OREGON STATE RAIL PLAN 2014 OREGON STATE RAIL PLAN STATE 2014 OREGON An Element of the Oregon Transportation Plan Adopted September 18, 2014 THE OREGON DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Plan development was supported by fi ve Technical Memorandums that served as background for the document. The Technical Memorandums, which refl ect the latest information at the time of their development, can also be accessed at the Project Website and include: • Freight and Passenger System Inventory • Needs Assessment: Oregon’s Economy • Needs Assessment: Passenger Rail • Needs Assessment: Freight Rail • Investment Program Technical Report A copy of the 2014 Oregon State Rail Plan is available on the Project Website at: https://www.oregon.gov/ODOT/Planning/Pages/Plans.aspx#OSRP. To obtain additional copies of this document contact: Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) Transportation Development Division, Planning Section 555 13th Street NE, Suite 2 Salem, OR 97301-4178 (503) 986-4121 Copyright 2015 by the Oregon Department of Transportation Permission is given to quote and reproduce parts of this document if credit is given to the source. A copy of the draft as the Oregon Transportation Commission adopted is on fi le at the Oregon Department of Transportation. Limited editorial changes for consistency and formatting have been made in this document. Oregon Transportation Commission Catherine Mater, Chair Tammy Baney David Lohman Susan Morgan Alando Simpson Other Elements of the State Transportation Plan • Aviation System Plan • Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan • Freight Plan • Highway Plan • Public Transportation Plan • Transportation Options Plan • Transportation Safety Action Plan OREGON STATE RAIL PLAN Development of the Oregon State Rail Plan was a joint effort between Oregon Department of Transportation Rail and Public Transit Division and the Transportation Development Division. Produced by: RAIL AND PUBLIC TRANSIT DIVISION H.A. (Hal) Gard, Division Administrator TRANSPORTATION DEVELOPMENT DIVISION Jerri Bohard, Division Administrator Rail Section Stacy Snider, Rail Operations Manager Bob Melbo, State Rail Planner Planning Section Erik Having, Planning Section Manager Amanda Pietz, Transportation Planning Unit Manager Michael Rock, Oregon State Rail Plan Manager Cambridge Systematics, Inc. Mike Fischer, Project Manager With JLA and Associates and HDR Engineering Photos provided by the Oregon Department of Transportation, David Astle and the Port of Coos Bay. This project was funded in part by the Federal Railroad Administration, U.S. D.O.T. Graphic design provided by Cathy Sattergren, Oregon Department of Transportation, Business Services. OREGON STATE RAIL PLAN AN ELEMENT OF THE OREGON TRANSPORTATION PLAN Adopted by the Oregon Transportation Commission September 18, 2014 Oregon Department of Transportation This page intentionally left blank. TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ............................................................................................................1 1 The Role of Rail in Statewide Transportation ........................................................................19 Oregon’s Multimodal Transportation Goals ......................................................................19 The Role of Rail in Oregon’s Multimodal Transportation System ....................................22 Institutional Structure of Rail Programs in Oregon ...........................................................22 Oregon’s Funding and Financing Authority ......................................................................26 2 The Existing Rail System in Oregon .......................................................................................31 Description and Inventory ..................................................................................................31 Passenger Rail Service Objectives and Evaluation ............................................................53 Current Rail Funding .........................................................................................................61 3 Rail System Issues and Opportunities.....................................................................................67 Trends and Forecasts ..........................................................................................................67 Rail Service Needs and Opportunities ...............................................................................84 4 The State’s Rail Service and Investment Program ..............................................................107 State Rail Plan Vision Statement and Goals ....................................................................107 Decision-Making Framework ..........................................................................................109 Benefi ts of Rail Project Types ..........................................................................................116 Rail Policies and Strategies ..............................................................................................119 Passenger and Freight Rail Investment ............................................................................129 5 Coordination, Review and Next Steps ...................................................................................137 Project Public Involvement Plan ......................................................................................137 Public Agency Coordination ............................................................................................139 Rail Plan Steering Committee ..........................................................................................140 Public Review and Comments .........................................................................................141 Steps Following Plan Adoption .......................................................................................141 Appendix A — Passenger Rail Defi nitions ...............................................................................145 Appendix B — Oregon State Rail Plan Steering Committee Members ...............................147 Appendix C — Example Projects by Type ..............................................................................149 Appendix D — Findings of Compliance with Oregon’s Statewide Planning Goals ............153 LIST OF TABLES AND FIGURES Tables Table 1: Rail Investment Decision-Making Framework .........................................................13 Table 2: Snapshot of Oregon’s Multimodal Transportation System .......................................22 Table 3: ConnectOregon Rail Funding History ......................................................................26 Table 4: Freight Railroads Serving Oregon ............................................................................33 Table 5: Class I Railroad Operating Characteristics in Oregon .............................................37 Table 6: Non-Class I Railroads in Oregon, Ranked by Revenue, 2011 ..................................39 Table 7: Major Rail Yards and Terminals in Oregon .............................................................42 Table 8: Oregon Amtrak Stations and Services ......................................................................52 Table 9: WES Ridership, System Characteristics and Performance, FY2009- 2012 .............53 Table 10: Amtrak Cascades On-Time Performance by Quarter (October 2011 to December 2012) ..........................................................................56 Table 11: Recent Oregon Rail Program Funding, FY 2013-2015 ...........................................62 Table 12: Statewide Commodity Flows by Mode ...................................................................77 Table 13: Summary of Non-Class I Railroad Conditions .......................................................88 Table 14: Rail Lines At-Risk for Abandonment 2013-2020 ...................................................92 Table 15: Rail Investment Decision-Making Framework .....................................................112 Table 16: Quantitative Evaluation Factors ............................................................................113 Figures Figure 1: Rail System in Oregon ..............................................................................................4 Figure 2: Intercity Rail Service in Oregon ................................................................................7 Figure 3: Oregon’s Integrated Transportation Planning Process ............................................20 Figure 4: Rail System in Oregon ............................................................................................36 Figure 5: Freight Railroad Vertical Clearance Restrictions ....................................................46 Figure 6: Intercity Rail Service in Oregon ..............................................................................50 Figure 7: Amtrak Cascades Ridership, 1994-2012 .................................................................55 Figure 8: Amtrak Cascades On-Time Performance in Oregon (July 2012-April 2013) .........57 Figure 9: Empire Builder and Coast Starlight Ridership, 1981-2011 .....................................59 Figure 10: GDP Growth Index, Oregon Compared to the United States, 1997-2011 ............68 Figure 11: Oregon Population Growth, 1970-2040 ...............................................................69 Figure 12: Net Population Growth by County, 2010-2035 .....................................................70 Figure 13: Oregon Merchandise Exports