OREANDA-NEWS. BNSF Railway Company (BNSF) plans to invest an estimated USD 210 million on maintenance and rail capacity expansion projects in Missouri this year.

BNSF will enhance capacity by extending a siding at Jeff, Missouri to 10,000 feet, and by improving a bridge over the Missouri River near St. Louis.

BNSF will continue its robust track maintenance program in Missouri, which will include more than 3,500 miles of track surfacing and undercutting work, the replacement of 195 miles of rail, and almost 390,000 ties, as well as significant signal upgrades for federally mandated positive train control (PTC).

The planned capital investments in Kansas are part of BNSF's record 2013 capital commitment of USD 4.3 billion. The largest component of the capital plan is spending USD 2.3 billion on BNSF's core network and related assets. BNSF also plans to spend approximately USD 1 billion on locomotive, freight car and other equipment acquisitions, many of which will serve Kansas. The program also includes about USD 200 million for positive train control and USD 800 million for terminal, line and intermodal expansion and efficiency projects.

Unlike other modes of transportation, U.S. freight railroads use their own private dollars, not tax dollars, to build and maintain their freight rail networks. Since the year 2000, BNSF has invested more than USD 42 billion to improve and expand its freight rail network.