HR0398 100TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0398 LRB100 12692 MAS 26122 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The State of Illinois is the rail capital of the United States; and

WHEREAS, The Union Pacific Railroad has more than 2,300 miles of track in the State, traversing hundreds of communities; and

WHEREAS, Union Pacific maintains rail yards throughout the State located in the cities of Chicago, Bellwood, Berkeley, Melrose Park, Northlake, Dolton, Chicago Heights, Rochelle, West Chicago, Dupo, and Salem; and

WHEREAS, Union Pacific's Commuter Operations Service Unit provides rail service to more than 105,000 commuters daily on the Union Pacific Metra North, Northwest, and West Lines, and operates more trains for Metra than any other carrier in the Chicagoland area; and

WHEREAS, Union Pacific has invested more than $1 billion in Illinois since 2010; and

WHEREAS, Union Pacific has more than 4,000 employees in the State with an annual payroll of $344.7 million; and

WHEREAS, Union Pacific partners with the State of Illinois on a number of public private partnerships, such as the CREATE Program, UP Metra West Line Improvement Project, and the Illinois High Speed Rail Project; and

WHEREAS, Nothing is more important to the nation's passenger and freight railroads than safety; and

WHEREAS, Union Pacific's commitment to safety is reflected in Federal Railroad Administration statistics which find that from 1980 to 2013, train accident rates fell by 79%, employee injury rates fell by 84%, and grade crossing collision rates fell by 81%; and

WHEREAS, Union Pacific's focus on safety extends far beyond the railroad's 44,000 employees and 32,000 mile rail network; it also includes the communities where trains operate; and

WHEREAS, 2016 marks the second consecutive year Union Pacific was the top-performing railroad in employee safety; and

WHEREAS, Union Pacific's Commuter Operations Service Unit was recently awarded the "Union Pacific Safety Bell", which recognizes the safest service unit, Union Pacific's 23-state network; and

WHEREAS, Union Pacific is one of the safest railroads in the country and has achieved its best annual employee safety performance in the company's 154-year history; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDREDTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate the Union Pacific Railroad on its exemplary safety record, its achievements, and its focus on communities; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to the Union Pacific Railroad as a symbol of our respect and esteem.