Prepared by TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. Introduction ........................................................................................................................................... 1 1.1 Vision Statement ............................................................................................................................ 11 1.2 Goals and Objectives ..................................................................................................................... 11 1.3 Balanced Scorecard ....................................................................................................................... 14 1.4 Outreach ........................................................................................................................................ 15 2. Rail System Infrastructure and Service .............................................................................................. 21 2.1 New Hampshire Rail System History ............................................................................................. 21 2.2 New Hampshire Transportation System ........................................................................................ 22 2.3 State Rail Network ......................................................................................................................... 27 2.4 Rail Owners and Freight Operators ............................................................................................... 30 2.5 Freight Rail System ........................................................................................................................ 34 2.6 Passenger Rail System .................................................................................................................. 54 2.7 Regional Rail System Projects ....................................................................................................... 61 2.8 Rail System Management and Planning ........................................................................................ 71 2.9 Rail Safety ...................................................................................................................................... 75 2.10 Rail Security ................................................................................................................................... 78 3. Freight Transportation Trends and Commodity Flow ......................................................................... 81 3.1 Freight Transportation by Mode ..................................................................................................... 82 3.2 Trade Flows and Commodities ...................................................................................................... 85 3.3 Freight Rail Trends for New Hampshire ......................................................................................... 95 4. Economic and Environmental Impacts ............................................................................................... 99 4.1 Economic Impacts of Rail to New Hampshire ................................................................................ 99 4.2 Environmental Impacts of Rail to New Hampshire ...................................................................... 106 5. Rail Issues and Trends ..................................................................................................................... 111 5.1 Freight Rail Industry Issues and Trends ...................................................................................... 111 5.2 Passenger Rail System Issues and Trends ................................................................................. 119 6. Rail System Recommenations ......................................................................................................... 127 6.1 Freight Rail System Recommendations ....................................................................................... 128 6.2 Passenger Rail System Recommendations................................................................................. 138 7. Investment Strategies ....................................................................................................................... 143 7.1 Evaluation Criteria ........................................................................................................................ 143 7.2 Freight Rail Investment Scenarios ............................................................................................... 146 7.3 Intermodal Facility Scenario – Developing an Intermodal Facility ............................................... 152 7.4 Passenger Rail Scenario – Amtrak Downeaster .......................................................................... 154 7.5 Investment Scenario Summary .................................................................................................... 155 8. Rail Funding and Financing .............................................................................................................. 157 8.1 Freight Rail Funding Approaches Of Other States ...................................................................... 158 Page i 8.2 Passenger Rail Operations Funding Approaches Of Other States ............................................. 159 8.3 Existing Federal Funding Programs ............................................................................................. 162 8.4 Rail Safety Improvement Act of 2008 .......................................................................................... 170 8.5 Short Line Railroads Tax Credit ................................................................................................... 170 8.6 Traffic Mitigation ........................................................................................................................... 170 8.7 Economic Development Administration Programs ...................................................................... 170 8.8 Community Facilities Program ..................................................................................................... 171 8.9 Existing New Hampshire Programs for Funding Rail ................................................................... 171 8.10 Rail Funding Programs and Opportunities ................................................................................... 172 8.11 Infrastructure Banks ..................................................................................................................... 172 8.12 Transportation Development Credits (TDCs)............................................................................... 173 9. Conclusion ........................................................................................................................................ 175 Page ii LIST OF TABLES Table ES-1: New Hampshire Rail Plan Recommendations Summary ..................................................... 4 Table ES-2: Projects Evaluated as Investment Scenarios ...................................................................... 6 Table 2-1: State Rail Networks in New England...................................................................................... 28 Table 2-2: Miles of Rail Operated in New Hampshire ............................................................................. 29 Table 2-3 State-owned Abandoned Rail Corridors .................................................................................. 45 Table 2-4: Abandoned Rail Corridor Future Rail Use Potential............................................................... 47 Table 2-5: Drayage Distances to Regional Intermodal Facilities ............................................................. 50 Table 2-6: New Hampshire Intermodal Service Availability ..................................................................... 51 Table 2-7: New Hampshire Station Downeaster Ridership (FY 2010) ................................................... 55 Table 2-7: Claremont Station Vermonter Ridership ............................................................................... 59 Table 2-8: New Hampshire Area Station Vermonter Ridership (FY2011) .............................................. 59 Table 2‐8: Roadway‐railway crossings in New Hampshire, 2011 ........................................................... 76 Table 2‐9: Federal Railroad Administration Track Class Max. Operating Speeds .................................. 77 Table 3-1: NH Top 10 Inbound Commodities Based on Weight – All Modes ........................................ 87 Table 3-2: NH Top 10 Inbound Commodities Based on Value ($millions) – All Modes ......................... 87 Table 3-3: NH Top 10 Outbound Commodities Based on Weight (thousands of tons) – All Modes ...... 91 Table 3-4: NH Top 10 Outbound Commodities Based on Value ($millions) – All Modes ...................... 92 Table 4-1: 2009 Gross Domestic Product .............................................................................................. 99 Table 4-4: Carbon Dioxide Emissions by Mode 1994 through 2004 .................................................... 108 Table 5-1: Status of Projects included in the New England High-Speed and Intercity Rail Network .... 123 Table 6-1: New Hampshire Rail Plan Recommendations Summary .................................................... 127 Table 6-1: New Hampshire Rail Plan Recommendations Summary (Continued) ................................ 128 Table 6-2 Overhead Bridge Vertical Clearances on Pan Am Railways Mainline .................................