DRAFT Regional Rail Service The Vermont Way Authored by Christopher Parker and Carl Fowler November 30, 2017 Contents Contents 2 Executive Summary 4 The Budd Car RDC Advantage 5 Project System Description 6 Routes 6 Schedule 7 Major Employers and Markets 8 Commuter vs. Intercity Designation 10 Project Developer 10 Stakeholders 10 Transportation organizations 10 Town and City Governments 11 Colleges and Universities 11 Resorts 11 Host Railroads 11 Vermont Rail Systems 11 New England Central Railroad 12 Amtrak 12 Possible contract operators 12 Dispatching 13 Liability Insurance 13 Tracks and Right-of-Way 15 Upgraded Track 15 Safety: Grade Crossing Upgrades 15 Proposed Standard 16 Upgrades by segment 16 Cost of Upgrades 17 Safety 19 Platforms and Stations 20 Proposed Stations 20 Existing Stations 22 Construction Methods of New Stations 22 Current and Historical Precedents 25 Rail in Vermont 25 Regional Rail Service in the United States 27 New Mexico 27 Maine 27 Oregon 28 Arizona and Rural New York 28 Rural Massachusetts 28 Executive Summary For more than twenty years various studies have responded to a yearning in Vermont for a regional passenger rail service which would connect Vermont towns and cities. This White Paper, commissioned by Champ P3, LLC reviews the opportunities for and obstacles to delivering rail service at a rural scale appropriate for a rural state. Champ P3 is a mission driven public-private partnership modeled on the Eagle P3 which built Denver’s new commuter rail network. Vermont’s two railroads, Vermont Rail System and Genesee & Wyoming, have experience hosting and operating commuter rail service utilizing Budd cars. Twelve rebuilt Budd cars have been purchased and are in good condition. The Budd cars offer a lighter footprint of capital and operating costs and a significant reduction in greenhouse gasses. Three routes are discussed: 1.) St. Albans to Burlington/Essex Junction, 2.) Montpelier/Barre to Burlington, 3.) Rutland to Burlington. The routes total 142 miles of which 125 miles are operated or planned to be operated by Amtrak and are already rated for 59 mph passenger service. Amtrak’s Vermonter operates from Montpelier Junction through Waterbury and Essex Junction to St. Albans on track owned by Genesee & Wyoming’s New England Central Railroad that was rebuilt with ARRA funds for the purpose of enhanced passenger service. Amtrak’s Ethan Allen will soon be extended north from Rutland through Middlebury to downtown Burlington. The track is being rebuilt to 59 mph. Service could supplement, not replace, existing LINK commuter busses. The railroad passes close to several large employers the LINK bus does not reach, notably the Global Foundries campus, Fletcher-Allen’s Fanny Allen campus and Saint Michael’s College. The LINK, will better serve the University of Vermont, Fletcher Allen’s main campus and National Life. Twenty-four major employers are adjacent or very close to the tracks and are identified within this White Paper. Passenger equipment has been purchased and the majority of track identified in suggested routes is already rated for passenger service. The one-size-fits-all approach to urban rail service, does not always apply to a regional rural approach or as we call it, The Vermont Way. The Budd Car RDC Advantage AllEarth Rail, LLC has purchased a fleet of self-propelled rail- diesel cars (RDC) which may be deployed to provide Vermont’s Regional Rail Service. This White Paper outlines several possible service scenarios using the fully renovated RDC cars. From 1949 to 1962 the Budd Company built a highly successful series of stainless steel, self-propelled passenger cars for many railroads. Mounting engines under the cars allowed trains without locomotives and provided a fuel savings. AllEarth Rail has purchased and transported to Vermont a fleet of 12 cars, all of which were rebuilt and are reliable and comfortable. This equipment was used from 1995 to 2012 in the Dallas to Fort Worth, TX area, running as the Trinity Rail Express (TRE). TRE was operated by Herzog. TRE acquired the cars in well- maintained condition from VIA Rail Canada. They were extensively renovated by TRE to “like-new” condition and approved by the FRA for operation. AllEarth Rail also purchased an extensive inventory of spare parts to support future operations. The environmental benefits of self-propelled RDC railcars are well established. A four-car locomotive hauled train burns 2.23 gallons per mile on average compared to an RDC which uses 0.42 gallons per mile. RDC cars have a long history of service in New England. The largest fleet of RDC cars in the 1950s/60s was owned by the Boston and Maine RR. The B&M ran RDC services over virtually its entire network. An example was the combined Boston-Montreal “Alouette” service, which divided at Wells River, VT into shorter trains to both Montreal (over lines of the Canadian