Article URL: https://www.up.com/news/safety/Tracking-Rail-Heat-260608 Comments URL: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48951780 Points: 15 # Comments: 2

As warmer temperatures return, Union Pacific is applying an innovative concept to manage heat-related track conditions – part of a broader strategy that helped the railroad deliver its best-ever full-year derailment incident rate in 2025, improving 19% year over year. “Steel rails expand in extreme heat,” said Rod Doerr, chief safety officer. “When that steel has nowhere to go, it can push sideways and create what we call a thermal misalignment.” Rail anchors, fasteners and regular maintenance remain the primary ways Union Pacific manages this potential risk. But across a 32,000-mile network, teams are always looking for additional ways to reduce heat and stress in the rail itself. “We took a page from road striping,” Doerr said. “Using a high-rail truck and paint sprayer, we apply white paint to both sides of the rail.” The idea is simple: by reflecting sunlight, the white paint lowers the rail’s surface temperature. “We’ve seen about a 20-degree drop in the rail temperature,” Doerr said. “That’s huge. If you’re not fighting the sun’s heat, you dramatically reduce the risk of the rail shifting.” Union Pacific began targeted deployment in high-heat areas last year, adding another layer of protection alongside existing maintenance and inspection practices. “To my knowledge, no other railroad in the U.S. is doing this,” Doerr said. “It’s a proven technique used in Europe, and it works.”