Part 2: 2026 MOW Spending Report — Class Is

Compiled by Jeff Stagl, Managing Editor

BNSF Railway

MOW (roadway maintenance) budget for 2026: $2.8 billion for maintenance and replacement work; $358 million for capacity and efficiency projects

MOW (roadway maintenance) budget for 2025: $2.8 billion for maintenance and replacement work; $535 million for capacity and efficiency projects

Rail: Replace or install more than 400 track miles of rail.

Double-track or Major track projects: Complete property acquisitions and continue development activities for the planned Barstow International Gateway project in California (includes new rail yard, intermodal facility and warehouses); and continue development and start construction activities for a future intermodal facility in the Phoenix area.

Grinding/surfacing: 13,000 miles of track resurfacing and/or undercutting work.

Ties: Replace or install 2.5 million ties.

Bridge work: Heavy bridge projects in 2026 plan include preparation work for counterweight changeout at Salmon Bay Bridge in Seattle; ongoing work at Jamestown Sub bridge in Bismarck, ND; and replacement work at bridges in Pasco and White Salmon, WA, and Rome and Thayer, IA.*

Facilities: Major line expansion projects include track expansions at yards in Galesburg, IL, and Winslow, AZ, to increase switching capacity and support network service performance and asset (rail cars and locomotives) productivity initiatives. Also, continue to develop Logistics Center North Dallas, a 944-acre industrial park in Gunter, TX, complete in late 2027.**

*Information from BNSF’s presentation at the National Railroad Construction and Maintenance Association’s (NRC) 2026 annual conference held in early January

** Info from press release

Union Pacific Railroad

2026 MOW budget: $1.91 billion

2025 MOW budget: $1.97 billion

Note: Capital targets are based on achieving return-on-investment goals and are subject to change based on weather, traffic changes and other factors.

Rail: Replace or install 277 track miles, all continuous-weld rail (CWR) and jointed rail.

Major rail/track projects: Continued investment focus on yard expansion projects in the Houston area and Gulf Coast to support manifest carload growth, and strategic investments on run-through projects that promote terminal fluidity, work events and service performance on key franchise corridors, such as the Overland, Golden State and Sunset routes. Also, continued mainline investments to increase capacity and train length in the South and Pacific Northwest.

Sidings: Progress construction on 1 new siding and 2 siding extensions.

Grinding/surfacing: Surface about 2,400 miles and grind about 22,000 miles.

Ties: Replace or install about 3.5 million wood, 52,000 switch, 47,000 composite and 8,000 concrete ties.

Ballast: Install about 2.7 million tons.

Bridge work: Replace about 126 bridges and culverts; and renew ties on about 83 open-deck bridges.

Facilities: Replace waterline infrastructure in Chicago and Houston yards, and in Redding and Van Nuys, CA; replace electrical distribution systems in Roseville, CA, Settegast and Port Laredo, TX, and Louisiana; install new compressed air system in Fresno and Englewood, CA; and replace and renew numerous buildings and roofs across the system.

This year, BNSF plans to replace or install more than 400 track miles of rail.

BNSF Railway

CN

MOW (roadway maintenance) budget for 2026: CA$1.64 billion

MOW (roadway maintenance) budget for 2025: CA$1.73 billion

Note: CN plans to invest CA$1.7 billion on track and railway infrastructure maintenance to support safe and efficient operations.

Rail: RReplace or install about 174 miles of rail.

Double-track or Major track projects: onstruct more double track along route from Canadian West Coast to Chicago.*

Sidings: Construct more sidings along route from Canadian West Coast to Chicago, including a 12,000-foot siding in the Vancouver area that is slated for completion by 2027’s end.*

Ties: Replace or install about 1.38 million wood and 28,000 concrete ties.

Bridge work: Continue the Zanardi Bridge project in Prince Rupert, BC, includes the construction of a second, 2-track bridge, complete in 2026 with new bridge entering service in early 2027.*

*Information from cover story on CN in February 2026 issue

CN expects to construct more double track along its route from the Canadian West Coast to Chicago

CN

Norfolk Southern Railway

MOW (roadway maintenance) budget for 2026: $1.4 billion

MOW (roadway maintenance) budget for 2025: $1.4 billion

Rail: Replace or install 500 miles of rail with CWR.

Double-track or Major track projects: Extend lead track in Hagerstown, MD, by 2,100 feet; expand Rickenbacker Intermodal Facility in Columbus, OH; construct tracks for NEGA Inland Port in Gainesville, GA; complete multiple intermodal expansions in Chicago; create double-stack clearance from Chicago to Ayer, MA; expand intermodal facility in Charlotte, NC; improve Howell wye track in Atlanta; and build Scout Motors rail connection in Blythewood, SC.

