Washington State 2010-2030 Freight Rail Plan December 2009 For more information, contact: Call the WSDOT State Rail and Marine Office at (360) 705-7900; Write to the WSDOT State Rail and Marine Office at P.O. Box 47407, Olympia, WA 98504-7407; Fax your comments to (360) 705-6821; or E-mail your comments to [email protected] Americans with Disabilities Act Information: Materials can be provided in alternative formats: large print, Braille, cassette tape, or on computer disk for people with disabilities by calling the Office of Equal Opportunity (OEO) at (360) 705-7097. Persons who are deaf or hard of hearing may contact OEO through the Washington Relay Service at 7-1-1. Title VI Statement to Public: It is the Washington State Department of Transportation’s (WSDOT) policy to assure that no person shall, on the grounds of race, color, national origin and sex, as provided by Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be otherwise discriminated against under any of its federally funded programs and activities. Any person who believes his/her Title VI protection has been violated, may file a complaint with WSDOT’s Office of Equal Opportunity (OEO). For Title VI complaint forms and advice, please contact OEO’s Title VI Coordinator at (360) 705-7098. Washington State 2010-2030 Freight Rail Plan Prepared by Washington State Department of Transportation State Rail and Marine Office December 2009 Table of Contents Executive Summary Introduction............................................................................................ES-1 2030 Vision for Freight Rail in Washington State ................................ES-2 Rail Infrastructure Needs and Investment Program...............................ES-8 Preservation of At-Risk Railroads .........................................................ES-8 Freight System Issues and Needs.........................................................ES-14 Statewide Information and Data Needs ...............................................ES-17 The Partners .........................................................................................ES-18 Investment Prioritization and Project Evaluation ................................ES-18 Financing the Needs.............................................................................ES-19 State Role.............................................................................................ES-19 Conclusion ...........................................................................................ES-20 Chapter 1: Plan Purpose and Authority Purpose of the State Freight Rail Plan..................................................... 1-1 Washington State Department of Transportation .................................... 1-1 WSDOT’s State Rail and Marine Office ................................................. 1-1 State and Federal Legislative and Planning Requirements...................... 1-2 Development of the State Freight Rail Plan ............................................ 1-4 Plan Organization .................................................................................... 1-9 Chapter 2: State Rail Vision Introduction.............................................................................................. 2-1 Macroeconomic Environment.................................................................. 2-3 Changes in Transportation....................................................................... 2-4 Vision of Rail Transportation in Washington State................................. 2-9 Goals, Objectives, Strategies, and Actions.............................................. 2-9 Conclusion ............................................................................................. 2-16 Chapter 3: Rail System and Freight Rail Services in Washington State Overview of Washington State Rail System Services ............................. 3-1 Washington State Freight Rail System Profiles....................................... 3-5 Capacity of the Washington State Rail System ..................................... 3-20 Recent Major Policy Changes Impacting the Rail System in Washington State ................................................................................... 3-29 Washington State 2010-2030 Freight Rail Plan December 2009 Table of Contents Page i Chapter 4: Freight Rail Services – Effects on the Economy and Society Functions of Freight in Washington’s Economy ..................................... 4-1 Freight Rail in Washington’s Economy................................................... 4-2 Major Drivers in Freight Rail Demand.................................................. 4-13 Future Demand – Washington State Rail Forecast................................ 4-18 Chapter 5: The Changing Rail System – Issue Discussion and Needs Assessment Overview of Issues and Needs Assessment............................................. 5-1 Rail Abandonments: Recent, Proposed, and At-Risk Lines .................... 5-3 Port Access ............................................................................................ 5-10 Intermodal Connectors........................................................................... 5-16 Rail Freight System Issues and Needs................................................... 5-20 New Services ......................................................................................... 5-29 Emerging Issues..................................................................................... 5-29 Summary................................................................................................ 5-44 Chapter 6: State Roles and Partners Washington State’s Current Roles........................................................... 6-1 Washington’s Strategic Partners.............................................................. 6-6 Strategic Planning.................................................................................. 6-10 Future Roles........................................................................................... 6-12 Continued Statewide Coordination and Partnerships ............................ 6-14 Conclusion ............................................................................................. 6-15 Chapter 7: Investment Prioritizing and Project Evaluation Public and Private Benefits...................................................................... 7-1 Freight Rail Investment Analysis in Washington State........................... 7-3 Rail Benefit/Impact Evaluation Methodology – Description ................ 7-11 Limitations and Future Improvements................................................... 7-16 Chapter 8: Financing Washington’s Freight Rail System Needs for Investment ............................................................................... 8-1 Funding for Freight Rail ........................................................................ 8-10 Current Funding Sources ....................................................................... 8-14 Strategies................................................................................................ 8-28 Vision for Future Funding ..................................................................... 8-30 Summary................................................................................................ 8-32 December 2009 Washington State 2010-2030 Freight Rail Plan Page ii Table of Contents Chapter 9: Challenges and Opportunities Transportation Challenges ....................................................................... 9-1 Transportation Opportunities: Implementation of the Plan ..................... 9-3 Conclusion ............................................................................................... 9-7 List of Exhibits Exhibit ES-1: Washington State Rail Map ...........................................ES-4 Exhibit ES-2: Washington State Rail Freight Directional Flows - 2007 ..................................................................ES-5 Exhibit ES-3: Top 10 Commodities Shipped by Rail Washington State 2007 ..................................................ES-6 Exhibit ES-4: Freight-Dependent Sectors Employment Washington State 2008 First Quarter.............................ES-7 Exhibit ES-5: Greenhouse Gas Emissions by Mode ............................ES-7 Exhibit ES-6: Washington Rail Investments ........................................ES-9 Exhibit ES-7: Ports of Washington State............................................ES-11 Exhibit ES-8: Intermodal Freight Connectors in Washington State...ES-13 Exhibit 2-1: Washington 2005 GHG Emissions .................................. 2-6 Exhibit 2-2: Greenhouse Gas Emissions by Mode .............................. 2-7 Exhibit 3-1: Washington State Rail System......................................... 3-2 Exhibit 3-2: Washington State Rail Freight 1991 to 2007................... 3-4 Exhibit 3-3: Rail Freight Flows in Washington State – 2007.............. 3-5 Exhibit 3-4: Freight Rail Intermodal Traffic – Washington State 2007 .................................................... 3-5 Exhibit 3-5: Washington Freight Railroads, Mileage, and Class......... 3-7 Exhibit 3-6: Rail Service Corridors in Washington State.................... 3-8 Exhibit 3-7: Rail Intermodal Facilities in Washington State ............. 3-15 Exhibit 3-8: Railroad Terminals and Yards Impacting Washington State Rail Movements................................ 3-16 Exhibit 3-9: 2008 Rail Line Capacity ...............................................