Union Pacific Rail Road facility has Pinal County’s support

The first in a series of informational meetings between Pinal County, the state of Arizona and Union Pacific Railroad (UPRR) regarding the logistics of the proposed Red Rock Classification Yard have taken place and Pinal County Economic Development Manager Tim Kanavel is hopeful that the project will become a reality. This rough representation could translate into hundreds of jobs if the Red Rock classification yard becomes a reality.In an interview with Today Publications, Kanavel explained that the meetings are a way for the entities involved to discuss technical aspects of the project. “This was the beginning of a series of meetings that will hopefully end with the approval for the sale of the land at auction,” he enthused. The land the facility will be built on currently belongs to Arizona State Land Department. At this point Union Pacific has been tasked with providing more information to the Trust before the sale of the land can move forward. In a letter sent to Union Pacific in August, State Land Commissioner Maria Baier wrote, “For this project to mean a true economic boost to Pinal County, the 1,500 acres of State Trust land adjacent to the Yard must be highly commercially developed.” The Trust is interested in making sure the area in which the classification yard proposes be built, will have sufficient access, infrastructure and water. If these needs are met, it is the Trust’s hope that the yard will provide a “transportation hub,” stimulating commercial activity in the surrounding areas. Union Pacific Railroad currently covers 23 states across the western two-thirds of the U. S., with 43,500 employees, 1,269 of which reside in Arizona. According to Union Pacific, the route between Los Angeles and El Paso carries 20 percent of the railroad’s traffic, putting the proposed facility at Red Rock in the heart of the transportation of the necessary construction materials.

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