BNSF replacing railroad ties in Grand Forks

Piles of recently removed railroad ties were bunched along railroad tracks near DeMers Avenue west of 42nd Avenue in Grand Forks on Tuesday as workers prepared the tracks for new ties.

Crews are working to replace railroad ties in the Grand Forks area as part of an ongoing maintenance project, according to BNSF spokesperson Amy McBeth.

The project, which will replace roughly 18,000 railroad ties, began in the Fisher, Minn., area this month and has moved west. The Grand Forks area work is to be complete by the end of the week.

Workers in orange vests performed maintenance on a three-to-four-mile stretch extending west from 42nd Street on Tuesday. Matt Moreland, a section foreman for BNSF in Grand Forks, said the work must be complete before the ground freezes.

Moreland estimated that 50 to 60 workers were in the area for BNSF on Tuesday.

McBeth said the lifetime of railroad ties varies, depending upon moisture and a number of other factors.

Schuster can be reached at (701) 780-1107; (800) 477-6572, ext. 107, or email rschuster@gfherald.com.

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