Connecticut State Rail Plan, 2010

CONNECTICUT STATE RAIL PLAN 2010-2014 DRAFT TDOT August 2010 PRELIMINARY 2010 CONNECTICUT STATE RAIL PLAN __________________________________________________________________ TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF FIGURES.......................................................................................................... 4 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ................................................................................................ 6 CHAPTER 1 – STATE RAIL VISION, GOALS, OBJECTIVES, AND STRATEGIES..... 8 1.1 VISION OF RAIL TRANSPORTATION IN CONNECTICUT .......................................................9 1.2 GOALS, OBJECTIVES, AND STRATEGIES FOR RAIL SERVICE IN CONNECTICUT............9 CHAPTER 2 – FEDERAL AND STATE MANDATED FACTORS................................ 11 2.1 FEDERAL LEGISLATION AND PLANNING REQUIREMENTS ..............................................12 2.2 STATE LEGISLATION AND PLANNING REQUIREMENTS....................................................13 CHAPTER 3 – DESCRIPTION OF RAIL SYSTEM IN CONNECTICUT ....................... 18 3.1 GENERAL OVERVIEW OF THE RAIL SYSTEM ......................................................................18 3.2 HISTORY OF CONNECTICUT RAILROADS - SUMMARY ......................................................19 CHAPTER 4 – COMMUTER PASSENGER RAIL NETWORK..................................... 23 4.1 INVENTORY OF COMMUTER RAIL NETWORK .....................................................................23 4.2 COMMUTER RAIL SERVICE OVERVIEW ...............................................................................26 4.3 RAIL FACILITIES, SYSTEMS, AND EQUIPMENT...................................................................27 4.4 COMMUTER RAIL ASSET CONDITION ..................................................................................36 4.5 PLANNING AND INITIATIVES..................................................................................................43 CHAPTER 5 – INTERCITY PASSENGER RAIL NETWORK....................................... 49 5.1 INVENTORY OF INTERCITY PASSENGER RAIL NETWORK................................................49 5.2 INTERCITY PASSENGER SERVICE OVERVIEW ...................................................................51 5.3 INTERCITY PASSENGER RAIL STATIONS AND FACILITIES...............................................52 5.4 ASSET CONDITION..................................................................................................................52 5.5 HIGH-SPEED RAIL AND NORTHEAST CORRIDOR PLANNING AND INITIATIVES.............54 CHAPTER 6 – FREIGHT RAIL NETWORK ................................................................. 58 6.1 FREIGHT RAIL SERVICE OVERVIEW AND FACILITIES........................................................58 6.2 INVENTORY OF THE FREIGHT RAIL NETWORK...................................................................63 6.3 FREIGHT ASSET CONDITION .................................................................................................70 6.4 FREIGHT RAIL OPERATORS CONCERNS.............................................................................77 6.5 RAIL LINE ABANDONMENTS AND REOPENINGS................................................................80 6.6 CORRIDOR PLANNING AND REGIONAL CONNECTIVITY ...................................................81 CHAPTER 7 - INTERMODAL RAIL CONNECTIONS AND FACILITIES ..................... 83 7.1 MAJOR RAIL INTERMODAL CONNECTIONS AND FACILITIES ...........................................84 7.2 RAIL IN AND AROUND NEW HAVEN HARBOR .....................................................................86 7.3 RAIL IN AND AROUND NEW LONDON HARBOR ..................................................................88 7.4 RAIL IN AND AROUND BRIDGEPORT HARBOR ...................................................................91 CHAPTER 8 – ECONOMIC IMPACT AND DEVELOPMENT....................................... 94 8.1 REVIEW OF DEMOGRAPHIC TRENDS AND PLANNING DATA............................................94 8.2 ECONOMIC IMPACTS OF RAIL.............................................................................................101 8.3 MODELING CONNECTICUT WITHOUT RAIL TRANSPORT ................................................108 Page 2 PRELIMINARY 2010 CONNECTICUT STATE RAIL PLAN __________________________________________________________________ CHAPTER 9 – ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENT......................................................... 111 9.1 ENERGY USE .........................................................................................................................112 9.2 AIR QUALITY ..........................................................................................................................113 9.3 EFFORTS TO REDUCE LOCOMOTIVE EMMISSIONS .........................................................115 9.4 LAND USE AND COMMUNITY IMPACTS..............................................................................116 CHAPTER 10 - SAFETY AND SECURITY................................................................. 118 10.1 RAIL SAFETY .........................................................................................................................118 10.2 SECURING THE RAIL SYSTEM.............................................................................................125 CHAPTER 11 – LONG-RANGE SERVICE AND INVESTMENT PROGRAM ............ 131 11.1 INVESTMENT STRATEGIES..................................................................................................131 11.2 NEAR –TERM ACTIONS.........................................................................................................133 CHAPTER 12 – PUBLIC FUNDING FOR RAIL PROJECTS AND SERVICES ......... 136 12.1 FEDERAL FUNDING PROGRAM...........................................................................................136 12.2 STATE FUNDING PROGRAM ................................................................................................138 12.3 FREIGHT CAPITAL INVESTMENT PROGRAM.....................................................................150 CHAPTER 13 – PERFORMANCE EVALUATION OF PASSENGER RAIL SERVICES .................................................................................................................................... 152 CHAPTER 14 – PLAN OUTREACH AND DEVELOPMENT PROCESS.................... 163 APPENDIX A (LONG RANGE SERVICE AND INVESTMENT PROGRAM)………………………….……. 167 APPENDIX B (LONG RANGE SERVICE AND INVESTMENT PROGRAM – Funding Tables) ………………. 211 Page 3 PRELIMINARY 2010 CONNECTICUT STATE RAIL PLAN __________________________________________________________________ LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1. Guiding Principles......................................................................................................14 Figure 2. Connecticut’s Transportation Strategies....................................................................15 Figure 3. Growth Management Principles in Conservation & Development Policies Plan........16 Figure 4. Development Area Policies (In order of priority) ........................................................16 Figure 5. Conservation Area Policies (In order of priority) ........................................................16 Figure 6. 2007 Connecticut Rail Ownership and Service Map .................................................19 Figure 7. Passenger Rail Services and Providers in the State.................................................23 Figure 8. Stamford Intermodal Center - Stamford, Connecticut ...............................................24 Figure 9. Operating Statistics ...................................................................................................27 Figure 10. Branford Station on SLE ...........................................................................................28 Figure 11. New Haven Main Line Parking Information ..............................................................30 Figure 12. New Haven Branch Line Parking Information...........................................................31 Figure 13. Connecticut Railroad Bridge Inventory .....................................................................33 Figure 14. Rail Rolling Stock Unit Summary..............................................................................34 Figure 15. M8 Rail Car...............................................................................................................35 Figure 16. Bride Condition Ratings ............................................................................................40 Figure 17. Railroad Bridge Condition Rating by Location ..........................................................41 Figure 18. Average Age of Connecticut Owned Rail Fleet ........................................................42 Figure 19. NEC Core Network and Feeder Lines ......................................................................49 Figure 20. Train Traversing the Connecticut River Bridge.........................................................50 Figure 21. Amtrak Ridership in Connecticut by Station .............................................................51 Figure 22. Designated High-Speed Rail Corridors Map (FRA.DOT.GOV).................................54 Figure 23. Amtrak Acela Service ...............................................................................................55 Figure 24. Major Cities: Portland, Boston, and Montreal (Source: FRA) ..................................56 Figure 25. Freight Railroad Rights of Way Miles in Connecticut................................................59

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