Railroads Invest in Extra Capacity to Move Asian Import Windfall

In a feature on North American rail developments, this article details port investments to increase rail capacity to handle Asian imports. The revenue generated from the influx has made U.S. Class I's a desirable investment, given that U.S. imports from China alone rose from less than $4 billion a year two decades ago to just under $250 billion. Every Pacific Coast port from Vancouver to Mexico is undergoing renovations and expansion. The article describes projects in Southern California, the Port of Los Angeles and the Port of Long Beach, both of which are in the top 10 in terms of container traffic. Union Pacific uses four routes out of the Los Angeles basin. The Bay Area ports in Northern California are also upgrading, with Union Pacific moving container trains over the Sierras on two major routes. Additional projects in Canada and Mexico are described.