DRPT Draft Rail Plan 2C.Qxp
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Chapter 4 Potential Improvements to the Rail System ased on current conditions and anticipated :: Improving passenger rail by enhancing system :: TransDominion Express (TDX) Update Report trends, this chapter presents potential rail performance and adding capacity (2007) Binvestments in the Commonwealth. They are :: I-81 Corridor Improvement Study Tier I Final presented in four categories: The total rail needs identified also provide the Environmental Impact Statement (2007) :: Class I and Shortline Railroad Improvements, foundation for a six year funding plan, which in turn :: Roanoke Region Intermodal Facility Summary including the Norfolk Southern Heartland Corridor supports the long-range vision for rail in Virginia Report (2008) and CSX National Gateway Corridor through the 2035 planning horizon. :: Opportunities for Truck to Rail Diversion in :: Rail Improvements to Virginia Ports Virginia’s I-81 Corridor (Ongoing) :: Passenger Rail Improvements for VRE and Amtrak Methodology :: Southeast High Speed Rail Corridor Tier II EIS :: Southeast High-Speed Rail Rail improvement needs have been identified by the (Ongoing) Commonwealth through previous and ongoing :: Richmond/Hampton Roads Passenger Rail Tier I Figure 4-1 shows the location of these major investment studies, including: Environmental Impact Statement (Ongoing) improvements throughout the Commonwealth. :: I-95 Corridor Coalition: Mid-Atlantic Rail :: Richmond Area Rail Improvement Project Operations Study - MAROPS Phase I (2002) Environmental Assessment (Ongoing) All improvements address one or more of the :: Southeast High Speed Rail Corridor – Tier I following: Environmental Impact Statement (2002) Summaries of the above reports and studies are :: Reducing passenger car and truck freight traffic to :: The Northeast – Southwest – Midwest Corridor available on the DRPT website at alleviate highway congestion, reduce energy Marketing Study (2003) http://www.drpt.virginia.gov. Also reviewed were demands and reduce pollutants :: Governor’s Commission on Rail Enhancement for strategic plans developed by the Virginia Port :: Increasing freight capacity throughout the the 21st Century Report (2004) Authority, Amtrak, VRE, the Heartland Corridor Commonwealth to support greater demand for :: Washington, DC to Richmond Third Track Initiative and DRPT’s Public Transportation and freight rail shipping, growth in the coal industry Feasibility Study (2006) Transportation Demand Management (TDM) plan. and improved capacity at Virginia’s ports Virginia Statewide Rail Plan - DRAFT Potential Improvements to the Rail System 49 Figure 4-1 POTENTIAL RAIL INVESTMENT LOCATIONS M Passenger Rail Corridor Initiatives A R Y L Virginia Port Improvements A N D D Washington, DC E NS Heartland Corridor L Arlington A W CSX National Corridor Haymarket Alexandria Gainesville A Powell’s Creek R Southeast High-Speed Rail Manassas E Cherry Hill VRE Station Arkendale A I Fredericksburg N I G R I V T Doswell S E W Richmond K Y Lynchburg Centralia U C K E N T Roanoke Newport News VPA/VIT Kilby E S E N O R T H CAROLINA E S T E N N 50 Potential Improvements to the Rail System Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation The freight railroads are private, for-profit businesses The cost estimates are in 2008 dollars unless The total cost estimate includes long term rail needs and, in accordance with federal policies concerning otherwise noted. Cost estimates include capital costs that contain significant public benefits associated competitiveness, do not release certain information. only. No operating or equipment costs are included; with improving passenger rail, reducing highway The Statewide Rail Plan provides general information they will be identified in the State Action Rail Plan. congestion and fostering economic development. about Class I freight rail improvement projects. Some needs could be met within current state Project cost estimates for Norfolk Southern and CSX In the information that follows, project needs are funding streams consistent with the development of have been provided by the respective railroads and presented in two ways: 1) as part of major the Six Year Improvement Plan. These projects will are being evaluated by the Commonwealth. Commonwealth transportation that serves corridor represent the short-term needs that will be identified initiatives for multimodal networks in accordance in the Rail Action Plan, with all or some portion of In the case of shortline railroads, DRPT assisted in with Virginia’s long range transportation plan; and the remaining projects to be programmed into the the development of cost estimates for future capital 2) as an industry project associated with the Class I 2035 long range plan based