Final Alternatives Selection Report: Identification of Reasonable and Feasible Passenger Rail Alternatives Milwaukee-Twin Cities High-Speed Rail Corridor Program Prepared for: Minnesota Department of Transportation Wisconsin Department of Transportation Prepared by: Quandel Consultants, LLC Version: October 26, 2011 Revised November 1, 2012 Alternatives Selection Report Table of Contents TABLE OF CONTENTS Executive Summary…………………………………………………………………………………………...vi 1.0 Introduction ........................................................................................................................... 1-1 1.1 Purpose of Alternatives Selection Report .................................................................................. 1‐1 1.2 Background of Midwest Regional Rail Initiative ........................................................................ 1‐1 1.3 Background of Milwaukee‐Twin Cities High‐Speed Rail Corridor Program ............................... 1‐4 1.4 Project Purpose and Need ....................................................................................................... 1‐13 1.5 Route Alternatives Analysis ..................................................................................................... 1‐15 1.6 Public Involvement ................................................................................................................... 1‐16 1.7 Identification of Potential Passenger Rail Alternatives ............................................................ 1‐17 1.8 Technical Documentation ........................................................................................................ 1‐21 2.0 Process to Identify Reasonable and Feasible Passenger Rail Alternatives .......................... 2-1 2.1 Evaluation Criteria and Measure ............................................................................................... 2‐1 2.2 Workshops to Identify the Reasonable and Feasible Passenger Rail Alternatives .................... 2‐2 3.0 Route Characteristics ............................................................................................................ 3-1 3.1 Number of Main Tracks .............................................................................................................. 3‐1 3.2 Degree of Curvature ................................................................................................................... 3‐4 3.3 Significant Grades ...................................................................................................................... 3‐7 3.4 Track Classification ..................................................................................................................... 3‐9 3.5 Results of Qualitative Assessment of Route Characteristics ................................................... 3‐12 4.0 Travel Time ........................................................................................................................... 4-1 4.1 Train Performance Calculator (TPC) ........................................................................................... 4‐1 4.2 Automobile Travel Time ............................................................................................................. 4‐5 4.3 Results of Qualitative Assessment ............................................................................................. 4‐7 5.0 Market Size ........................................................................................................................... 5-1 5.1 Ridership Potential ..................................................................................................................... 5‐1 5.2 “Beltway” Intermodal Facilities ................................................................................................. 5‐3 5.2.1 Milwaukee-Area Beltway Intermodal Facilities ........................................................... 5-4 5.2.2 Twin Cities-Area Beltway Intermodal Facilities .......................................................... 5-8 October 26, 2011 Page i Quandel Consultants, LLC © Alternatives Selection Report Table of Contents 5.3 Results of Qualitative Assessment ........................................................................................... 5‐13 6.0 Capital Costs ......................................................................................................................... 6-1 6.1 Cost Estimating Methodology for High‐Speed Rail on Shared Right‐of‐Way ............................ 6‐1 6.2 Engineering Assessment of the Potential Passenger Rail Alternatives ...................................... 6‐2 6.3 Costs to Upgrade to High‐Speed Rail ......................................................................................... 6‐4 6.4 Cost of Right‐of‐Way Acquisition ............................................................................................. 6‐15 6.5 Cyclic Capital Costs ................................................................................................................... 6‐17 6.6 Results of Qualitative Assessment ........................................................................................... 6‐20 7.0 Operating Costs .................................................................................................................... 7-1 7.1 Track Maintenance Costs ........................................................................................................... 7‐1 7.2 Results of Qualitative Assessment ............................................................................................. 7‐3 8.0 Safety .................................................................................................................................... 8-1 8.1 Rail‐Rail Crossings ...................................................................................................................... 8‐1 8.2 At‐Grade Crossings ..................................................................................................................... 8‐4 8.3 Results of Qualitative Assessment ........................................................................................... 8‐10 9.0 Reliability............................................................................................................................... 9-1 9.1 Quantity of Freight Conflicts ...................................................................................................... 9‐1 9.2 Freight Density ........................................................................................................................... 9‐5 9.3 Handoffs Between Owning Railroads ........................................................................................ 9‐6 9.3.1 Quantity of Handoffs From Class I Railroad to Class I Railroad ................................ 9-7 9.3.2 Quantity of Handoffs From Class I Railroad to Regional Railroad or Regional Railroad to Regional Railroad.................................................................................................................. 9-8 9.4 Train Control ............................................................................................................................ 9‐11 9.5 Results of Qualitative Assessment ........................................................................................... 9‐13 10.0 System Connectivity ........................................................................................................... 10-1 10.1 Intermodal Connections at the Termini ................................................................................... 10‐2 10.2 Intermodal Connections along Routes between the Termini ..................................................... 12 10.2.1 Route 1 – Existing Amtrak ..................................................................................... 10-12 10.2.2 Route 2 – Amtrak-Rochester ................................................................................. 10-18 October 26, 2011 Page ii Quandel Consultants, LLC © Alternatives Selection Report Table of Contents 10.2.3 Route 3 – Amtrak-BNSF River ............................................................................... 10-24 10.2.4 Route 4 – MWRRI-Madison ................................................................................... 10-29 10.2.5 Route 5 – Madison-Rochester ............................................................................... 10-35 10.2.6 Route 6 – Madison-BNSF River ............................................................................. 10-41 10.2.7 Route 7– MWRRI-Madison-Prairie ........................................................................ 10-47 10.2.8 Route 8– Madison-Prairie-Rochester ..................................................................... 10-52 10.2.9 Route 9 – Madison-Prairie-BNSF River ................................................................. 10-58 10.2.10 Route 10 – Amtrak-Eau Claire ........................................................................... 10-63 10.2.11 Route 11 – Madison-Eau Claire ......................................................................... 10-68 10.2.12 Route 12A – Wyeville-Eau Claire ....................................................................... 10-73 10.2.13 Route 13 – Milwaukee-Fond du Lac-Eau Claire ................................................. 10-77 10.2.14 Route 14 – Milwaukee-Fond du Lac-Chip-TC .................................................... 10-82 10.3 Results of Qualitative Assessment ........................................................................................