UP invested $275 million to support Southern California growth

Union Pacific Railroad has invested more than $275 million over the past five years to upgrade and expand its intermodal infrastructure in the Los Angeles Basin area to provide customers access to key U.S. markets, including Houston and Chicago.

Additional investments are underway or planned in coming years, UP officials said in a website post. The Class I plans to add more than 1 million units in lift capability to its intermodal terminal ramps over the next few years, with a significant portion of growth anticipated in the L.A. Basin.

In addition to the $275 million, UP is investing in other infrastructure upgrades in Southern California, including investments in the Lance M. Fritz Inland Empire Intermodal Terminal to increase capacity and provide quicker customer service.

“Our investment strategies in Southern California underscore our commitment to improving network fluidity,” said Eric Gehringer, UP’s executive vice president of operations.

In August, UP renamed its Inland Empire Intermodal Terminal in Bloomington, California, the Lance M. Fritz Inland Empire Intermodal Terminal to honor its former CEO. The Class I’s intermodal footprint expanded under the leadership of Fritz, who retired in August after serving as as chairman, president and CEO for more than eight years. His UP career spanned 23 years.