Environment
To illustrate the benefits, if shipped by rail instead of by truck ...
100 truckloads of lumber going from Portland, Ore., to Fort Worth, Texas, would cut greenhouse gas emissions by 76 percent, from 340 metric tons of CO2e to 80 metric tons of CO2e.
Source: Union Pacific’s Carbon Emission Estimator
Union Pacific has been helping connect America with the goods it needs for 150 years. We’re proud of that heritage and recognize it is our responsibility to minimize our environmental impact.
We work to improve the sustainability of our business because it’s important to be good stewards of the land and because being environmentally sustainable is fiscally responsible. Every gallon of fuel we avoid consuming, every kilowatt we save and every railroad tie we recycle makes us a stronger, more successful company. For us, improving environmental performance and business performance are mutually compatible.
We invest to create and deploy technologies and systems that reduce our environmental impact. We comply with all laws and regulations and strive to improve our performance in areas such as fuel economy and greenhouse gas emissions. Our commitment to environmental sustainability is a key priority in everything we do.
Union Pacific's Environmental Advantage
Trains are the most fuel-efficient way to transport bulk cargo on land – on average four times more efficient than transit by truck. A single Union Pacific train can replace 300 trucks, resulting in less wear and tear on roads and fewer traffic jams. Fewer traffic jams mean reduced fuel usage for drivers and decreased emissions due to idling. Every ton of cargo that is shipped on our trains instead of trucks lessens potential impact to the environment.
Fuel-Efficient Locomotives
Union Pacific can move one ton of freight 492 miles on a single gallon of diesel fuel.
Union Pacific operates North America’s cleanest and most modern locomotive fleet.
We are constantly working to upgrade and improve the fuel-efficiency of our locomotive fleet. Since 2000 we have invested approximately $6 billion to purchase locomotives that meet the EPA’s updated emissions guidelines and an additional $200 million to upgrade older locomotives in our fleet to reduce emissions and increase fuel efficiency. That’s more than 3,500 new, fuel-efficient locomotives in all, including 100 in 2011. Our plans include purchasing an additional 200 in 2012. These locomotive purchases allow us to retire older, less-efficient locomotives, thus improving our overall fleet fuel economy and reducing our emissions rate.
Our investments in new switching locomotives such as the high-tech, ultra-low emissions Genset switcher and long-haul locomotives with distributed power technology, have helped us realize improved fuel efficiency. In 2000, on average, we could move a ton of freight 375 miles on one gallon of diesel fuel. By 2011, our investments in new technology helped improve that to nearly 500 miles per gallon.
