WASHINGTON — Union Pacific has proposed building a new five-mile branch line to reach a petrochemical plant in Bay City, Texas, that is currently served only by rival BNSF Railway.
UP, in a Sept. 24 filing, asked the Surface Transportation Board to exempt the project from regulatory review, as is common for relatively small projects.
The new line, dubbed the Wadsworth Industrial Lead, would connect LyondellBasell’s polymer plant to UP’s Angleton Subdivision. Bay City is about 75 miles southwest of Houston.
“The project will strengthen LyondellBasell’s position in the region by providing it with a second competitive rail option. The proposed Line will also provide long-term benefits to the local economy by making Matagorda County more attractive to future industrial investments along the Line,” UP told the STB.
UP expects to operate two trains per day over the proposed line — one train in each direction — seven days per week.
