Safety
July 7, 2025
Senior Leaders Reinforce Safety is Job No. 1 During North Platte Field Visit
Union Pacific’s Bailey Yard team in North Platte recently hosted CEO Jim Vena and senior leaders for a field visit and employee town hall.
The leadership team had the opportunity to see the world’s largest classification yard in action, which covers 2,850 acres and handles approximately 10,000 cars daily. The visit included a tour of the yard; meetings with Engineering, Car and Locomotive department employees; and a lunch that featured a safety award presentation.
Located amid key east-west and north-south corridors, Bailey Yard is a critical part of Union Pacific’s network.
“If North Platte doesn’t work – if we don’t switch cars, if we don’t maintain the cars, if we don’t have Engineering fixing the place – this railroad does not work,” Vena said. “Everybody I’ve met is very proud of working here and delivering the goods.”
Vena reinforced Union Pacific’s vision is to be the safest railroad in North America, which Executive Vice President-Operations Eric Gehringer said we’re making progress toward.
“Let there be no doubt – that is our No. 1 job at Union Pacific,” Gehringer said.
The leadership team in attendance – which also included Jennifer Hamann, executive vice president and chief financial officer; Rahul Jalali, executive vice president and chief information officer; Kenny Rocker, executive vice president-Marketing and Sales; Christina Conlin, senior vice president, chief legal officer and corporate secretary; and Josh Perkes, senior vice president and chief human resources officer – fielded live questions from the nearly 300 employees who joined the diesel shop town hall, as well as the more than 2,400 employees who joined virtually.