Table of Contents
A Green Railroad
Did you know that railroads are one of the most environmentally friendly modes of freight transportation? It's true. Freight trains are three times more fuel-efficient than over-the-road trucks and have less of an impact on air emissions than trucks.
Did You Know…Trains are 3 times cleaner than trucks on a ton-mile basis. |
Union Pacific is continually improving its fuel efficiency through better locomotive technology, engineer training and employee involvement.
The result: Since 1995, UP has achieved a more than 12 percent improvement in fuel efficiency. In 2006 alone, Union Pacific saved more than 50 million gallons of diesel fuel.
At the same time, Union Pacific's new transportation plan increases traffic flow and asset utilization. Both have a big impact on lowering fuel consumption.
Green Technology
As North America's largest railroad, Union Pacific is aggressively working to become even "cleaner and greener" – and technology is playing an important role.
Did You Know…If just 10 percent of the freight moved by highway were diverted to rail, the nation could save as much as 200 million gallons of fuel annually. |
There are three sets – or tiers – of locomotive emission standards set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which are progressively more stringent. Over time, these standards require continuing reductions in locomotive exhaust emissions of nitrogen oxide and particulate matter.
With nearly 55 percent of its locomotives certified under existing EPA Tier 0, Tier 1 and Tier 2 standards, UP owns the cleanest fleet in the nation, using technology to further reduce fuel consumption and diesel engine exhaust-related emissions.
Railroads are committed to substantial reductions in atmospheric emissions. They endorse an EPA proposal that calls for a 60 percent reduction in nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions from locomotives manufactured beginning in 2005.
The Long Haul
There are two primary types of locomotives at Union Pacific – high-horsepower locomotives that pull freight over long distances, and switch locomotives that stay in train yards, sorting inbound cars and assembling outbound cars.
Union Pacific has been working with two manufacturers to field-test new, high-horsepower locomotives that surpass the EPA's most stringent emission standards. UP was able to test the locomotives under severe operating conditions before the locomotives went into production. Since 2000, more than 2,600 new fuel-efficient, long-haul, high-horsepower locomotives have been added to Union Pacific’s fleet. More than 1,700 older locomotives were retired, and more than 1,700 locomotive diesel engines were overhauled or rebuilt.
The Oxicat
In December 2006, Union Pacific began a year-long field test in the Los Angeles area of a new emission-reduction device for older locomotives. In collaboration with the Environmental Protection Agency, Union Pacific is providing a 3,800-horsepower SD60M locomotive built in January 1992, to serve as the first freight locomotive in North America to be equipped with a set of oxidation catalysts or "Oxicat" converter devices. As the diesel engine's exhaust flows through these converters, microscopic particles – known as "particulate matter" – generated by the diesel combustion process will be converted into water and carbon dioxide.
The Diesel Particulate Filter
In a similar experiment, a 1,500-horsepower yard switching locomotive built in November 1982, also provided by Union Pacific, has been retrofitted with a diesel particulate filter or "DPF." The DPF initiative is the result of a 4-year program, funded in part by Union Pacific, to assess clean-engine technologies for locomotive applications.
The DPF acts as a filter that uses high-temperature silicon carbide blocks to trap particulate matter in the exhaust. As the gases containing the carbon particles accumulate, the device periodically heats the carbon, causing it to ignite and burn off as water and carbon dioxide.
The Short Haul
Two new environmentally friendly switching locomotives will be significantly "cleaner and greener" than required by current EPA locomotive emissions standards. In addition, the California Air Resources Board has designated them as "ultra-low-emitting locomotives."
The Green Goat
To reduce emissions in the train yard, Union Pacific tested the world's first diesel-battery hybrid switch locomotive in early 2002. The "Green Goat" is similar in concept to the Toyota Prius automobile, which relies on both a gasoline engine and on a battery-powered electric motor.
The Green Goat, however, depends entirely on its large, onboard storage batteries, which are charged by a small diesel engine, to provide all propulsion power. The Green Goat hybrid locomotive is estimated to reduce emissions of nitrogen oxide and particulate matter by up to 80, and reduce fuel consumption by at least 16 percent, compared to a conventional switch locomotive.
