Venerable Union Pacific Railroad (UP) has been chugging down the track since the 19th century. Owned by Union Pacific Corporation (UPC), UP is one of the nation's leading rail carriers, operating more than 67,000 freight cars and about 8,500 locomotives. UP transports automobiles; chemicals; energy; and industrial, agricultural, and other bulk freight over a system of some 32,000 rail miles in 23 states in the western two-thirds of the US. UPC owns more than 26,000 route miles of its rail network; leases and trackage rights, which allow it to use other railroads' tracks, account for the rest. UP's customers have included such big names as automakers General Motors and Toyota.