- Union Pacific painted rails white in high-heat areas to reflect sunlight and reduce rail surface temperature by about 20 degrees, lowering the risk of thermal misalignments.
- This innovative method blends European rail techniques with U.S. highway striping practices, applied using a high-rail truck and paint sprayer.
- The approach contributed to a broader safety strategy, helping Union Pacific achieve its best-ever full-year derailment incident rate in 2025, a 19% year-over-year improvement.
- The initiative represents a culture of safety innovation, combining proven practices, continuous monitoring, and practical thinking to strengthen rail safety.
- Rail is consistently the safest way to move freight over land, with incident rates far lower than trucking when measured by gross ton-miles.