SOUTH CAROLINA STATEWIDE RAIL PLAN Prepared for: Prepared by: August 2014 TABLE OF CONTENTS Executive Summary .................................................................................................................................... 1 Rail Planning in South Carolina ............................................................................................................ 1 The Role of Freight Rail in South Carolina ........................................................................................... 1 Key issues Impacting Freight Rail Service ............................................................................................ 5 Opportunities to Address Freight Rail Needs and Issues ..................................................................... 6 Proposed Freight Rail Improvements and Investments ...................................................................... 7 Freight Rail Strategies .......................................................................................................................... 8 Existing Passenger Rail Services ........................................................................................................... 8 Proposed Passenger Rail Services ........................................................................................................ 8 Opportunities to Address Passenger Rail Needs and Issues .............................................................. 10 Passenger Rail Strategies ................................................................................................................... 10 1 The Role of Rail in Statewide Transportation ..................................................................................... 13 1.1 South Carolina’s Goals for Multimodal Transportation ............................................................ 13 1.1.1 Rail Plan Goals and Objectives ..................................................................................... 14 1.2 The Role of Rail Transportation in South Carolina .................................................................... 17 1.2.1 Rail Freight ................................................................................................................... 17 1.2.2 Rail Traffic Growth ....................................................................................................... 17 1.2.3 The Rail System’s Impact on the State Economy ......................................................... 18 1.2.4 Rail’s Increasing Future Role ........................................................................................ 18 1.3 Institutional Governance Structure of the State Rail Programs ................................................ 19 1.4 Rail Funding in South Carolina .................................................................................................. 20 1.5 Summary of Freight and Passenger Rail Services ...................................................................... 20 1.5.1 Rail Services .................................................................................................................. 20 1.5.2 Initiatives and Plans ..................................................................................................... 20 1.5.2.1 SCPA Initiatives ......................................................................................... 20 1.5.2.2 Private Sector Initiatives ........................................................................... 21 1.5.2.3 Commuter Rail Initiatives ......................................................................... 21 1.5.2.4 Other Plans ............................................................................................... 21 2 South Carolina’s Existing Rail System .................................................................................................. 22 2.1 Existing Rail System Description and Inventory ........................................................................ 22 2.1.1 Existing System, Services, and Performance ................................................................ 22 2.1.1.1 CSX Transportation (CSXT) ........................................................................ 22 2.1.1.2 Norfolk Southern Railway (NS) ................................................................. 24 2.1.1.3 Aiken Railway Company, LLC (AIKR) ......................................................... 24 2.1.1.4 Carolina Piedmont .................................................................................... 25 2.1.1.5 Carolina Southern Railroad Company (CALA) ........................................... 25 i SOUTH CAROLINA MULTIMODAL TRANSPORTATION PLAN State Rail Plan Table of Contents 2.1.1.6 Greenville & Western Railway Company (GRLW) ................................... 25 2.1.1.7 Hampton and Branchville Railroad Company (HB) .................................. 25 2.1.1.8 Lancaster and Chester Railway Company (LC) ........................................ 25 2.1.1.9 Palmetto Railways ................................................................................... 26 2.1.1.10 Pee Dee River Railway Corporation (PDRR) ............................................. 26 2.1.1.11 Pickens Railroad Company (PICK and PKHP) ........................................... 26 2.1.1.12 South Carolina Central Railroad Company (SCRF) ................................... 27 2.1.1.13 Freight Traffic .......................................................................................... 27 2.1.1.14 Inbound Rail Freight ................................................................................ 28 2.1.1.15 Outbound Rail Freight ............................................................................. 30 2.1.1.16 Through Rail Freight ................................................................................ 33 2.1.1.17 Intrastate Rail Freight .............................................................................. 36 2.1.1.18 Existing Passenger Rail Services ............................................................... 36 2.1.2 Freight and Passenger Terminals ................................................................................ 40 2.1.2.1 Major Freight Intermodal Terminals ....................................................... 40 2.1.2.2 Rail Passenger Stations ............................................................................ 44 2.1.2.3 Intermodal Connections at State Airports ............................................... 44 2.1.3 Objectives for Rail Passenger Services ........................................................................ 44 2.1.4 Performance Evaluation of Rail Passenger Services ................................................... 44 2.1.4.1 Amtrak ..................................................................................................... 44 2.1.4.2 Amtrak On‐time Performance ................................................................. 46 2.1.4.3 Financial Performance ............................................................................. 48 2.1.5 Public Financing for Rail Projects ................................................................................ 49 2.1.6 Rail Safety and Security Programs .............................................................................. 49 2.1.6.1 Reportable Railroad Incidents ................................................................. 49 2.1.6.2 South Carolina Strategic Highway Safety Plan ......................................... 51 2.1.6.3 Highway‐Rail Grade Crossings ................................................................. 51 2.1.6.4 Rail Safety Inspection .............................................................................. 53 2.1.6.5 South Carolina Emergency Management Division .................................. 53 2.1.6.6 Class I Railroad Homeland Security ......................................................... 56 2.1.6.7 Strategic Rail Corridor Network ............................................................... 56 2.1.7 Rail Transportation’s Impacts ..................................................................................... 56 2.1.7.1 Congestion Mitigation ............................................................................. 58 2.1.7.2 Trade and Economic Development ......................................................... 59 2.1.7.3 Energy Use and Air Quality ...................................................................... 60 2.1.7.4 Noise ........................................................................................................ 63 2.1.7.5 Land Use .................................................................................................. 64 2.2 Existing Rail System: Trends and Forecasts ............................................................................. 65 2.2.1 Demographic and Economic Growth Factors ............................................................. 65 2.2.1.1 Population ............................................................................................... 65 2.2.1.2 Employment ............................................................................................ 70 2.2.1.3 Personal Income ...................................................................................... 71 2.2.1.4 Industrial Outlook by Sector .................................................................... 71 2.2.2 Freight Demand and Growth ...................................................................................... 73 2.2.2.1 Rail