Union Pacific tested the original prototype Green Goat locomotive for 12 months during 2002 and 2003 at Roseville, California, and Melrose Park, Illinois, and acquired its first Green Goat hybrid locomotive in March 2005. The locomotive is in daily switching service in Union Pacific’s yard in Fresno, California. Ten units are serving the Houston and Dallas-Fort Worth yards. An additional 12 Green Goat locomotives are being manufactured for Union Pacific, to serve the Los Angeles area.
The Genset
Union Pacific also is pioneering another low-emissions switch locomotive, the "Genset Switcher." This prototype uses modified, low-emissions EPA-certified "off-road" diesel engines (derived from low-emissions, truck-style diesel engines) and was delivered to the railroad in late 2005.
Like the Green Goat hybrid, the Genset is expected to reduce emission of nitrogen oxide and particulate matter by up to 80 percent and achieve a similar 16 percent reduction in fuel consumption. In 2007, some 150 Gensets are scheduled to begin service.
ALECS
Also in 2006, Union Pacific partnered with the EPA, the California Air Resources Board and other local, state and federal agencies for a pilot test of the Advanced Locomotive Emissions Control System (ALECS) at J.R. Davis Rail Yard in Roseville, California.
An experimental technology, ALECS includes a stationary emissions treatment unit that is connected to diesel locomotives with flexible ducts, and a hood designed to fit over and attach to the exhaust stacks. Diesel-related emissions are then captured and treated, rather than being released into the air. Test results on the system's effectiveness are pending.
Locomotive Idling
Union Pacific continues to reduce locomotive engine idling.
In a railroad operating environment, locomotive engines may be kept idling for several reasons: In a yard, they idle between work events; on the main line, they idle while meeting or passing other trains; in cold temperatures, they idle to keep their fuel and water lines from freezing.
The railroad has developed a comprehensive plan to reduce the amount of time locomotive engines idle. Part of the plan involves using automatic start-stop equipment to eliminate unnecessary idling time. Older locomotives are being retrofitted with this technology, called "Automatic Engine Stop-Start" (AESS). Manufacturers apply the technology to new locomotives before they are delivered to Union Pacific. Approximately 34 percent (3,000) of Union Pacific's locomotive fleet is now equipped with AESS technology.
A campaign is under way to reinforce shutdown requirements with employees, emphasizing the impact they can have on fuel conservation and diesel emissions by reducing engine idling.
The Green Routine
We believe that a greener world sometimes demands a shift in how we do our business. Changes in our day-to-day operations are having a real "green" effect on our railroad.
Did You Know…One double-stack train can haul as much as 280 trucks. |
Reduce, Recycle, Renew
Union Pacific's comprehensive waste reduction and recycling program touches nearly every part of the company.
Concerted efforts are being made to address high-volume items such as wooden track ties, used oil and e-waste.
Crossties
Whenever possible, wooden track ties that are no longer needed are refurbished for use elsewhere in the UP system. Ties not used internally are sold to contractors. In addition, Union Pacific has been using concrete ties for more than 10 years and continues to add concrete ties to its system. Concrete is more durable in high-tonnage, high-traffic areas and requires less maintenance than wood. Because concrete lasts longer, it generates less waste. Plastic ties are also being investigated as an alternative to wood ties; several test applications are in place in Louisiana.
Fuel and Oil
Union Pacific's standard operating equipment for fueling and locomotive-maintenance activities includes automatic fuel-nozzle shutoffs to prevent overflows, drip pans to catch spills, separators to recover oil from industrial wastewater, tank gauges and alarms. On-board retention tanks capture residual oil from locomotive engines for proper disposal. In addition, recycling used oil is a high priority at Union Pacific. One hundred percent of the oil captured at fueling and servicing facilities is recycled.
E-waste
E-waste is generally characterized as computers and computer monitors, televisions, cell phones, DVDs, VCRs and audio equipment, and is one of the world's fastest-growing sources of waste.
