BNSF invests $124 million in Montana
<p>A BNSF freight train heads east toward Marias Pass.</p>
BNSF Railway will spend $124 million this year in capital improvements in Montana, the Fort Worth, Texas-based company announced last week.
The maintenance program in Montana will include 1,227 miles of track surfacing and undercutting work, replacing 52 miles of rail and about 345,000 ties, as well as signal upgrades for federally-mandated positive train control.
“This year’s substantial investments in Montana 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 Dan Fransen, BNSF general manager operations Montana Division.
Much of the Montana work is focused near the Glasgow subdivision on the Hi-Line where crews will begin grading for four miles of double track. Work is expected to wrap up in 2016.
When the Glasgow project is complete there will be 114 miles of double track from North Dakota to Montana.
The Montana improvements are part of BNSF’s record $6 billion in capital commitment for 2015.
The Berkshire Hathaway-owned railroad company will spend $1.4 billion for locomotives, freight cars and other equipment acquisitions, while $200 million will be spent on implementation of PTC.
About 35 trains per day move through Whitefish, according to BNSF.