OREANDA-NEWS. BNSF Railway Company (BNSF) announced that its 2015 capital program for its operations in Texas will be an estimated USD 223 million for rail capacity improvement projects and maintenance. Unlike other modes of freight transportation, U.S. railroads own and maintain their own networks. To ensure BNSF's network operates at optimal efficiency, each year the company allocates capital for infrastructure and expansion projects that will enable it to serve the growing needs of customers from a broad cross section of the economy.

"This year's substantial investments in Texas are a clear reflection of how important our operations in the state are to our overall network and our unwavering commitment to always operating safely - for our people and the communities in which we operate," said Keary Walls, BNSF general manager operations Texas Division. "We know our customers are competing in a fast-paced, global economy where a smooth, efficient supply chain can be the difference between winning and losing in the marketplace. This year's planned expansion and maintenance projects will help give BNSF the capacity flexibility it needs to support our customers' growing demands and connect Texas products to key markets."

BNSF's 2015 capital projects in Texas include:
* Constructing a southeast quadrant connection at Tenaha to facilitate the use of the Longview subdivision for southbound trains heading to East Texas and Louisiana.
* Building a new siding in Lumberton enabling trains on the same line to pass resulting in better train flows. This new siding will have Centralized Traffic Control (CTC) to help manage rail traffic and improve efficiency.
* Beginning the two-year replacement project of the Trinity River bridge in Fort Worth.
* Expanding parking and support tracks at the Alliance intermodal and automotive facilities in Haslet as well as the Amarillo Automotive Facility.

Continuous maintenance of BNSF's infrastructure ensures an optimized, safe and reliable network. Maintaining the railroad is important for keeping it in optimal condition and helps limit the need for unscheduled service outages that can slow down the rail network and reduce capacity. BNSF's maintenance program in Texas will include 2,043 miles of track surfacing and undercutting work, the replacement of 62 miles of rail and close to 245,500 ties, as well as signal upgrades for federally mandated positive train control (PTC).

The planned capital investments in Texas are part of BNSF's record 2015 capital commitment of USD 6 billion, which was announced last November and is the company's largest planned capital expenditure in its history. These investments include USD 2.9 billion to replace and maintain core network and related assets, nearly USD 1.5 billion on expansion and efficiency projects, USD 200 million for continued implementation of PTC and USD 1.4 billion for locomotives, freight cars and other equipment acquisitions.