Washington State Long-Range Plan for Amtrak Cascades February 2006 Prepared by the Freight Systems Division Washington State Department of Transportation February 2006 For more information, contact: z Call the WSDOT State Rail Office at (360) 705-7900 or 1-800-822-2015; z Write to the WSDOT State Rail Office at P.O. Box 47407, Olympia, WA 98504-7407; z Fax your comments to (360) 705-6821; or z E-mail your comments to [email protected] Persons with disabilities may request this information be prepared and supplied in alternate forms by calling the WSDOT ADA Accommodation Hotline collect 206-389-2839. Persons with vision or hearing impairments may access the WA State Telecommunications Relay Service at TT 1-800-833-6388, Tele-Braille 1-800-833-6385, or Voice 1-800-833-6384, and ask to be connected to 360-705-7097. Washington State Long-Range Plan for Amtrak Cascades Prepared for the Washington State Department of Transportation By The Resource Group Consultants, Inc. Transit Safety Management, Inc. HDR Engineering, Inc. Berk & Associates, Inc. AECOM Consult, Inc. February 2006 Table of Contents List of Exhibits .......................................................................................................iii Executive Summary................................................................................................v Chapter One: Introduction ..................................................................................1-1 What is intercity passenger rail? .......................................................................................... 1-1 Where do the trains run? ...................................................................................................... 1-2 Why does intercity passenger rail service in this corridor make sense?............................... 1-2 When did planning for passenger rail service begin?........................................................... 1-3 Has WSDOT coordinated with other agencies while developing this plan?........................ 1-8 Have any parts of this plan been implemented?................................................................... 1-9 What information is contained in this plan?....................................................................... 1-10 Chapter Two: Purpose of the Program ..............................................................2-1 Why do we need this plan?................................................................................................... 2-2 What specific planning requirements are satisfied by this plan?.......................................... 2-2 Why can’t we just increase train speeds and put more trains on the tracks now?................ 2-4 What else is going on in the corridor?.................................................................................. 2-4 How will these activities affect WSDOT’s rail program?.................................................... 2-6 Chapter Three: Washington’s Vision for Amtrak Cascades Service...............3-1 What type of passenger rail service do we have today?....................................................... 3-2 What is the difference between long-distance trains and corridor trains?............................ 3-3 What type of future service is WSDOT planning?............................................................... 3-3 How many people will ride the train? .................................................................................. 3-8 What if ridership doesn’t increase as projected?................................................................ 3-10 Can these goals be achieved under the current funding level?........................................... 3-12 Chapter Four: Amtrak Cascades Program Components..................................4-1 Why are grade crossing upgrades needed?........................................................................... 4-1 Why are speed increases needed?......................................................................................... 4-3 Why are enhanced train signals and communication systems needed?................................ 4-4 Why are new passenger trains needed?................................................................................ 4-4 How are passenger rail stations being upgraded?................................................................. 4-6 Why are improved tracks and facilities needed?................................................................ 4-17 Are locations identified for these track and facility improvements?.................................. 4-20 Washington State Long-Range Plan for Amtrak Cascades February 2006 Table of Contents Page i Chapter Five: Amtrak Cascades Needed Infrastructure Improvements .........5-1 How were these improvements identified? .......................................................................... 5-1 What were the results of these analyses? ............................................................................. 5-3 What are the identified infrastructure improvements? ......................................................... 5-6 How will WSDOT and the BNSF work together to construct these infrastructure improvements?.................................................................................... 5-24 What projects will be undertaken by other agencies? ........................................................ 5-25 When will these projects be built and how will they affect Amtrak Cascades service? .... 5-29 Once funding becomes available, what are the first steps? ................................................ 5-33 Chapter Six: Environmental and Community Considerations.........................6-1 What environmental resource areas have been reviewed? ................................................... 6-1 What are the potential impacts? ........................................................................................... 6-8 Are there specific areas of concern?..................................................................................... 6-8 What are the long-term impacts?........................................................................................ 6-10 Chapter Seven: Financial and Institutional Framework ...................................7-1 What types of costs will be required to meet WSDOT’s vision?......................................... 7-1 What will the total system cost?........................................................................................... 7-2 What will it cost to operate?................................................................................................. 7-3 Who’s going to pay for it?.................................................................................................... 7-4 How will costs be allocated?................................................................................................ 7-5 Is it worth the investment? ................................................................................................... 7-6 Chapter Eight: Next Steps...................................................................................8-1 When is the proper time to evaluate the success of the Amtrak Cascades program? .......... 8-3 Chapter Nine: Previous Studies .........................................................................9-1 Chapter Ten: Glossary ......................................................................................10-1 Appendices: A. Amtrak Cascades Proposed Timetables and Project Implementation Schedule.....................................................................A-1 B. Amtrak Cascades Service Alternatives............................................................B-1 C. Washington State-owned Rail Equipment Preservation Plan and Replacement Options.................................................................................C-1 D. Station Profiles.................................................................................................D-1 E. Amtrak Cascades Northern Terminus Options................................................ E-1 F. Amtrak Cascades Service Delivery ................................................................. F-1 February 2006 Washington State Long-Range Plan for Amtrak Cascades Page ii Table of Contents Supporting Technical Documents: 1. Amtrak Cascades Operating and Infrastructure Plan Technical Report 2. Amtrak Cascades Capital Cost Estimates 2004 Technical Report 3. Amtrak Cascades Capital Cost Estimates 2006 Technical Report 4. Amtrak Cascades Operating Costs Technical Report 5. Amtrak Cascades Ridership and Revenue Forecasts Technical Report 6. Amtrak Cascades Cross-Modal Analysis Technical Report 7. Amtrak Cascades Environmental Overview Technical Report List of Exhibits ES-1 Amtrak Cascades Rail Corridor............................................................................v ES-2 Amtrak Cascades Investment History: 1994-2005............................................. ix ES-3 Amtrak Cascades Daily Roundtrip Trains.......................................................... xi ES-4 Amtrak Cascades Travel Times.......................................................................... xi ES-5 Amtrak Cascades: Projected Future Ridership.................................................. xii ES-6 Operating Revenue, Costs, and Subsidy........................................................... xiv 1-1 Pacific Northwest Rail Corridor ....................................................................... 1-1 1-2 BNSF Railway Company’s Main Line Routes