NNG - Track being rebuilt - interesting motive power

I was driving from Katy, Texas, (West Houston area) SW to Edna, Texas, on Hwy. 59, to pick up my daughter from a camping trip. I noticed that the SG railroad that paralleled 59 was being reballasted. I even noticed a really interesting piece of motive moving the ballast cars - a railcrane with the crane removed.

Further SW I noticed that the roadbed paralleling the Highway had been long abandoned and the further south I got, the more overgrown it was. On the way back, I noticed that the closer I got to where the ballasting work was being done, that entire bridges had been replaced with brand new all concrete railroad bridges, sans track, brush and trees had been cut from the right-of-way and stacked, there were piles of new concrete ties, and even a few pieces of "sectional" pre-fab track, either with concrete or wood ties.

Not being a native Texan, I have no idea who owned, or owns, this stretch of right of way. Given the log jam into Houston, which is the major rail junction for this part of the country, is this an attempt on the UP's part to gain another entry point into the Houston area?

I realize this is not a narrow gauge railroad, but I am curious that an abandoned right of way is being reclaimed. Can anyone shed some light on what is going on?

Besides, that rail crane/locomotive was pretty cool! Lots of track work equipment busy on the track that had just had ballast dumped. If I had not been in a hurry to get back, I would have just stopped and watched for awhile.