As the use of electronic devices for personal and business use continues to grow, so does the amount of e-waste. At Union Pacific, any electronic equipment no longer needed is evaluated to determine if it can be recycled, reused or rebuilt. The company has recycled more than 293,000 pounds of electronic equipment and nearly 6 million pounds of batteries since 2003.
Prevention
Running a green operation demands constant vigilance and forward thinking to safeguard our environment. Here are a few examples:
Spill Prevention
Spill Prevention Control and Countermeasure (SPCC) plans have been prepared and implemented at 145 Union Pacific facilities. SPCC plans identify inspections, maintenance and response requirement for facilities that store, transfer and use oil products. The plans are designed to prevent releases of oil to the environment.
Wastewater
Union Pacific operates and maintains numerous wastewater treatment facilities across its system.
The facilities are designed to capture and process wastewater from UP fueling and maintenance operations. The wastewater is treated to a quality standard set by the regulating agency authority. The treated wastewater is then either discharged to surface waters, i.e., adjacent rivers or streams, or transferred to publicly owned treatment works to receive additional treatment prior to surface discharge.
Union Pacific has implemented and maintains Stormwater Pollution Prevention plans at all facilities where maintenance and fueling of locomotives and rail cars occurs. These plans identify inspections, maintenance and best-management practices to ensure the stormwater that contacts our facilities is not contaminated.
Monitoring and Inspections
Inspections and ongoing monitoring are proactive examples of Union Pacific's commitment to the environment.
For example, one employee team in Omaha tracks all rail cars containing chemicals that are time-sensitive. UP was the first railroad to monitor, on a daily basis, every time-sensitive shipment. If a rail car appears to be delayed en route to its destination, this team initiates a series of actions to ensure safe arrival of the material in the designated time period.
Inspections are also performed regularly on source areas and operations that generate air emissions, industrial wastewaters and storm-water runoff, and/or that store hazardous waste and petroleum products.
At UP, periodic testing is performed on locomotive fuel storage tanks and underground petroleum pipelines to ensure container integrity and prevent releases of fuel or oil into the environment.
Customers and Employees
Working with Customers
It's a common misconception that trains made up of tank cars and other rail equipment are owned by the railroad.
In fact, for the most part, Union Pacific owns only the locomotive; customers own the cars. Therefore, Union Pacific works closely with customers on training issues related to protecting the content by properly securing cars that contain hazardous materials. Hundreds of cars are randomly selected for inspection each month throughout UP's system. Although not required by any rule or regulation, Union Pacific believes these regular, proactive examinations can help identify defective cars, and provide opportunities for the training needed to reduce accidents and spills.
Union Pacific also recognizes customers who maintain zero releases of hazardous materials from their cars each year, while offering separate awards for customers demonstrating excellence in their billing procedures. Billing accuracy is critical, because an exact description of the rail car’s contents is needed if an emergency occurs.
Green Employees
Union Pacific employees are a major component of operating a safe and environmentally friendly railroad.
Many of these employees are Union Pacific's "front line," actively engaged in identifying any issues that prevent the railroad's safe operation. For example, Union Pacific has its own police force, specially trained in railroad operations. These special agents live in the community and work closely with local emergency response personnel.
Union Pacific also has environmental field managers assigned to specific states. These managers are knowledgeable about unique issues and can address local community needs and requirements.
More than 3,100 UP trains operating daily are in good care, with engineers and conductors following appropriate rules and instructions regarding the proper handling of hazardous materials.
Green Communities
Despite the company's thorough safety initiatives, occasionally accidents do happen.
Did You Know…Railroad fuel efficiency has increased by 72 percent since 1980. At that time, a gallon of diesel fuel moved one ton of freight an average of 235 miles. In 2001, the same amount of fuel moved one ton of freight an average of 406 miles. |
Union Pacific invests significant resources training local emergency responders, who often are first at the scene of a derailment. Since 1986, nearly 800 local response personnel have been trained at a formal test center in Pueblo, Colorado, which provides hands-on practice with simulated train derailments. Union Pacific invites emergency responders from communities across its system and pays nearly 100 percent of their expenses.