Sidings: Build 7,000-foot siding in Berry, AL, and extend these 4 sidings in: McDonough, GA, by 15,000 feet; Brantleyville, AL, by 10,000 feet; Wilton, AL, by 7,500 feet; and Austell, GA, by 2,700 feet.

Turnouts/crossovers/special trackwork: Install more than 400 turnouts and construct crossover to third main in Cincinnati.

Grinding/surfacing: Total of 12,500 miles.

Ties: Replace or install 2.15 million wood ties.

Ballast: Install 1.3 million tons.

Bridge work: Budget of $191 million for new and rehab bridge projects.

Facilities: The following are upcoming design/construction projects: intermodal expansions in Detroit and Sharonville, OH; 10 significant paving projects; and 6 auto ramp security gate upgrades.*

MOW equipment to lease/purchase: Total budget of $32 million.

*Information from NS’ presentation at NRC conference

The $1.4 billion that NS has budgeted for MOW in 2026 will fund new track construction, surfacing work, bridge projects and other infrastructure additions and improvements

Norfolk Southern Railway

CSX

MOW (roadway maintenance) budget for 2026: $900 million

MOW (roadway maintenance) budget for 2025: $987 million

Reasons for decrease: Unit cost improvement and fewer tie installations.

Rail: Replace or install 336 miles of new rail and 91 miles of relay rail.

Double-track or Major track projects: Construct a new fourth main in Alexandria, VA; complete the CREATE Project P3 in Chicago; complete elimination of remaining obstructions in the Howard Street tunnel clearance program in Baltimore; build a siding to support the newly constructed Montgomery, AL, inland port; and perform curve realignment to support a speed increase in Wilmington, NC (complete in mid-2026).*

Sidings: Extend siding in Polkton, NC, by 5,200 feet, complete in mid-2026; extend siding in Adairsville, GA, to 14,000 feet, start in fall; extend siding in Ambrose, GA; extend siding in Forestville, TN, to 14,000 feet, start in fall; and rebuild wye track and add siding tracks in Junction City, GA, began in early 2026.*

Turnouts/crossovers/special trackwork: Install 353 new switches and 20 diamonds.

Grinding/surfacing: Grind 16,000 pass miles and surface 14,000 track miles.

Ties: Replace or install 2.12 million wood ties.

Bridge work: Capital program of $152 million, includes replacing and upgrading timber concrete and steel bridges, improving bridge decks, replacing culverts and improving other drainage, and enhancing the reliability and automation of movable bridges.

Facilities: Expect to spend nearly $30 million on facility enhancements, including new yard structures, electrical distribution upgrades in Birmingham and Richmond, and several large-scale building renovations.

MOW equipment to lease/purchase: Total budget of $50 million.

*Information from CSX’s presentation at NRC conference

The MOW agenda for CPKC includes upgrades along its Kansas City-to-Chicago corridor to help improve velocity on the north-south route.

CPKC

CPKC

MOW (roadway maintenance) budget for 2026: C$611 million

MOW (roadway maintenance) budget for 2025: C$633 million*

Note: More than 50% of 2026 C$2.65 billion capital investment is allocated toward safety and replacement initiatives to maintain a safe and efficient network.

Rail: Replace or install 275 track miles of rail.

Major track projects: Complete projects for operational efficiency, including CP-KCS merger-related expansion projects on the core north-south corridor. This work includes CTC upgrades, additional sidings and Kansas City-to-Chicago corridor upgrades that will improve velocity on the north-south route.

Turnouts/crossovers/special trackwork: Install turnouts at 70 locations.

Bridge work: Perform bridge work at 56 locations.

Ties: Replace or install 1.29 million ties.

*Info from 2025 MOW survey

Coming this year for CSX: The construction of a new fourth main track in Alexandria, VA. Shown: The Class I in early 2026 added 3,500 feet of new track to the hump lead at Avon Yard in Indianapolis, extending the lead to 8,000 feet.

CSX

Grupo Mexico Transportes

MOW (roadway maintenance) budget for 2026: $113.2 million MUSD (2026 capex)

MOW (roadway maintenance) budget for 2025: $120.6 million MUSD (2025 capex)

Note: Includes information for Ferrocarril Mexicano S.A. de C.V (FXE), Ferrocarrill del Sureste S.A. de C.V. (FSRR), Florida East Coast Railway (FEC) and Texas Pacifico Transportation Ltd. (TXPF). Most dollar figures in mStable USD (MUSD) currency.

