BNSF Railway laid out the specifics of its plans to improve its tracks in North Dakota and other nearby states Friday.
The largest railroad operator in North Dakota plans to invest about $400 million here this year. That will include completing construction of a second mainline track between Minot and Glasgow, Mont. to expand rail capacity.
The plans also include adding new sidings, or tracks adjacent to the mainline track to expand capacity by enabling more trains to meet and pass each other. Those will be added between Fargo and Grand Forks, Fargo and Minot, Bismarck and Glendive, Mont., and Minot and Grand Forks.
Finally, BNSF said it will upgrade to a centralized traffic control signal system to improve train movements between Bismarck and Fargo.
Maintenance projects include surfacing and undercutting of more than 930 miles of track, replacing about 110 miles of rail and replacing more than 330,000 ties.
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The North Dakota improvements are part of a $1 billion capital spending plan throughout BNSF’s northern corridor, which includes North Dakota, Minnesota, Montana, Illinois, and Washington.
