BNSF lays out 2019 capital investment plan

More than two-thirds of the Class I railroad’s $3.57 billion plan is going toward railroad maintenance.    BNSF Railway Company announced last week its 2019 $3.57 billion capital investment plan, which continued an emphasis on maintaining and expanding its network.
   A little more than two-thirds of the plan — about $2.47 billion — is going toward railroad maintenance, which includes maintaining its rolling stock, replacing and upgrading rail as well as track infrastructure such as ballast and rail ties. The plan will include about 12,000 miles of track surfacing and/or undercutting work and the replacement of 535 miles of rail and 2.3 million rail ties.
   Roughly $760 million has been allocated for expansion and efficiency projects, such as expansion of the Northern and Southern Transcon routes, which connect Southern California with Chicago and the Pacific Northwest to the upper Midwest, respectively.
   Approximately $340 million of the plan is for freight cars, locomotives and other equipment acquisition.
   BNSF’s 2019 plan is a slight increase from last year’s $3.4 billion capital program. Since 2000, the company said it has invested $65 billion in its network.
   The Feb. 13 investment plan announcement came about two weeks after the Class I railroad reported investments from customers served by the freight rail provider totaled nearly $3 billion in 2018. The figure reflected large investments from customers including Kubota Tractor Corporation, WinChill, Dolese Bros. Co. and Dakota Plains. The new developments supported commodities such as agriculture, consumer products, frozen meat, sand, aggregates and paper.