Mountain States Contracting, Inc.

Railroad Contractor: 101 – Utah

Constructing spur lines or new railways is one of the most essential vitals then keep our infrastructure alive as a nation. Our network of rail lines throughout the country act as veins to the various high-priority cities that make up the backbone of the U.S. economy. Ensuring that these spur lines connect suppliers to vendors, raw materials to production facilities, inland mines to trade coasts, is crucial to ensure the U.S. does not falter in its supply chain nor in its production capabilities. Therefore, railroad contractors possess a very difficult, yet important job.

Utah: A Railroad Contractor’s Dream

Utah acts as a major crossroads for the central western U.S. Bordering key states for mining, agriculture, and manufacturing, Utah sees hundreds of train carts passing through its borders monthly. To have an idea of just how many different railways operate here, this is a map of the Utah collective for railroads. The majority of these spur lines tend to connect up with the BNSF and UPRR railways, the two major lines in the U.S. Though only specialized contractors are allowed to work on these major lines, most railroad contractors build spur lines to connect to the major railways instead. With many of our own business taking place in Ogden and Salt Lake City, we know all to well how much opportunity there is for new railways.

This is not to mention the sheer amount of production that Utah has itself. With nearly 40% of the states exports equated to rich metals needed for construction and ancillary goods, Utah’s mining industry is booming. The amount of specialized spur lines leading from these mines to connecting spur lines are exuberant, and in constant demand. This allows railroad contractors multiple opportunities for new construction within this area.

Going Forward

Thank you for reading thus far, and we hope that this has been informational for you. We will be posting new posts weekly regarding different railroad contractor news, as well as news regarding the overlapping industries involved. Be sure to stay tuned.