State Rail Plan May 2012 Table of Contents 1.0 Introduction and Vision ...................................................................................................... 1 1.1 Historical Highlights of Rail in Missouri ...................................................................... 2 1.2 Overview of Rail in Missouri Today ........................................................................... 2 1.3 The Benefits of Rail .................................................................................................. 4 1.4 Federal Requirements ............................................................................................... 5 1.5 Vision for Missouri Rail Service ................................................................................. 8 1.6 Goals and Objectives ................................................................................................ 8 1.7 Organization of the Plan .......................................................................................... 10 2.0 Existing Conditions ........................................................................................................... 12 2.1 Freight Rail System Profile ...................................................................................... 12 2.2 Freight Rail Traffic ................................................................................................... 16 2.3 Passenger Service Profile ....................................................................................... 19 2.4 Railroad Safety ........................................................................................................ 23 3.0 Economic Conditions and Forecast..................................................................................... 25 4.0 Evaluation of Missouri’s Rail Capacity ................................................................................ 31 4.1 Existing Capacity Generation Methodology ............................................................. 31 4.2 Future Capacity Generation Methodology ............................................................... 36 5.0 Previous Plans and Studies ................................................................................................ 39 5.1 Statewide Plans and Programs ............................................................................... 40 5.2 Regional Plans and Studies .................................................................................... 41 5.3 Multi-State and National Plans and Studies ............................................................. 42 6.0 Funding and Organizational Opportunities .......................................................................... 44 6.1 State Legislation and Funding Supporting Passenger Rail Projects ........................ 44 6.2 Federal Legislation and Funding Supporting Passenger Rail Projects ..................... 49 6.3 Federal Capital Funding for High Speed & Intercity Passenger Rail Improvements ......................................................................................................... 51 6.4 Public Private Partnerships ..................................................................................... 54 6.5 Rail Program Organization in Other States .............................................................. 55 Missouri State Rail Plan i 7.0 Outreach Activities ............................................................................................................ 58 7.1 Goals and Objectives .............................................................................................. 58 7.2 Stakeholder Database ............................................................................................. 58 7.3 Community Workshops and Public Meetings – Round One..................................... 59 7.4 Public Meetings – Round Two ................................................................................. 65 7.5 Surveys ................................................................................................................... 69 7.6 Project Website, Newsletters and Social Media ....................................................... 71 7.7 Media Coverage ..................................................................................................... 71 8.0 Investment Packages Proposed and Evaluated ................................................................. 72 8.1 Benefits of Preserving Current Service .................................................................... 73 8.2 Investment Packages .............................................................................................. 74 8.3 Economic Impacts of Rail System Investment ......................................................... 77 8.4 Societal Benefits from Investing in Missouri’s Rail System ...................................... 79 8.5 Comparative Benefits of Investment Packages ....................................................... 80 8.6 Conclusions ............................................................................................................ 82 9.0 Other Societal Benefits of Rail Investments ....................................................................... 84 9.1 Environmental Considerations ................................................................................. 84 9.2 Transportation ......................................................................................................... 87 9.3 Land Use and Community Resources ..................................................................... 87 9.4 Noise and Vibration ................................................................................................. 90 9.5 Other Environmental Considerations ....................................................................... 91 9.6 Summary of Environmental Considerations ............................................................. 92 9.7 Regional Balance .................................................................................................... 92 10.0 Recommendations ........................................................................................................... 94 10.1 Strategies for Passenger and Freight Rail Policy Development ............................ 94 10.2 Proposed Policies for Passenger and Freight Rail Development in Missouri ......... 95 Missouri State Rail Plan ii LIST OF TABLES Table 1: Missouri State Rail Plan Compliance with Federal Rail Plan Requirements .............. 6 Table 2: Railroads Operating in Missouri .............................................................................. 14 Table 3: Rail Inbound Dependency for Missouri Industries ................................................... 17 Table 4: Rail Internal Dependency for Missouri Industries .................................................... 18 Table 5: Rail Export Dependency for Missouri Industries ...................................................... 19 Table 6: Total Missouri Passenger Rail Ridership by Rail Line and Fiscal Year .................... 22 Table 7: Imports to Missouri by Commodity Group (2011-2031) - Domestic and International Combined ..................................................................................................................... 26 Table 8: Exports from Missouri by Commodity Group (2011-2031) - Domestic and International Combined ................................................................................................. 27 Table 9: Imports to Missouri by Origin (2011-2031) - Domestic and International Combined 28 Table 10: Exports from Missouri by Destination (2011-2031) - Domestic and International Combined ..................................................................................................................... 28 Table 11: Employment Trend and Forecast for Missouri Industries ...................................... 29 Table 12: Average Capacity of Freight Rail Corridors (Trains per Day) ................................. 33 Table 13: Volume to Capacity Ratio and Level of Service Grades ........................................ 34 Table 14: Previous Rail Plans and Studies ........................................................................... 39 Table 15: MoDOT Rail Program Revenue Contributions from Missouri Railroads................. 46 Table 16: Annual State Operating Support for Amtrak Missouri River Runner Service ...... 47 Table 17: Federal Rail Grant Awards to Missouri 2007 - 2011 .............................................. 53 Table 18: Round 1 Public Meetings ..................................................................................... 59 Table 19: Round Two Public Meetings ................................................................................. 65 Table 20: Description of Investment Packages ..................................................................... 75 Table 21: Proposed Investment in Missouri’s Economy ........................................................ 77 Table 22: Net Economic Impact of Investment Scenarios after Tax Impact .......................... 78 Table 23: Estimated User Benefits of Passenger Rail Investment Packages ........................ 82 Table 24: Proposed 20-Year Program – Missouri Rail Projects, Priorities and Strategies Recommendations ...................................................................................................... 102 Missouri State Rail Plan iii LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1: Missouri Railroad Existing Network .......................................................................