TXNW wraps up Texas rail interchange upgrades

The Texas North Western Railway Co. (TXNW), a subsidiary of TNW Corp. of Dallas, has completed significant infrastructure upgrades in Etter, Moore County, Texas, due in part to a $4.1 million Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements (CRISI) grant from the Federal Railroad Administration.

The CRISI grant covered half of the expenses for the Etter improvement project, which rebuilt, reconfigured and extended TXNW's rail interchange to eliminate a significant operation bottleneck, TXNW officials said in a press release. The completed project means the interchange can handle longer and heavier trains.

Upgrades include the relocation of new turnouts and construction of new crossovers to improve the fluidity of interchange operations between TXNW and BNSF Railway Co.'s Boise City subdivision. TXNW installed dual-tone multifrequency power-controlled switches, which has reduced manual operations, improved crew safety and operational efficiency. The railroad also extended sidings to allow for assembly and disassembly of full-length unit trains and upgraded structures to allow for railcars weighing up to 286,000 pounds.

As part of the project, TXNW made improvements to grade crossings, including upgrading active warning devices, adding new swing gates and extending advance warning times, TXNW officials said.

TXNW will host a ribbon-cutting ceremony in late August to commemorate the project's completion.