Union Pacific reopens Dry Canyon Bridge (updated)

Train crossing bridge next to construction equipment

WEED, Calif. — Union Pacific has reopened the Dry Canyon Bridge a month ahead of its original estimate, allowing the railroad to resume operations on its I-5 Corridor line between California and the Pacific Northwest. The railroad initially estimated the bridge would not be completed until Sept. 1, but last week said it could be […]

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‘California Zephyr’ route closed by Colorado mudslides

Man unloads luggage from Superliner car

GLENWOOD SPRINGS, Colo. — Massive mudslides have washed out Union Pacific’s former Denver & Rio Grande Western route through Glenwood Canyon, east of Glenwood Springs, while also blocking part of adjacent Interstate 70. The slides not only have disrupted Amtrak’s California Zephyrs, which normally pass in the area between crew change points in Denver and […]

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Wildfire disruptions continue in West; Union Pacific sees earlier reopening for I-5 corridor

Map showing long reroute required for BNSF trains because of fire closure

Union Pacific’s Feather River Canyon route in Northern California has been shut down by wildfires, but the railroad says its main north-south route on the West Coast, the I-5 corridor, could reopen sooner than original estimates. Meanwhile, BNSF’s Inside Gateway route, which makes use of use of part of the UP Feather River route, also […]

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News photo: UP fire train at Keddie Wye

Men spraying water off train on bridge under smoky skies

Union Pacific has posted photos to its Facebook, Twitter, and other social media accounts showing a firefighting train at work on the bridge at the famous Keddie Wye on its ex-Western Pacific Feather River Canyon route, with the message: “Thanks to our crews on our fire trains, working tirelessly to help control fires in northern […]

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Union Pacific plans to end container embargo after one week

LOS ANGELES — Union Pacific will resume international container shipments to Chicago from the West Coast at the end of its current seven-day suspension of such service, CEO Lance Fritz told Reuters on Thursday. “We’re starting to see containers clear, so I anticipate in the seven-day period … we should get back down to a […]

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Union Pacific reports record financial results

Train rounds curve in late afternoon sunlight

OMAHA, Neb. — Union Pacific reported record financial results on Thursday, including new marks for operating income, net income, earnings per share, and operating ratio. “We pulled all three profitability levers simultaneously: volume, price, and productivity,” CEO Lance Fritz told investors and analysts on the railroad’s earnings call. The railroad improved its outlook and now expects […]

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News photo: Rocky Mountainteer test run in Colorado

Two yellow locomotives leading blue, gold, and white passenger cars

ARVADA, Colo. — Two leased Union Pacific locomotives lead a Rocky Mountaineer trainset through Arvada on Tuesday as the train made the fourth of eight test trips for familiarizing crews and onboard employees before the launch of the company’s new “Rockies to Red Rocks” service between Denver and Moab, Utah. The locomotives have been leased […]

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BNSF restricts flow of containers from LA and Long Beach to Chicago

Container train passing under bridge

  FORT WORTH, Texas — BNSF Railway is limiting the flow of international containers from the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach to its Logistics Park Chicago intermodal terminal for two weeks to work off a backlog of boxes that have built up in the Windy City. “BNSF is metering traffic from the West Coast […]

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‘Starlight’ saga: Sales stopped while previous reservation holders are contacted

Passenger train stopped at station platform

LOS ANGELES — Amtrak’s Coast Starlight began operating as Los Angeles-Sacramento, Calif., and Seattle-Klamath Falls, Ore., sections linked by an overnight bus ride as of Friday, July 16, but travelers haven’t been able to make new reservations, even on the unaffected parts of the route. The Seattle-Klamath Falls portion had been dropped after a wildfire […]

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Flooding triggers derailment, shutting down Union Pacific line in Utah (updated)

Map showing location of UP washout

MILFORD, Utah — A derailment caused by flooding has added to the operational issues being faced by Union Pacific. The railroad informed customers on Friday that washouts resulting from flooding south of Milford, Utah, have shut down its route between Los Angeles and Salt Lake City — washouts that led to the derailment of a […]

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