on public benefits and needs and projects. For passenger rail projects, DRPT railroads (Norfolk Southern and CSX), the 10 available funding. This document does not address and North Carolina are conducting separate but shortline railroads, passenger rail operators (Amtrak the allocation of costs among public (federal, state, coordinated detailed planning and engineering and VRE) and the Ports of Hampton Roads. Due to local) and private potential project partners. The analysis that, while not yet complete, provides the their significant impact on rail traffic and potential allocation of costs will also be determined through best estimate of costs to date. economic development in connecting Virginia to the State Rail Action Plan, scheduled for publication global markets, the ports were considered as a in fall 2008. Due to market uncertainties and significant recent separate category in determining rail improvement cost increases associated with railroad construction, needs. these are conservative cost estimates. It is the Commonwealth’s standard practice to execute Corridor improvements are those projects within project agreements with the railroads that allocate identified transportation corridors that will increase 100 percent of the risk of cost escalation to the the freight shipments to and from ports, improve private sector in delivering capital projects. Any rail commuter and intercity rail within regions of the project that receives public funding from the Commonwealth and other freight improvement Commonwealth must represent the best value for projects identified by Class I and shortline railroads the taxpayer’s dollar and procurement of design and in Virginia. The total cost for all rail transportation construction services must be in accordance with corridor improvements is approximately $5 billion Commonwealth policies. This requires the bidding of using the upper end cost estimates for projects that construction contracts to insure competitiveness and are presented within a range. This total cost opportunities for small, woman and minority owned represents an average annual expense of businesses (SWaM) to participate. approximately $185 million for the 27-year period beginning 2009 through 2035. All costs are stated in 2008 dollars without escalation to potential year of expenditure. Virginia Statewide Rail Plan - DRAFT Potential Improvements to the Rail System 51 Class I and Shortline Railroads CSX National Gateway Corridor (I-95, I-295 stack clearance projects, construction of a rail yard The projects described in this section total $1.8 and I-495) and funding to support clearance of the Virginia billion for both Class I and shortline railroads. Project Cost: $ 48 million Avenue Tunnel in Washington, DC Some rail Freight rail improvements on the CSX multi-state improvements within the National Gateway corridor Class I and Shortline Railroad National Gateway (I-95) Corridor are shown in in Virginia provide dual benefits to improve passenger Project Costs Figure 4-2. and freight rail operations in categories such as on- time performance by separating passenger and The National Gateway project is designed to freight rail operations in congested areas. Project Costs improve the efficiency of freight rail shipping for the NS Class I $ 1.7 billion Mid-Atlantic ports of Baltimore, MD, Virginia, and Annual Benefits for Virginia CSX Class I $ 48.0 million Wilmington, NC and the markets in Pennsylvania, Shortline Railroad $ 68.0 million West Virginia, Ohio and other Midwestern states. Total Costs $ 1.8 billion The project extends through six states and the District of Columbia and consists of approximately $700 million in projects to expand capacity and Removes Saves over Saves 61,705 provide clearance for double-stack intermodal trains, 130,000 trucks 31.9 million tons of CO2 from I-95 gallons of fuel emissions improving the flow of international and domestic corridor freight between these regions. Included in the National Gateway are the expansion of several Project Status existing intermodal facilities and construction of new facilities to manage current and projected demand CSX National Gateway Corridor Project for freight movement along the corridor. At CSX’s Development Status request, Cambridge Systematics conducted a cost Proposed benefit analysis for the project and estimates that Task Completion Dates the diversion of truck traffic to rail will range from Planning and Analysis 2008 186,000 (moderate scenario) to 375,000 truckload Preliminary Engineering 2009 equivalents (aggressive scenario) on an annual basis if the improvements are implemented. Final Design 2010 Construction 2013 Virginia’s portion of the CSX National Gateway Operation 2013 improvements is estimated at $48 million. The CSX proposal for National Gateway improvements assumes