Jim-

As usual we are sidetracked on here. The answer to your question is not necessarily "never", merely that it is highly unlikely at this point in time. You simply have to look at the benefits and the costs and recognize how high the costs are relative to the benefits of re-opening a relatively short stretch of mainline. Yes, we'd all love to see it, but looking at it logically, there are tons of other places across the UP system where UP would be better off spending money on track improvements. I think switch 9 to Shed 10 will be put back in some day, hopefully sooner than later. But even that is not something I see happening in the near future, though I hope it does. But that is just my opinion and is not backed by any real facts.

Everyone has their own "insider" to quote, but regardless of what they do or don't say, you need to look at it from a practical manner and recognize that a lot of things would need to occur before it would be considered. And even if it is considered, what would the finance numbers say? (i.e. based on future cost projections and savings, what is the net present value of putting in the track over the summit again versus drilling a parallel line to tunnel 41 versus doing nothing?). That is the ultimate question, not what random managers or "insiders" say here and there based on what they have heard.