Pacific) and Berlin, NH. For several years the Springfield to Montreal daylight “Ambassador” train was operated with RDC cars. RDCs were not used on the Rutland RR, as it exited the passenger business too early for RDCs, but the Central Vermont, Canadian Pacific and Boston and Maine lines in Vermont all hosted a variety of RDC trains. These services ended around the time Interstates 89 and 91 were built. A critical advantage of RDC cars is their ability to operate with a very efficient staffing level. An RDC can potentially be operated with only an engineer (driver) and certainly with no more than a two-person crew. A locomotive hauled Amtrak train requires 3-5 employees, depending on the length of the train. RDCs also require much less elaborate stations and can rapidly accelerate, allowing better overall schedules with the more frequent stops characteristic of a regional service than with locomotive hauled trains. Each RDC has two engines and is equipped to move in either direction without needing to be turned around to change directions. Additionally, the cars can be coupled and uncoupled permitting the RDCs to divide and move in different directions. For example, two coupled cars coming up from Montpelier might arrive in Essex Junction: one car could go north to St. Albans, and a second car could move on to Union Station in Burlington. Project System Description Routes It is currently possible to have service over three lines—essentially interconnecting Vermont cities and towns. The network could have trains serving: • Rutland and Burlington, a 67-mile run using newly renovated 59mph Class Three track on the Vermont Rail System mainline all the way. Middlebury and Shelburne are the largest communities enroute. Amtrak’s extended Ethan Allen will take this route and will stop at Middlebury and Vergennes. Large employers exist at Rutland, Middlebury and Burlington. • Burlington and Essex Junction, the core of the network, an 8-mile connection between Vermont’s two largest cities, passing through Winooski. Tracks are owned by the New England Central Railroad and operated at class 1 standards (15 mph). Additionally, along this route are o Global Foundaries o The Fanny Allen campus of Fletcher Allen Health Care o St. Michael's College o Burlington airport a short shuttle ride south. • St. Albans/Essex Jct. (and on to Burlington), a 26-mile run on tracks operated by the NECR at 59 mph and used by Amtrak’s Vermonter. Major employment centers are at St. Albans and Global Foundries in Essex Junction as noted above. Amtrak stops at Essex Junction and St. Albans. Milton is an additional significant online town. • Barre/Montpelier, Essex Jct. (and on to Burlington), a 40-mile run using track operated by the New England Central Railroad at 59 mph for 32 miles and then VRS/Washington County Railroad for 7.7 miles from Barre to Montpelier Jct. The Washington County Railroad will need to be rebuilt. A major employer is the State of Vermont and communities along the route include Waterbury, Montpelier and Barre. Amtrak’s Vermonter runs much of this route. Service as suggested above could be built in stages. Track from Burlington to Rutland and between St. Albans, Essex Jct., and Montpelier Jct. is already in FRA Class Three 59 mph passenger speed condition. The renovation of the 8-mile Burlington to Essex Jct. branch to Class Two, 35mph conditions is essential. The Burlington-Rutland route is currently being upgraded for the extension of the Ethan Allen. The routes total 142 miles of which 125 miles are operated or planned to be operated by Amtrak and are already in good shape for passenger operations. Schedule It is premature to define schedules. Service might operate on the full network of lines identified above or a subset. The public planning process starts with a need, engages with the community and builds a service around it. The service on the lines could be operated with four train sets and limited to five round trips on each segment. An additional round trip will be operated by Amtrak on some routes. Rail service could complement rather than replace existing Link bus service. Link bus service could continue to serve the large employment centers of the University of Vermont, Fletcher Allen and National Life directly with no change. Meanwhile rail will directly serve Vermont’s largest employer, Global Foundaries, the Fanny Allen campus and St. Michael's College. Other large employers in Burlington, South Burlington, Middlebury, Waterbury and Montpelier could be served by both. The route to Rutland, could complement the projected Amtrak service providing a morning run into Burlington and an evening return. Exact timings have not been determined. Major Employers and Markets The system could serve commuters going to work, students traveling to school, medical trips, personal business, sporting events, ski resorts and visits to friends and family.