Final Report I ~ -) Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department ~: Transportation Planning and Policy Division August 2016 Arkansas State Rail Plan ARKANSAS STATE HIGHWAY AND TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT NOTICE OF NONDISCRIMINATION The Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department (Department) complies with all civil rights provisions of federal statutes and related authorities that prohibit discrimination in programs and activities receiving federal financial assistance. Therefore, the Department does not discriminate on the basis of race, sex, color, age, national origin, religion (not applicable as a protected group under the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration Title VI Program), disability, Limited English Proficiency (LEP), or low-income status in the admission, access to and treatment in the Department's programs and activities, as well as the Department's hiring or employment practices. Complaints of alleged discrimination and inquiries regarding the Department's nondiscrimination policies may be directed to Joanna P. McFadden Section Head - EEO/DBE (ADA/504/Title VI Coordinator), P. 0. Box 2261, Little Rock, AR 72203, (501)569-2298, (Voice/TTY 711), or the following email address: [email protected] Free language assistance for Limited English Proficient individuals is available upon request. This notice is available from the ADA/504/Title VI Coordinator in large print, on audiotape and in Braille. Arkansas State Rail Plan 2015 Contents Executive Summary ............................................................................................................... 1 Purpose of the Arkansas State Rail Plan ................................................................................ 1 Arkansas Rail System ............................................................................................................. 1 Railroad Funding in Arkansas ................................................................................................. 5 Rail Issues and Opportunities/ Initiatives .............................................................................. 6 Chapter 1 The Role of Rail in Arkansas’ Transportation System (Overview) ..................... 1-1 Introduction ........................................................................................................................ 1-1 Arkansas Goals for the Multimodal Transportation System ............................................... 1-3 Role of Rail in the Arkansas Transportation System ........................................................... 1-3 Vision, Goals, and Objectives for Rail in Arkansas .............................................................. 1-5 Organizational Structure of Rail Planning in Arkansas ........................................................ 1-6 Chapter 2 Description and Inventory of Arkansas Freight Rail System ............................. 2-1 Class I Railroads .................................................................................................................. 2-1 Class II and Class III Railroads ............................................................................................ 2-14 Restrictions of the Arkansas Rail Network ........................................................................ 2-42 Abandoned and Inactive Rail Corridors ............................................................................ 2-44 Arkansas Multimodal Freight Transportation System ...................................................... 2-45 Chapter 3 Description and Inventory of Passenger Rail Services in Arkansas ................... 3-1 Introduction ........................................................................................................................ 3-1 High-Speed Rail ................................................................................................................... 3-3 Passenger Rail Ridership ..................................................................................................... 3-4 Modal Comparison of Travel .............................................................................................. 3-6 Passenger Rail Stations in Arkansas .................................................................................... 3-7 Goals and Objectives for Arkansas Passenger Rail Services ............................................... 3-9 Excursion Rail Operators in Arkansas ................................................................................. 3-9 Chapter 4 Performance Analysis of Arkansas Rail Network............................................. 4-1 Performance of the Arkansas Freight Rail System .............................................................. 4-1 Performance of Arkansas Passenger Rail Services (PRIIA Section 207 Performance Metrics) ......................................................................................................................... 4-5 Chapter 5 Public Financing for Rail Projects and Services in Arkansas ............................. 5-1 Federal Legislation to Fund Passenger Rail ......................................................................... 5-1 Arkansas Funding of Rail ..................................................................................................... 5-2 Local Rail Funding ............................................................................................................... 5-2 Federal Programs to Fund Passenger Rail .......................................................................... 5-2 Federal Transportation Funding Programs Relevant to Rail ............................................... 5-3 Other Federal Funding Programs Relevant to Rail ............................................................. 5-5 Federal Financing Programs Relevant to Rail ..................................................................... 5-6 Chapter 6 Ongoing Programs to Improve Safety and Security of Arkansas Rail System .......................................................................................................... 6-1 Safety .................................................................................................................................. 6-1 Security ............................................................................................................................. 6-11 Contents December 2015 | Page | i Arkansas State Rail Plan 2015 Chapter 7 Rail Transportation’s Economic and Environmental Impact ............................ 7-1 Economic Impact of Rail in Arkansas .................................................................................. 7-1 Energy Impact of Rail in Arkansas ....................................................................................... 7-2 Environmental Impact of Rail in Arkansas .......................................................................... 7-4 Safety Impact of Rail in Arkansas ........................................................................................ 7-5 Community Impact of Rail in Arkansas ............................................................................... 7-5 Chapter 8 Trends and Forecasts that Impact Rail in Arkansas ......................................... 8-1 Demographic and Economic Trends ................................................................................... 8-1 Freight Demand and Growth .............................................................................................. 8-7 Fuel Cost Trends ............................................................................................................... 8-32 Highway and Airport Congestion ...................................................................................... 8-32 Arkansas Rail and International Trade .............................................................................. 8-35 Chapter 9 Arkansas Rail Service Needs and Opportunities .............................................. 9-1 Passenger Rail Issues and Opportunities ............................................................................ 9-1 Freight Rail Issues and Opportunities ................................................................................. 9-2 Chapter 10 Proposed Passenger Rail Improvements ....................................................... 10-1 Intercity Passenger Rail Initiatives .................................................................................... 10-1 Sunset Limited / Texas Eagle PRIIA Section 210 Performance Improvement Plan ........... 10-3 Amtrak Station Improvements ......................................................................................... 10-4 Other Passenger Rail Initiatives ........................................................................................ 10-4 Chapter 11 Proposed Freight Rail Strategies and Initiatives ............................................. 11-1 Safety/Crossing Initiatives ................................................................................................ 11-1 Rail Corridor Preservation................................................................................................. 11-3 Industrial Access/Economic Development ....................................................................... 11-6 Extending or Reactivating the Arkansas Rail Network ...................................................... 11-8 Multimodal Improvements ............................................................................................. 11-14 Upgrade/Rehabilitation Projects ...................................................................................