Railroad Forums 

  • Track Capacity Expansion Projects - Moving Forth?

  • Discussion about the Union Pacific operations past and present. Official site can be found here: UPRR.COM.
Discussion about the Union Pacific operations past and present. Official site can be found here: UPRR.COM.

Moderator: GOLDEN-ARM

 #624309  by Gilbert B Norman
 
Having been in the railroad industry 1970-81, I know first hand that when traffic declines, "first to go" are any projects that will increase track capacity. While such hardly represents long term planning or an opportunity to obtain the factors of production at lower costs (somehow I don't think Rail Labor is about to serve Section 6's with a laundry list of 'we wants' at this time), it is industry's way - and not just the railroad industry.

So with this thought in mind, anyone know if UP track expansion projects such as double tracking the Sunset Route through California as well as the new Kate Shelly Bridge in Iowa are moving forth, or have they simply been "curtailed for the duration"./
 #625148  by doepack
 
Late in September, UP began doing a lot of trackwork the Geneva sub, with much of the work within Metra commuter territory in the vicinity of Lombard. Tampers, ballast trains, and other track equipment running back and forth between Lombard and West Chicago were quite common during this time, and although I could never confirm this, word at the time was that a new interlocking plant was going in. But it now appears that the project has been put on hold indefinitely, hasn't been any activity in the area for almost two months now...