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{{#badges: Climate change |CoalSwarm}}
The '''Union Pacific Railroad''' {{Reporting marks|(UP}} ({{nyse|UNP}}), headquartered in [[Omaha, Nebraska]], is the largest and oldest operating [[railroad]] network in the [[United States]]. [[James R. Young (UP)|James R. Young]] is president, CEO , and Chairman.<ref name="UP Young profile">{{cite web| author=Union Pacific Railroad| url=http://www.uprr.com/aboutup/exec/index.shtml#young| title=UP: Executive Profiles - James R. Young, President and Chief Executive Officer| accessdate=2007-01-31 }}</ref><ref>{{cite press release| publisher=Union Pacific Railroad| date=2007-01-30| url=http://www.uprr.com/newsinfo/releases/financial/2007/0130_youngceo.shtml| title=Union Pacific Elects President and CEO James R. Young Chairman of the Board| accessdate=2007-01-31 }}</ref>
UP's route map covers most of the central and western United States west of [[Chicago, Illinois|Chicago]] and [[New Orleans, Louisiana|New Orleans]]. As of 2005, UP operates on {{convert|32426|mi|km|0}} of track, of which it owns outright {{convert|26949|mi|km|0}}, both numbers representing the highest amount of any railroad currently operating in the United States.<ref>{{cite web| url=http://aar.org/PubCommon/Documents/AboutTheIndustry/RRProfile_UP.pdf| title=Union Pacific Railroad Company - 2005| publisher=Association of American Railroads| format=PDF| accessdate=2008-01-17}}</ref><ref>{{cite web| url=http://aar.org/AboutTheIndustry/RailroadProfiles.asp| title=Railroad Industry Profiles| publisher=Association of American Railroads| year=2008| accessdate=2008-01-17}}</ref> It has achieved this size as a result of purchasing a large number of other railroads, notably the [[Missouri Pacific]], [[Chicago and North Western Railway|Chicago and North Western]], [[Western Pacific Railroad|Western Pacific]], [[Missouri-Kansas-Texas]], and the [[Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad|Rio Grande]] (including the [[Southern Pacific Railroad|Southern Pacific]]). Currently, Union Pacific owns 26% of [[Ferromex]] while [[Grupo Mexico]] owns the remaining 74%.
UP's chief railroad competitor is the [[BNSF Railway]], which covers much of the same territory.
==Union Pacific and Coal==
In May 2009 Union Pacific Railroad moved its 200,000th loaded coal train out of Wyoming's Southern [[Powder River Basin]] (SPRB) coal field since Union Pacific and the former Chicago & North Western completed a 107-mile rail line to the region in August 1984. The Chicago & North Western merged with Union Pacific in 1995.<ref name="UP">[http://www.uprr.com/newsinfo/releases/service/2009/0520_200000-coal.shtml "Union Pacific Railroad News Release: UP Moves Its 200,000th Loaded Coal Train From Wyoming's Southern Powder River Basin"] Union Pacific Railroad Website, May 20, 2009</ref>
According to UP's website, "One rail car of coal provides the energy togenerate enough electricity for more than 20 homes for a year. Union Pacific's 200,000 trains out of the SPRB have carried enough coal to power all the homes in the United States for 5 years."<ref name="UP"/>
The combined Union Pacific/[[Burlington Northern Santa Fe]] coal train dispatching facilities at BNSF's dispatching center in Ft. Worth, Texas, have allowed the railroads' train dispatchers in the same room, instead of hundreds of miles apart, making train movements on shared track in Wyoming better coordinated.<ref name="UP"/>
According to Union Pacific vice president and general manager Doug Glass, "SPRB coal volume has increased 11 percent annually since 1984. While demand for coal is off this year due to the recession, lower demand for metallurgical coal and reduced industrial output, we expect continued growth of this cost-effective, low sulfur coal for many years to come. Support of new power plant technologies that are capable of capturing CO2 will support continued demand for coal and help address the United States' desire to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and continue to provide cost-effective electricity to U.S. industry and consumers."<ref name="UP"/>
==History==