Union Pacific also supports emergency response training programs in San Luis Obispo, California, and Longview, Texas. In addition, Union Pacific provides informal training to any emergency response team upon request. Since 1979, Union Pacific has trained more than 160,000 local fire and law enforcement personnel.
Union Pacific also participates in industrywide "Whistle Stop" training tours that roll through communities every year. Nearly 5,000 local emergency responders have been reached through these various training programs provided locally, which focus on emergency response as it relates to all forms of transportation, including railroads and truck lines.
Emergency Response Committees
Union Pacific employees take an active role in state and local emergency planning committees, which were mandated by the federal government in 1984.
The government requires every state to form a State Emergency Response Commission; in turn, each state commission forms local emergency response committees. These committees consist of representatives from local fire and health departments, education, industry, transportation and the public. The committees receive information about chemicals located in their communities, and use this information to help formulate local emergency plans. Union Pacific requires its chemical transportation safety managers to participate in the local planning committees; railroad employees are involved at the state level as well.
In addition to providing local training and participating in local emergency planning committees, Union Pacific has established or participates in local advisory committees to give communities a forum to discuss health, safety, noise, environmental or any other railroad-related issues. A third party facilitates these meetings, which include a diverse group of community citizens and Union Pacific personnel. The first advisory committee was formed in Little Rock, Arkansas, in 1997, followed by North Platte, Nebraska, and Roseville, California, in 1998. A similar committee recently was formed in San Antonio.
TRANSCAER
Union Pacific was the first railroad to join and still is actively involved in TRANSCAER® (Transportation Community Awareness and Emergency Response), a national initiative to improve community awareness of hazardous materials transportation throughout the country.
UP also participates in Responsible Care, the chemical industry's national quality initiative to improve processes related to safety, health, environment and security beyond levels required by the U.S. government. Union Pacific was the only railroad to be certified under Responsible Care 2000 standards, and was the first railroad to be certified under 2004 standards. Certification requires outside auditors to review the company’s management practices at headquarters and in the field.
Green Success
Making a greener environment is a long road marked with many milestones along the way. Union Pacific's J.R. Davis Yard in Roseville, California, is one of those milestones.
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Following the merger of Southern Pacific into Union Pacific in the late '90s, Union Pacific undertook a major reconstruction and modernization of the Roseville rail yard. The $142 million dollar renovation transformed the rail yard into UP's most modern railroad classification yard in the western United States
Today, the J.R. Davis Yard receives daily trains from Los Angeles, Long Beach, Oakland, the Central Valley, and the Pacific Northwest. Approximately 98 percent of all rail traffic in Northern California moves through the yard. Modernization has reduced car handling in Roseville by about 400 per day.
More efficient rail car processing has reduced transit times from one to five days for at least 75 percent of all rail traffic moving through Roseville. Consequently, goods and products needed by consumers and businesses in Roseville, Northern California and the greater Western region are delivered more expeditiously and economically.
CARB
Did You Know…Trains are 2-4 times more fuel efficient than trucks on a ton-mile basis. |
In October 2004, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) released results of an extensive modeling effort that examined diesel emissions from ongoing operations at Union Pacific's J.R. Davis Yard in Roseville, Calif.
Using CARB's modeling results, Union Pacific targeted the major source areas and announced a plan to reduce emissions by 10 percent by the end of 2007. The reductions would be attained using a combination of new technology, operational changes and new equipment.
Since 2000, Union Pacific has reduced emissions from the Davis Yard by 15 percent, so the company actually will reduce emissions by up to 25 percent in just seven years. The plan includes:
- Moving and Modifying Load Test Procedures – In 2000, UP reorganized testing operations at the yard so that they were located further from nearby residences. In addition, UP is increasing the use of locomotives that can be tested more quickly.
- Auto Start-Stop Installations – UP now has nearly 1,800 locomotives with computer-controlled devices that limit engine idling to only the time necessary to ensure safe and reliable operation. Nearly 80 percent of the locomotives permanently assigned to the Sacramento and Roseville area now are equipped with this technology. Twenty-one of these locomotives were retrofitted using funds jointly awarded by the Placer County Air Pollution Control District and the Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management District in 2003.
