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Show Railroad to increase capacity Ir vy. Pacific picks up coal trains from connecting railroads. Tracks are being extended and rearranged at Milford and Caliente. Extensive track work is projected in the Las Vegas area to expedite trains in and out of the Southern Nevada Terminal. JL In Southern California work is planned at several locations, especially in Union Pacific's main terminal in east Los Angeles and on the connectine line between that terminal and the harbor area at Long Beach and San Pedro. Additionally, several other significant capacitv-increasine f . - projects on U.P.'.s Utah-California Utah-California line are being studied as a continuing effort to keep pace with operating reauirements. The expansion projects are in addition to Union Pacific's normal track and roadway maintenance program. U.P. is spending a record $111 million systemwide (his year on roadway improvements alone. SALT LAKE CITY -Union Pacific Railroad has launched a $22 million program to increase the capacity of its main line between Utah and southern California. The primary reason is the growth in coal and grain bound for export to Pacific Rim countries through harbor facilities in southern California. Utah coal train traffic, for example, has grown from a few test shipments last fall to more than 350 trains since December. Union Pacific moved 310 grain trains last year to Long Beach and San Diego, up from 215 the year before. "This represents a tremendous growth in new business over this line," said R. E. Irion, general manager of UP's South Central District. "The sharp increase in the number of trains moving over this line, coupled with the expected continued increase in export coal shipments, dictated a major expansion program at this time," he said. He said five years ago 10-15 trains a day over the line was considered normal. This spring the line has been handling upwards of 25 trains a day. A major part of the expansion program is a new $9.3 million freight classification yard halfway between Las Vegas and Los Angeles at Yerma, Calif. The rail facility will speed train handling at Los Angeles and Salt Lake City. Construction is under way with completion expected by October. Increased frequency and length of trains have called for increasing the length of seven existing sidings as well as installation of five new ones. Where possible, sidings will be extended from an average of 5,000 feet to 6,000 feet. The cost of the extension work ranges from $130,000 to $657,000 at each location. Construction of the new sidings will cost up to $1.9 million in the case of one difficult location in the canyon near Caliente, Nev. High-speed cross-overs have been installed at two Utah locations to expedite train movements. "These improvements will help us keep our hot-shot trains, such as the 'Super Van' on their tight schedules and still run the slower heavy grain and coal trains," Irion said. Terminal and yard trackage is being expanded and modified at Provo, where Union f wmmmmm imiiiwiiii ilimwp Cedar City officials finalize the purchase of Savemore Service in front of the station. The City will replace the station with a parking lot as part of the redevelopment project. Pictured (left to right) are Lee Fife, City councilman; Jack Sawyers, Mayor; Itamona Edwards, owner; Jim Kdwards, owner; Harold lliskey, City councilman, and Joe Moiling, City manager. |