Union Pacific Railroad has started construction on its Brazos Yard in Robertson County.
Spokesman Jeff DeGraff compared the classification yard to an airport hub.
“You have trains coming in from one direction, the rail cars get split out, put on different trains and head in other directions,” said DeGraff.
DeGraff says this is Union Pacific’s first yard of its kind in more than 20 years and the $550 million project is the largest capital investment in a single facility in Union Pacific’s 155-year history.
DeGraff says the project is expected to create between 500 and 550 construction-related jobs.
“And once we begin operations in 2020, we estimate between 300 and 350 full-time employees will call this their home base,” said DeGraff.
The 1,875-acre yard is located in Hearne, just west of FM 50 and north of Mumford High School.
“One of our first and main goals is to lay rail close to that site so we can start bringing in material via train instead of truck,” said DeGraff.
According to a study completed by Texas A&M University’s Engineering Extension Service, the completed yard will contribute almost $260 million in annual total output for the state of Texas.
Construction is expected to be complete in 2020.
Click below to hear Jeff DeGraff visiting with WTAW’s Chelsea Reber.