- Operational Efficiency Improvements – UP has optimized the manner in which trains are configured at the Roseville Yard, reducing the amount of locomotive operations necessary to assemble trains.
Building on the successful Davis Yard plan, Union Pacific and BNSF Railway recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with CARB to reduce diesel emissions in and around the state's rail yards. This important new agreement – which takes advantage of the learning and improvements at the Davis Yard – calls for reductions that will be greater and quicker than any that could have resulted from regulatory or state processes.
CARB has estimated the MOU will reduce particulate emissions by approximately 20 percent at rail yards by June 2008 when all the program’s elements are phased in. Union Pacific expects to spend $20 million implementing the program.
The MOU is an extension of the historical partnership Union Pacific shares with its California communities. The successes in the City of Roseville and the J.R. Davis Yard provide an excellent case study of how the railroad is growing with the community in an environmentally responsible way.
UP's continuing goal is to be a responsive community member that listens to community concerns. Toward that end, UP established a 24-hour hot line at the Roseville yard to receive and address nearby residents' concerns. UP holds quarterly meetings with Roseville community leaders and nearby residents to keep the lines of communications open between the railroad and its neighbors.
Green Programs
Chairman's Environmental Award
On Earth Day 1994, Union Pacific presented the first annual "Chairman's Environmental Award" for 1993 environmental contributions. The award was established by the Operating Department’s Safety, Health, Environment and Operating Practices (SHEOP) committee to recognize a Union Pacific Railroad employee demonstrating outstanding environmental awareness, leadership and responsibility.
The Chairman's Environmental Award winner represents Union Pacific as its nominee for the Association of American Railroads' (AAR) North American Environmental Excellence Award. One nominee is selected from among all participating railroads for the prestigious award. Since 1993, three of Union Pacific's Chairman's Environmental Award winners have been recipients of the AAR award (**).
Past Winners
| 2005: Wayne A. Kennedy** General Director, Fuel Conservation – Continuous Improvement Omaha, NE |
2004: Tom Franklin ** Mgr. Mechanical – Locomotive North Little Rock, AR |
2003: Kent Denkers Mechanical – Locomotive Omaha, NE |
| 2002: Gary Biggs Maintenance Supervisor Fort Worth, TX |
2001: Tim Kraus Water Serv. Lead Man San Antonio, TX |
2000: David Simpson Foreman General Hermiston, OR |
| 1999: Audrey Butler Material Supervisor Pocatello, ID |
1998: Dennis Sullivan Carman Desoto, MO |
1997: Mitch Dugger ** Work Equipment Supervisor Fairdealing, MO |
| 1996: Carl Leroy Lachance Manager Car Maintenance Desoto, MO |
1995: Richard Jacobs ** Locomotive Shop Foreman Ft. Worth, TX |
1994: David Hartley Car Foreman Desoto, MO |
| 1993: Ben Crandall Car Foreman Salt Lake City, UT |
John H. Chafee Award for Environmental Excellence
The John H. Chafee Award for Environmental Excellence is given to those who exhibit outstanding stewardship of the environment. The award is named for John H. Chafee, a four-term U.S. Senator from Providence and a noted environmentalist. Sen. Lincoln Chafee, son of the man for whom the award was named, has presented the award to recent recipients.
Fuel Masters
Through improved locomotive technology and the Fuel Masters program, UP has reduced overall fuel consumption by 50 million gallons in the past two years.
As part of this innovative program, locomotive engineers, and the dispatchers working with them, are rewarded for efficiently operating trains. A peer trainer ride-along program teaming engineers with consistent award winners to help determine fuel saving pointers on individual territories, also is seeing early success.
Fuel-saving efforts in 2006 helped Union Pacific achieve a 1.5 percent reduction in gallons of fuel burned per thousand gross ton miles hauled, compared with 2005.
As creator of the Fuel Masters program, Wayne Kennedy, general director-fuel conservation, was honored with the rail industry's 2005 Chafee Award.
SmartWay Program
The SmartWaySM Transport Partnership is a voluntary collaboration between the U.S. EPA and the freight industry designed to increase energy efficiency while significantly reducing greenhouse gases and air pollution.
