Union Pacific Invests in Composite Ties

Union Pacific shares its focus on sustainability efforts through its investment in alternative materials for railroad ties.

Courtesy of Union Pacific

TEXARKANA, Ark. – Union Pacific shares its focus on sustainability efforts through its investment in alternative materials for railroad ties.

Via Union Pacific’s “Inside Track”, the Class I shares its focus on sustainability efforts through its investment in alternative materials for railroad ties. In 2023, Union Pacific Engineering employees have replaced over 3 million rail ties, with many of these ties being used for decades into the future, “thanks to a recent investment in recyclable rail ties made from composite materials.”

Union Pacific is partnering with composite tie manufacturers to help reduce CO2 and potential methane emissions, improve infrastructure standards, and reduce the amount of rail ties that end up in landfills. (UP reports that for every million composite ties that are laid, 90,000 tons of plastic are diverted from landfills.) One such partner is Missouri-based Evertrak, a company that produces composite ties from recycled plastic and glass fiber. According to Evertrak, its Evertrak 7000 is “manufactured With 100% Recycled Polyolefin Plastic And Fiberglass.”

According to the report, the ties are installed in areas where the average lifespan of a wood tie is between 8 to 15 years, mainly due to “decay associated with heat, humidity and subgrade, compared to other areas of the railroad where wood tie life averages 25 years.” Composite tie vendors manufacture these ties to reach Union Pacific’s specifications, which include a 50-year lifespan. These new composite ties will be installed in humid climates. In November 2023, Evertrak’s ties “were installed around Little Rock, Arkansas, St. Louis, Missouri, Fort Worth, Texas, and near Reno, Nevada as well as on a handful of bridges.”

“Unlike wood ties, composite ties have the option to be recycled or repurposed at the end of their lifespan. . . Next year, Union Pacific is looking to double the number of composite ties installations in 2023 and continue evaluating long-lasting products,” said UP Senior Manager, Engineering Method & Research, Dave Bozarth.

Similarly, Aimee Severa, Manager, Asset Disposition, said: “We’re creating a safer railroad for our customers and demonstrating our commitment to reaching our sustainability goals. . . Using composite ties also allows us to provide more reliable service by reducing the amount of track replacement work needed.”