Around The Railroad
UP Restores, Relocates Historic Mural
October 13, 2009 | 10:15 a.m. CDT
The city of Pocatello, Idaho, is enjoying another piece of its heritage thanks to Union Pacific, which is partnering with the city to publically display a mural depicting Chief Pocatello.
Chief Pocatello was the leader of the Shoshoni during the mid-1800s. In the late 1870s, he granted a right of way, allowing the Utah and Northern Railway to extend across the Fort Hall Indian Reservation. The city of Pocatello, founded along the railroad during this time, is named for him.
The 5-by-15 foot mural hung in UP's depot – which is not open to the public – for more than 50 years. Now, it's proudly displayed in Idaho State University's Stephens Performing Arts Center.
"Years ago, when Pocatello had passenger service, every single person coming into and out of the depot would see the mural. It brings back memories for a lot of people, and it is a piece of the city's history," said Dan Harbeke, director-public affairs. "Once passenger service stopped, the depot was closed to the public and the mural was never moved."
Prior to hanging the mural at its new location, UP worked with local experts to restore the painting to its original beauty.
About 100 people were on hand for the mural's unveiling Oct. 1, including some of Chief Pocatello's descendents.
"I think it's good that the Chief is being recognized at this time, because in the past he hasn't really been given any sort of recognition," said Nancy Nacki, a descendent of Chief Pocatello.
FRA: Freight Rail Fuel Efficiency Up
Nov. 20, 2009 | 03:05 p.m. CST
The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) Nov. 19 released a study showing vast improvements in freight rail fuel efficiency over the last two decades, approximately 22 percent between 1990 and 2006. More...
Freight Volume Down During Holiday Week
Nov. 20, 2009 | 02:55 p.m. CST
U.S. railroads reported originating 281,218 carloads for the Veterans Day holiday week ended Nov. 14, down 8.9 percent compared to the same week in 2008 and down 17 percent from from the same week in 2007, reports the Association of American Railroads. More...
New Jersey Transit Joins Safety Pilot Program
Nov. 20, 2009 | 02:40 p.m. CST
New Jersey Transit has started its participation in the Close Call Project, a safety pilot program designed to give rail employees the ability to voluntarily and anonymously report "close call" incidents that could have resulted in an accident but did not. More...
STB: Rails Cut More Jobs
Nov. 18, 2009 | 02:00 p.m. CST
The U.S. lines of the seven Class I railroads trimmed another 408 jobs as of mid-October from a month earlier, taking their total employment level down to a new low. More...
More Stories...
UPOnline is produced by Union Pacific, Employee Communications Department, 1400 Douglas St., STOP 1550, Omaha, NE 68179. Readers with story ideas or comments on published stories can contact the editors through the Story Comments/Ideas page. General comments about the railroad, its operations or policies should be submitted using the Feedback page.
Union Pacific Railroad stores, processes, and disseminates a tremendous amount of critical data. Loss, damage, or disclosure of this data could result in a significant business or monetary loss to the company. With a commitment to deliver high-quality products and services to our customers at a competitive price, it is imperative to ensure the integrity and confidentiality of data through the use of effective data-security controls.