SmartWay Transport Partners lead the way toward a cleaner, more efficient transportation future by adopting fuel-saving strategies that increase profits and reduce emissions. SmartWay Transport Partners are commercial, industrial and public sector organizations that commit to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution and to improve fuel efficiency of ground freight transportation. The EPA provides Partners with benefits and services that include fleet management tools, technical support, information, public recognition, and, for exceptional environmental performers, use of the SmartWay Transport Partner logo. (--EPA SmartWay)
Green Reference
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UP and the Environment |
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Vision Statement
Union Pacific will be recognized as being environmentally responsible and the transportation leader in the safe movement of hazardous materials.
Mission Statement
- Prevention
Prevent the causes of environmental damage that result from railroad operations or that of our lessees. - Preparedness
Develop partnership with internal and external customers to prepare for effective emergency response. - Response
Respond to emergencies involving hazardous and other environmentally sensitive materials to minimize health, environmental, operational, and financial impact to Union Pacific Railroad. - Recovery
Cleanup contamination for which Union Pacific is responsible.
Environmental Commitment
"At Union Pacific Railroad, we are committed to protecting the environment now and for future generations. Our employees, customers, shareholders and the communities we serve can expect our full compliance with all laws and regulations.
"Union Pacific is developing and investing in new technologies that provide for cleaner air and water, including a locomotive fleet that’s the greenest in the industry.
"Our employees understand that protecting the environment is part of every job, and they are creating and implementing world-class energy conservation techniques that are helping us to move more freight with less fuel.
"We will continue our leadership in caring for the environment while delivering the goods that America needs."
– Jim Young
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
Union Pacific is committed to protecting the nation's environment. As North America's largest railroad, Union Pacific’s service territory spans the western two-thirds of the United States. More than 32,000 miles of track connect transportation hubs in Chicago, St. Louis, Memphis and New Orleans, and pass through pristine mountain areas in Oregon, California, Utah and California. UP trains carry coal, food, grain, ethanol, minerals, lumber, metals, automobiles and chemicals, and have a major impact on the country’s economy, especially in the South and the Southwest where the U.S. population is growing the fastest.
Green Facts
We don't think there's anything trivial about the following trivia that highlights why railroads are one of the most environmentally friendly modes of freight transportation.
- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that for every ton-mile, a typical truck emits roughly three times more nitrogen oxides and particulates than a locomotive. Other studies suggest that trucks emit six to 12 times more pollutants per ton-mile than do railroads, depending upon the pollutant measured.
- If just 10 percent of the freight moved by highway were diverted to rail, the nation could save as much as 200 million gallons of fuel annually.
- According to the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, 2.5 million fewer tons of carbon dioxide would be emitted into the air annually if 10 percent of intercity freight now moving by highway were shifted to rail.
- Railroad fuel efficiency has increased by 72 percent since 1980. At that time, a gallon of diesel fuel moved one ton of freight an average of 235 miles. In 2001, the same amount of fuel moved one ton of freight an average of 406 miles.
- Railroads and rail suppliers have reduced the weight and increased the capacity of rail cars to improve fuel efficiency and reduce emissions. The average freight car capacity is now nearly 93 tons, up 17 percent in just the past 20 years.
- One double-stack train can haul as much as 280 trucks.
- Trains are 2-4 times more fuel efficient than trucks on a ton-mile basis.
- Trains are 3 times cleaner than trucks on a ton-mile basis.
If 25 percent of truck freight were diverted to rail, by 2025 it would lead to:
- Nearly 800,000 fewer tons of air polution
- A savings of 16 billion gallons of fuel
- 2.8 billion fewer travel-hours wasted in congested traffic
Environmental News
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Green TV
- CNN Video – "New Train of Thought"
- There's a new train of thought about how railroads can save fuel and prevent smog with cleaner running engines.
"Clean Air Locomotives"
KSEE24 News - Fresno, CA.
"Green Trains Stop in Oakland"
KGO-TV/DT - San Francisco/Oakland/San Jose, CA