The first meeting was in May, during the time – the UP team told everyone they would be making updates to be completed by July which should ease the parked trains. The goal was to have the follow up in meeting in August, but it got pushed back.
Goal: get a follow up with UP and see action.
Attendees:
- Richard Zientek – main POC of UP – Senior director of public affairs
- Andrey Drozdov – GM for Houston Service Unit – GM of Houston Operations
- Oversees all the production yards and all the lines in between
- John Mike Hopkins – Director of Train Management
- Tyson Moeller – General Director of Network Development
- Greg Riojas – part of the team in May, part of the dispatch center
- Rep. Gallegos – it is important for UP to hear directly from the community the impact of the train horns and blockages.
- Rep. Cisneros – seeing huge number of complaints about train noise and blockages into her office.
- Rep. Robinson
Questions/Answers:
- What is all the work done in July – was it done?
- Rep. Garcia: you said it was the storm, but the storm was in August and it was supposed to be completed in July
- Weather events, supply chain, resulting in the delay of the infrastructure
- Capital Improvements:
- Supply chain & weather events – A bridge was burned down in PNW, which required time to put together.
- There was an unusual amount of trains coming in for Houston area companies
- Crossovers are a two piece project – the metal going into the ground, signal work to completed (including the software)
- Plan to have the project by March 2022
- Trains through the complex
- They’ve created a directional flow to Englewood yard which is supposed to help optimize the flow
- There are all going to Settegast yard, supposedly to create flexibility
- Finished an hardware upgrade to switching computer at Englewood yard, hardware for switching computers is done
- Q1 – the new systems should be ready to go. (testing in between)
- 10% improvement in flow from Englewood.
- 8 miles of rail installed at Englewood yard
- Heart of Houston operation is Englewood yard, when the yard is at full capacity, it can create fluidity on main lines
- Creating flexibility to keep trains moving and not stopping
What we are hearing:
- UP has not started on anything.
- East End residents shouldn’t expect any improvement until Q1 2022
- There is no guarantee it can remain on time – there are weather events around the world that stop this.
- UP has a schedule of trains but will not post it for the public
- UP will not be providing updates to the representatives or residents
- Keeping calling the number provided (even though UP will not respond it) – it will be “compiled”
- TxDOT distributing a freight study – list of projects, items that will be used with federal funding to complete
- There is some sensitive information