UP, BNSF to expand track capacity to Wyoming’s coal market

UP, BNSF to expand track capacity to Wyoming’s coal market    Union Pacific Railroad and BNSF Railway Co. will spend about $100 million adding 40 miles of third and fourth main line tracks on their Southern Powder River Basin (SPRB) Joint Line serving Wyoming’s coal industry.
   The SPRB coal fields are the largest open-pit, low-sulfur coal reserves in North America. In 2005, the SPRB Joint Line handled a record 325 million tons of coal, compared to 19 million tons in 1985.
   The SPRB Joint Line expansion project is in addition to the construction of 14 miles of a third main line track completed in Spring 2005 and an additional 19 miles of the third main line under construction and scheduled to go into service later this month, becoming fully operational in September.
   “This joint line project and the magnitude of our investment underscores BNSF’s commitment to this country’s coal and power industries,” said Matthew K. Rose, BNSF’s chairman, president and chief executive officer. “The rail, mining, and generating industries all need to work together to keep coal a strong part of the nation’s future energy program.”
   “The investment in the Joint Line is a strategic part of Union Pacific’s coal network operations,” said Jim Young, president and chief executive officer at Union Pacific. “Ongoing infrastructure development improvements in the Southern Powder River Basin will enhance our ability to serve our customers and meet this nation’s energy demands.”