Western Railroad Discussion > UP's Sunset Route Work Update

Everybody's been asking about UP's progress as far as double-tracking the Sunset Route, so here's an update that should satisfy most of you...sounds like UP's finally getting serious about getting after it down there...courtesy of today's UPOnline.


Double Track Projects Continue on UP's Sunset Route

Double-track expansion on the Sunset Route from West Colton, Calif., to El Paso, Texas, continues this year as part of an extensive project to increase capacity and expedite intermodal traffic. The 760-mile corridor is one of UP's most critical routes from the West Coast to Chicago, and a multi-year project currently under way will double-track about 60 percent of the line, said Dave Orrell, director-construction.

More than 100 Union Pacific track employees, plus several signal construction gangs, are assigned to Sunset Route projects. Current projects are:

Bridge and track work on a six-mile project from Fingal to Garnet near Palm Springs, Calif. The project includes construction of 15 bridges and installation of 16,000 concrete ties, 63,000 linear feet of continuous welded rail and four No. 20 switches. It's anticipated the project will be completed in late July.
Grading work on a 20-mile segment from Alton to Strauss outside of El Paso, Texas, with track work slated to begin this month. This project involves 420,000 cubic yards of grading, 53,000 concrete ties, 211,000 linear feet of continuous welded rail and 10 No. 24 switches. Cut over is expected in December.
Grading on a 20-mile project from Tunis to Carne near Deming, N.M. Contractors began work the first week of May, and this will be followed by construction of six bridges and installation of 53,000 concrete ties, 211,000 linear feet of continuous welded rail and seven No. 24 switches.
Completed Sunset Route double-track projects include:

Ten-mile segment near Beaumont, Calif.
Twelve-mile segment near Gila Bend, Ariz.
Two projects near Wilcox, Ariz., each approximately 10 miles.
"In building double-track projects, our priority is on lines that are the most needed to alleviate congestion with the double-stack business," Orrell said. Additional projects will continue over the next few years.

Hi!

I just had an amusing thought. What if, after the UP
finishes with the Sunset Route upgrades, it decides
that it really doesn't want or need the Overland Route
after all? Wouldn't that make UP the SP? :-) Is
the trap of the SP (maintaining the Sunset Route)
going to trap UP also? :-) Let's see, D&RGW buys
SP, focuses on keeping SP Sunset Route working. UP
does the same thing, more and more resources poured
into the Sunset Route. Curious how the future of
western railroading comes down to who can add the
most capacity to the Sunset Route. SP struck out,
D&RGW struck out, and it's two strikes on UP, with
BNSF the pitcher! :-)

Tony Burzio
San Diego, CA

Dont hold your breath on Up selling any major routes, they have more business than they can handle! The UPS contract was dropped as a result. The Sunset route has been above capacity for a while now, where have you been?

Rail1

tburzio Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Hi!I think you smoked the whole joint. Even in SP days the sunset was the SP's money maker/bill payer! The UP give UP give up the Sunset route! Dream on !!
>
> I just had an amusing thought. What if, after the
> UP
> finishes with the Sunset Route upgrades, it
> decides
> that it really doesn't want or need the Overland
> Route
> after all? Wouldn't that make UP the SP? :-) Is
> the trap of the SP (maintaining the Sunset Route)
>
> going to trap UP also? :-) Let's see, D&RGW
> buys
> SP, focuses on keeping SP Sunset Route working.
> UP
> does the same thing, more and more resources
> poured
> into the Sunset Route. Curious how the future of
> western railroading comes down to who can add the
>
> most capacity to the Sunset Route. SP struck
> out,
> D&RGW struck out, and it's two strikes on UP,
> with
> BNSF the pitcher! :-)
>
> Tony Burzio
> San Diego, CA
>

Only problem with that theory Tony is that they have more business then can fit on just 2 tracks! Think of traffic running between Chicago and LA alone. The Golden State route and LA & SL routes each have around 20 or more trains per day. Eliminate the northern route and now the Golden State route becomes what the Sunset is now except even worse since there isn't any double track on the Golden State route southwest of Topeka! Now throw in the N. CA business in the 30-35 trains per day count and what you've got is a nightmare. If anything, even with the entire Sunset route double tracked, there will not be enough capacity to handle much if any of the central corridor traffic. Second, you're also forgetting UP's ONLY decent/direct route into the Pac NW from the central/eastern US is via the Overland route.

AaronJ

Strauss to "Alton"??? Think they mean Strauss to Afton. Anyway its good to know that UP is getting busy doing this work...

AM

I'm waiting to see what comes of this on handling 1 and 2 because this is still not out of the question in my book! But I am glad the sunset is finally getting much needed DT