Scott Moore: Union Pacific is investing in Utah for the next 150 years

For over 150 years, Union Pacific Railroad has shared a proud history with Utah. Today, we manage approximately 1,300 track miles with over 1,000 local employees.

As home to our Rocky Mountain Service Unit that oversees more than 5,600 track miles in seven states, Utah serves as a vital crossroads in our 23-state network moving metals, minerals, manufactured products, vehicles, and other commodities nationwide. From 2016 to 2020, we invested more than $300 million to strengthen Utah’s transportation infrastructure. But we’re not stopping there.

As one of the nation’s largest freight railroads, it is Union Pacific’s responsibility to function as environmental stewards, working toward a more sustainable future across our system and in Utah. We are committed to a cleaner future, supporting technology development that improves air quality and operational efficiency.

It’s clear rail transportation plays a central role in the nation’s climate solution. Rail is the most fuel-efficient way to move cargo over land, reducing greenhouse gas emissions by up to 75%, and 3-4 times more fuel efficient, on average, compared to trucks.

Building on this environmental advantage, Union Pacific is making significant investments across our system. Since 2011, we’ve invested roughly $3.4 billion to purchase more than 1,300 new locomotives, while retiring about 2,500 older and less fuel-efficient units.

In Utah, most of our switcher fleet are rebuilt locomotives that significantly reduce emissions over previous units. Over the next few months, we will phase out the final three Tier 0 locomotives, our oldest, and replace them with more environmentally efficient Tier 0+ or Tier 2 units. The Tier 0+ locomotives reduce emissions of NOx and PM2.5 by 16% and 63% respectively versus the Tier 0 counterparts.

We’ve also invested in “mother slug” sets, which replace two locomotives with one, offering environmental benefits and achieving fuel and maintenance savings. In 2020, we began using these switchers in Utah, reducing fuel consumption by 44% and yielding a 20-30% reduction in emissions.

Last year, with the release of our first Climate Action Plan, Union Pacific became the only Class 1 railroad in the U.S. to commit to a goal of net-zero emissions by 2050. This is in addition to our previous pledge to achieve an absolute reduction in our greenhouse gas emissions by 26% from 2018 levels by 2030.

In January, we announced the largest investment in battery-electric technology by a U.S. Class 1 railroad, with the purchase of 20 battery-electric locomotives for testing in yard operations. For every 10 battery-electric locomotives used, approximately 4,000 tons of carbon will be eliminated annually, the equivalent of removing 800 cars from the highway. By working with the locomotive manufacturers, we plan to advance battery-electric technology development and its potential deployment in long-haul service.

If these pilot battery locomotives prove to be effective units that can stand the test of rail yard operations, we will begin to place them across our system, including in Utah.

Beyond our responsibility to contributing to a cleaner environment, we are committed to Utah communities. Through the Community Ties Giving Program, we proudly support local nonprofit organizations, providing more than $1.2 million from 2017-2021.

While we are proud of our history and partnership in Utah, we know there is more work to be done. We are committed to collaborating with our communities to achieve a better tomorrow.

Scott Moore is senior vice president – corporate relations and chief administrative officer for Union Pacific.