Around The Railroad

Eureka Yard Improvements Help Reduce Train Delays

January 9, 2008 | 10:28 a.m. CST

Capacity and maintenance projects at Houston's Eureka Yard are helping reduce car dwell and train delays, leading to more fluid train operations on the Terminal Subdivision.

The project's completion enabled UP to close the Hardy Street Yard and sell the 8.85-acre site, while consolidating train operations at Eureka Yard. Since then, car dwell associated with switching delays has decreased 1,440 hours per day for 60 cars, and congestion on the Terminal Subdivision has decreased as train delays dropped 20 hours per week.

The Eureka Yard project included:

• Gang 9116 removed and relaid 4.31 miles of rail.
• Gangs 9118 and 9142 built and installed 12 steel tie turnouts.
• Gang 9106 surfaced and lined the tracks and turnouts.
• New construction built four wood tie turnouts.
• The Houston Service Unit extra gang installed 4,000 ties.

The crews faced several challenges, including Rail South switch gangs that built and installed turnouts to meet the project's deadline, despite vendor and materials issues. Additionally, Curve Gang 9116 was formed specifically for this project, and machinery the crew used was gathered from locations systemwide. The work was completed without injuries and on time.

All of the joints for the project were welded, resulting in Eureka Yard now being joint free.