MRL improves railroad tracks

Residents of Plains had to deal with the inconvenience of intersection closures at three locations while railroad workers repaired ties on the section of line that runs through the town Monday through Wednesday. According to gang foreman Dave Guptill, the three intersections were closed for about eight to ten hours a day per section as work was conducted.

The construction and blockage of the intersection at Hubbard Street began on Monday. The effort continued on Tuesday at the intersection of Willis Street and concluded at the intersection at Central Ave. on Wed.

The work included replacing the foundation that the rail line lies embedded in to allow traffic to drive smoothly across. Guptill said the work has been going on for about eight days.

“We are replacing 30,000 ties along this stretch of track. Tie renewal takes place every eight to ten years. The ties deteriorate over time due to freight traffic. We are replacing about 1800 to 1900 per day,” said Guptill.

Around 90 workers were involved in the construction. According to Guptill, the work begins with a machine that travels along the track and pulls the spikes out of the ground using a crane. The spikes that hold the ties in place are removed followed by a similar crane-equipped machine that removes the ties. The track is then lifted, new ties are laid under the track and new spikes are driven in place to secure the ties.

A maintenance crew from Montana Rail Link conducted the construction. MRL is a privately held company headquartered in Missoula. MRL maintains and operates over 900 miles of track in Montana and Idaho consisting of purely freight traffic