Union Pacific urges communities to start with public affairs, use carrier data to strengthen projects

Union Pacific representatives told attendees that the railroad's public affairs team is the best initial contact for communities exploring passenger service or station siting. Katie, who leads interline/passenger operations at UP, said public affairs can connect local officials to operations, industrial projects and interline teams and can provide data useful for modeling and grant-writing.

"Our public affairs team is always a great point of contact," Katie said, adding that the team can help communities find the appropriate internal UP groups for crossings, industrial projects, or passenger service work. She recommended that communities use carrier data to identify problematic grade crossings and pursue joint funding opportunities for separation or closure where safety and operational metrics support it.

UP also described recent cooperative work during a Portland track shutdown that required coordination among UP, Amtrak and other carriers; the example illustrated how interline partnerships can be used to restore service quickly when networks are disrupted. Katie emphasized safety and crew-change interactions in station planning and urged communities to consider full-train lengths, yard locations and access when proposing stops.