“Our infrastructure is strong and robust. Our efforts to normalize our maintenance investment have positioned us to replace the right assets at the right locations at the right time,” said Carl Ice, BNSF president and chief executive officer. “This allows our maintenance investment to be at similar levels year-to-year.”
Approximately $500 million of this year’s capital plan is for expansion and efficiency projects, the majority focused on key growth areas along BNSF’s Southern and Northern trans-continental routes, connecting Southern California with Chicago and the Pacific Northwest to Upper Midwest, respectively. The Fort Worth-based company has also allocated $100 million for Positive Train Control as it moves toward meeting the Dec. 31, 2018 implementation deadline.
The railroad said it is the only Class 1 freight carrier to have completed the installation of PTC on all its federally-mandated subdivisions and is currently running hundreds of trains daily with PTC as it tests revenue service across its mandated territory.
The company also plans to spend $300 million for freight cars and other equipment acquisitions.
Since 2000, BNSF has invested more than $60 billion in its network.
