Projects include ties, new rails between East Glacier, Whitefish

BNSF Railway Co. will replace 7,000 ties and 11 miles of rail between Whitefish and East Glacier this year as part of a $180 million capital improvement program.

Upgrading signals for the federally mandated positive train control along the railroad’s Hi-Line route across the state is another part of the improvement program.

BNSF’s maintenance program in Montana will include more than 950 miles of track surfacing or undercutting work, the replacement of 120 miles of rail and around 285,000 railroad ties.

Some of the improvements will be made along the railroad’s southern route. This year’s capital projects also include installing a centralized traffic control signaling project and a siding extension on the Dickinson subdivision (between Glendive and Wibaux) as well as extending three sidings and installing control signaling along the Forsyth subdivision, according to a press release.

This year’s planned improvements follow more than $500 million invested by BNSF in Montana over the past three years.

BNSF spokesman Matt Jones said freight volumes are lower than previously forecast in a number of the company’s business sectors.

“As a result we are having to adjust our work-force demand numbers down to match volume and the work required to move that volume,” Jones said. “As part of that, unfortunately, we have temporarily furloughed some of our employees at different locations across our network.”

Jones said he did not have current employment numbers for the Whitefish area, but the company employs more than 2,000 statewide.

Companywide, BNSF employs more than 48,000 workers in 28 states and three Canadian provinces. Its total operating revenue in 2014 was $23 billion.

The 2016 capital investments in Montana are part of BNSF’s $4.3 billion network-wide capital expenditure program announced last month. These investments include $2.8 billion to replace and maintain core network and related assets, approximately $500 million on expansion and efficiency projects, $300 million for continued implementation of positive train control and more than $600 million for locomotives, freight cars and other equipment acquisitions.

About 30 to 35 trains currently pass through Whitefish each day.