March 12, 2008 - Union Pacific Railroad is greening its freight transportation with a conservation program that trains engineers to use as little diesel fuel as possible on their runs, reports NBC affiliate WOWT. The company's fuel masters program uses a simulator to show engineers how to operate more efficiently under challenging weather and topographical conditions.

Under the program, participating engineers must complete annual training sessions on the simulator, which replicates winds, hills, and traffic, among other factors (Union Pacific operates 28 such devices throughout the U.S.). Engineers who score best on the simulator are eligible for a bonus of up to $300.

"It's a lot like when you're driving an automobile, you just have to accelerate slowly,” says Larry Jones, Union Pacific's manager of fuel conservation. “If you accelerate too fast it takes a lot more fuel.

The program has saved more than 50 million gallons of diesel fuel over the past two years.