Reasons for decrease: Increase in cost of materials and shipping, waiting for operations performance throughout the year, U.S. policies and rules, and global uncertainty impacting all 4 railroads. Also, exchange rate volatility for FXE and FSRR, and reduced rail relay program for FEC.

Rail: Replace or install 46 miles of CWR and relay rail.

Major track projects: (All projects began in January and will be completed in December) Relay 46,143 ties in Camacho District for FXE along 189 miles, $6.1 MUSD; relay 7,500 ties in Acultzingo District for FSRR along 30 miles, $1.4 MUSD; FSSR rail fastener program, $1.2 MUSD; FEC rail surfacing program, $6.0 MUSD; FXE rail surfacing program, $4.8 MUSD; FSSR rail surfacing program, $700,000 MUSD; FXE rail undercutting program, $4.9 MUSD; and FEC rail undercutting program, entire line, $1.6 MUSD. Also, the following projects for FXE are not included in MOW, began in January and are slated for completion in 2026: Safety program crossings signaling (entire line), overpasses and other work, $37.9 MUSD; Celaya Bypass in Celaya, Guanajuato, operating yard offices, signaling and lighting work, and classification tracks, $16.5 MUSD (Stage 3); Monterrey ByPass in Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, grade crossings signaling, $1.4 MUSD; Port Altamira tracks in Altamira, Tamaulipas, 1.8 miles of new track and track reconfiguration work, $1.2 MUSD; switch construction, rehab and fence work at Torreon Yard boundary in Torreon, Coahuila, $800,000 MUSD; and La Capilla-Ladrillera double track in El Salto, Jalisco, 4.5 miles of new track and 2.7 miles of rehab work, $300,000 MUSD.

Sidings: Work on 5 sidings (all in Mexico) includes Rio Siding, 1.6 miles in Ramos Arizpe, Coahuila; Gregorio Garcia Siding, 0.9 miles in Gomez Palacio, Durango; Bermejillo Siding, 1.43 miles in Mapimi, Durango; Zavalza Siding, 1.6 miles in Jimenez, Chihuahua; and Yermo Siding, 1.2 miles in Mapimi, Durango. Also, the following FXE siding projects are not included in MOW and are slated for completion in 2026: Zacatecas-Camacho enlarge 5 sidings in Zacatecas, Durango and Coahuila states, $35.3 MUSD, complete in December; enlarge Darias Siding in Coahuila state, $10.1 MUSD, complete in June; enlarge Isidro Siding in Zacatecas state, $7.4 MUSD, complete in June; enlarge Symon Siding in Durango state, $2.0 MUSD, complete in June 2026; enlarge La Mancha Siding in Coahuila state, $8.8 MUSD, complete in June; enlarge Mieleras Siding in Coahuila state, $6.8 MUSD, complete in June; enlarge Casa Colorada Siding in Chihuahua state, $400,000 MUSD, complete in December; and enlarge Endho Siding in Tula, Hidalgo, 2.2 miles of new track, $1.0 MUSD, complete in June.

Turnouts/special trackwork: Install turnouts for FEC, perform slope stabilization work for FXE and carryout concrete-tie fastener program (bolt program) for FEC.

Grinding/surfacing: Grind 3,582 miles; surface 8,533 miles.

Ties: Replace or install 32,819 wood and 199,903 concrete ties.

Ballast: Install 310,981 tons.

Bridge work: (All work began in January) Jacksonville bridge project (under design) for FEC, $6.0 MUSD; FSSR bridge maintenance and strength program, entire line, $3.7 MUSD; bridge replacement for FEC, $2.0 MUSD; St. Augustine bridge project for FEC (with FEC contribution), $2.0 MUSD; bridge rehab for TXPF in San Angelo Junction-Alpine, TX, $750,000 MUSD; culverts maintenance and strength program for FEC, entire line, $500,000 MUSD; and FXE bridge maintenance and strength program, enter line, $400,000 MUSD.

Facilities: Locomotive facilities maintenance and strength program for FXE and FSRR; yards maintenance and strength program for FEC; and various work at Mexico yards in Altamira, Campos, Ciudad Obregon, Guadalajara, Hermosillo, Mexicali, Nogales, Tepalcates, Torreon and Veracruz.

Also, the following facility projects for FXE are not included in MOW and are slated for completion in 2026: intermodal terminal platform construction in Silao, Guanajuato, $3.7 MUSD; Mexicali, Baja California, $1.5 MUSD; and Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, $700,000 MUSD.

MOW equipment to lease or purchase: Ballast regulator, cranes, crane devices and accessories, excavator, MOW rail cars, rail lubricators, tie inserting machine and UGMS on locomotives (inspection equipment).