BNSF to invest $3.57B for rail network maintenance, expansion

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The BNSF Railway Company has announced that 2019 will yield $3.57 billion of investment into the maintenance and expansion of its network.

Much of this will be focused on replacing BNSF’s primary network and affiliated assets, though maintenance takes the bulk of funds, at $2.47 billion. Rail will be replaced and upgraded, along with ballast and rail ties, and money will be put toward maintaining rolling stock. To date, the company says it has invested around $65 billion into its network over the last 19 years. In the year to come, around 12,000 miles of track surfacing or undercutting work will be pursued, and 535 miles of rail replaced.

“Our rail network is in excellent shape and its condition is a direct result of our continued capital investments,” BNSF President and CEO Carl Ice said. “We work tirelessly to provide the level of service our customers expect and to position ourselves well for future growth opportunities.”

Of the remaining funds, approximately $760 million will go to expansion efforts, much of them focused on northern and southern routes connecting Southern California with Chicago and the Pacific Northwest to Upper Midwest, respectively. The remaining $340 million will go to the acquisition of various equipment, including freight cars and locomotives.