Union Pacific Railroad finished two years of track upgrades in downtown DeKalb last month that allow trains to run at speeds up to 70 mph, depending on load size.

The upgrades included replacing the rails and changing the material between the tracks at crossings from rubber or lumber to concrete.

Before the improvements, the trains were limited to a maximum speed of 50 mph.

Assistant city engineer Joel Maurer said the improvements allow the trains to pass through town quicker and cause less of a delay for cars and pedestrians.

About 80 trains run through DeKalb each day, Maurer said.

“It’s always better to operate trains at their maximum speeds,” said Mark Davis, spokesman for Union Pacific Railroad. “It’s easier to control the train and you get better fuel efficiency.”

DeKalb resident Angela Armes worked at a restaurant by a railroad in Davenport, Iowa. The speed limit for trains through the city of Davenport is 15 mph because a train derailed, blocked the entrance to the restaurant and imprisoned the customers inside. Armes was surprised at the increased speed of the trains running through downtown DeKalb.

“If a train did derail, it would cause a lot more damage, especially in a downtown area,” Armes said.

Davis said accidents at that speed are not as likely.

“Statistically there are fewer crossing collisions when trains operate at higher speeds,” he added.

Davis said 89 percent of all crossing collisions occur at speeds 49 mph and below.

“If drivers know the train will pass by in a relatively short time, they will not take a chance on beating the train,” Davis said. He also said that the train drivers are not really affected by the speed increase.

Davis said the warning devices at crossings are now set for the increased track speed.

This improvements have been done to railroads from Chicago to Clinton, Iowa. The goal is to have trains run uniformly at 70 mph.

“We’ve noticed considerable increase in the noise level since the reconstruction,” said Steve Bigolin, a clerk at Photos Now, 121 S. Fourth St. “At that speed, there could be some significant damage to buildings and cars. I’d rather see them back at the [slower] speeds.”