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Continuing a string of announcements on planned 2012 capital spending in certain states, BNSF Railway Co. has issued three press releases showing a combined budget of about $306 million for track maintenance and rail capacity projects in California, Minnesota and North Dakota.
 
Per a $120 million budget in California, the Class I plans to install an automated gate system at its Hobart intermodal facility near Los Angeles to increase the velocity of container/trailer processing. The railroad also will surface and undercut 786 miles of track, replace 40 miles of rail and about 377,000 ties, and upgrade signals for positive train control (PTC) implementation work.

Per a $100 million budget in Minnesota, the railroad plans to upgrade sidings to increase train speeds and upgrade signals for PTC work, as well as surface and undercut 1,817 miles of track, and replace 42 miles of rail and about 325,000 ties.

And in North Dakota, per an $86 million budget, BNSF plans to raise track at Devils Lake via a project funded by the Class I, Amtrak and state. In addition, the railroad will surface and undercut 1,232 miles of track, replace 67 miles of rail and about 122,000 ties, and upgrade signals for PTC work.

The projects are part of BNSF’s $3.9 billion capital spending budget for 2012, which includes $1.1 billion for rolling stock and equipment acquisitions; $400 million for terminal, line and intermodal expansion and efficiency projects; and $300 million for PTC work.