OREANDA-NEWS. BNSF Railway Company (BNSF) plans to invest an estimated USD 100 million on maintenance and rail capacity expansion projects in California this year.

BNSF's 2013 capacity enhancement projects in California include preliminary design work for the Southern California International Gateway. This facility will eliminate millions of truck miles from the 710 Freeway. It will feature electric, wide-span cranes, ultra-low emission switching locomotives and low-emission rail yard equipment.

BNSF will also expand its automotive facility in San Bernardino by adding parking and track to support growth in new automobile traffic, and will construct a connection track between BNSF and Union Pacific main lines in the Richmond area.

BNSF will continue its robust track maintenance program in California, which will include 2,300 miles of track surfacing and undercutting work, the replacement of more than 100 miles of rail and more than 300,000 railroad ties, as well as signal upgrades for federally mandated positive train control (PTC).

The planned capital investments in California 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 \\$1 billion on locomotive, freight car and other equipment acquisitions, many of which will serve California. 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.