in the US.
The company’s planned investment covers a range of initiatives, including $289m to maintain railroad track, $18m to improve signal systems and $75m to maintain or replace bridges.
Key projects comprise investing $14m in the rail line southwest of Dalhart to replace 27 miles of rail and repair the surfaces at 13 road crossings and $11m investment in the rail line near Sierra Blanca to replace 20 miles of rail and repair the surfaces at six road crossings.
An investment of $12m will be made in the rail line between Waco and Hearne to replace 81,077 railroad ties and install 59,435t of rock ballast.
Additionally, crews will be responsible to repair the surfaces at 114 road crossings.
From 2010 to 2014, the company had invested more than $2.7bn in order to strengthen Texas’s transportation infrastructure.
Union Pacific Public Affairs, Southern Region vice-president Brenda Mainwaring said: “We constantly evaluate our customers’ needs to make targeted investments that enhance our efficiency and deliver the goods American businesses and families use daily.
“Continuing to aggressively invest in our infrastructure is an important element in Union Pacific’s unwavering safety commitment.”
The company intends to invest $4.2bn across its network this year, following investments totalling more than $31bn from between 2005 and 2014.
