The plan total is down 5% from the 2025 plan’s $3.8 billion total, which included $2.4 billion for maintenance and $535 million for expansion and efficiency projects. It is down 8% from the 2024 plan’s $3.92 billion total.
Maintenance projects in 2026 will again cover replacing and upgrading rail and track infrastructure like ballast and ties, and maintaining rolling stock. They will comprise approximately 13,000 miles of track surfacing and/or undercutting work and the replacement of 2.5 million ties and more than 400 miles of rail, according to BNSF, which operates a rail network of 32,500 route miles in 28 states and three Canadian provinces (see map below).
The $358 million for expansion and efficiency projects in 2026 will add to the $2.6 billion invested in expansion projects over the past five years. This year’s expansion plans, BNSF said, support customer growth “by continuing to invest in facility and line projects that will increase network capacity and efficiency.” Major facility projects include completing property acquisitions and continuing development activities for the planned Barstow International Gateway project in California and continuing development and starting construction activities for a future intermodal facility in the Phoenix area, according to the railroad. Major line expansion projects include Galesburg, Ill., and Winslow, Ariz., yard track expansions “to increase switching capacity, supporting network service performance and asset (railcars and locomotives) productivity initiatives,” it reported.
“Our 2026 capital plan focuses on strengthening and modernizing our network so we can continue to meet our customers’ evolving needs,” BNSF President and CEO Katie Farmer said. “We prioritize investing with the future in mind, improving efficiency, adding capacity, and ensuring our railroad is always ready to support growth while delivering the dependable, resilient service our customers count on.”
