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1 2E 0D1U3CEAT D UI O CN ATAI LO NSAELR ISEESR I E S R AIL HUB/DBE/SBE

2 RAIL IN TEXAS OVERVIEW Since its inception, the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) has focused on meeting the transportation needs of the citizens of Texas. In the past, transportation infrastructure was largely defined as highways; until 1992, TxDOT was known as the State Highway Department. In recent years, as the public s need for a multi-modal approach to 2012 Texas Rail Map responsibilities-planning, inspection, at-grade rail crossings, management of state-owned rail facilities such as the South Orient Rail Line, and the oversight of the safety of the rail transit systems under a single division. Texas leads all other states in total rail miles with 10,384 total miles of rail track, and there are 9,784 public hightransportation grew, TxDOT has worked diligently to develop and provide a comprehensive transportation system. In 2009, the Sunset Advisory Commission and the legislature encouraged TxDOT to create a Rail Division, which has been fully operational since December 1, The creation of the Rail Division consolidated TxDOT s major rail AMARILLO FORT WORTH DALLAS EL PASO SAN ANGELO AUSTIN BEAUMONT SAN ANTONIO HOUSTON All Other Railroads Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) Kanasa City Southern (KCS) South Orient Rail Line (SORR) (Texas Pacifico Transportation, TXPF) Union Pacific (UP) County Line MILES LAREDO CORPUS CHRISTI BROWNSVILLE Source: Texas Department of Transportation: Rail Division. Accuracy is limited to the validity of available data as of December 31, Rail: Educational Series

3 way and rail crossings in the State. Freight Rail in Texas Freight volumes on all modes are driven in part by overall trends in economic activity. Texas has enjoyed a strong economy during the recent national recession, and the future outlook for the State s economy is positive. In 2010, Texas ranked fifth nationally in total rail tons originating by state and first overall in total rail tons terminated by state. Texas is first nationally in both chemical and petroleum freight rail tons terminating and originating by state. This is attributable to Texas robust energy sector. Rail safety TxDOT s Rail Division administers federal and state programs to improve highwayrail grade crossings by partnering with railroads to install and maintain crossing signals and gates, improve crossing surfaces on state highways and consolidate crossings where possible. The division participates in the state rail safety participation program in conjunction with the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA). Legal Oversight Additionally, TxDOT monitors potential rail line abandonments in Texas and 2007 Texas Rail Freight Density Map 2007 Annual Rail Tons Unknown Up to 4.9 million 5 to 9.9 million 10 to 19.9 million 20 to 29.9 million 30 to 39.9 million 40 to 49.9 million 50 to 59.9 million 60 million MILES Source: Derived from Surface Transportation Board (STB) waybill sample data Rail: Educational Series 3

4 coordinates the State s involvement and response to abandonment filings. Occasionally, rail lines are abandoned due to low traffic volume. When this occurs, TxDOT analyzes whether or not the abandoned line will serve a purpose for the department either as a rail line or as a future road or expansion of existing road. TxDOT s rail division is responsible for administering the lease and operating agreements on State-owned facilities. This responsibility also requires the division to manage the construction contracts for State, or federally-funded projects on those facilities, as well as oversight of State or federally-funded projects on private railroad facilities such as Tower 55. The South Orient Rail Line The South Orient Rail Line (SORR), which is one of only seven rail gateways between the United States and Mexico, is a 391-mile line that extends from a few miles southwest of Coleman through San Angelo to Presidio at the Texas-Mexico border. TxDOT is using a phased approach to rehabilitate the line from San Angelo Junction (near Coleman) to San Angelo. Recent funding includes: $14.01 million from American Recovery and Reinvestment Act; $212,355 remaining from a 2004 Omnibus appropriation; $910,000 in TXPF matching funds from 2004; $4.6 million in TXPF funding from 2009; $3 million in Texas general revenue from the appropriations act; $2 million provided by the FRA in its 2010 Omnibus appropriation; and $800,000 contributed by TXPF in TXPF has also agreed to complete an additional $600,000 in other improvements. Additionally, TxDOT is utilizing $200,000 in contingency funds and $500,000 in surplus equipment sales revenues. These amounts will be used for additional costs. This is more than $26 million in rehabilitation efforts, either complete or underway along the SORR, have resulted in a 70 percent increase in freight traffic from 2005 to 2011 between the east end to Fort Stockton. Freight destined for Fort Stockton has increased 187 percent from 2007 to 2011; much of this traffic is related to energy sector-related activity. The line is currently not operated from Fort Stockton to Presidio, though TXPF is working with several businesses that are interested in locating along that section of the line. Passenger Rail in Texas Passenger rail can be categorized as high-speed, intercity, commuter and regional, light rail and trolley, and tourism rail. While definitions may vary, highspeed rail is generally considered to be greater than 110 mph on a dedicated track. Intercity rail is service that is not primarily used for commuter service and operates at speeds slower than high- speed. Commuter and regional rail service primarily serves customers on daily trips between suburban and urban areas, and may run on freight corridors. Light rail generally serves commuters, but is typically operated within urban areas on dedicated corridors with specialized equipment and is usually electrified. The SORR has the potential to relieve some of the congestion at other border crossings through the diversion of rail traffic to the gateway at Presidio/Ojinaga. The SORR is owned by TxDOT, but is currently maintained and operated by Texas Pacifico Transportation, Ltd. (TXPF) under a lease with TxDOT. The SORR was the subject of an abandonment application when acquired by TxDOT; at that time, the infrastructure was severely deteriorated due to deferred maintenance by the prior owners. 4 Rail: Educational Series

5 High-Speed Rail Texas currently has no high-speed rail service. However, there is a growing interest to provide an alternative to air and auto travel; the addition of high-speed rail service would expand travel options. The corridor between the Metroplex and Houston has been targeted as a critical multi-modal need. On May 9, 2011, the FRA awarded $15 million in Texas Current Passenger Rail High-Speed and Intercity Passenger Rail funding (HSIPR) to Texas to begin engineering and environmental studies on a high-speed rail link between Houston and Dallas. TxDOT is currently negotiating contract provisions with a consulting firm for the project Intercity Passenger Rail Amtrak is the sole provider of Intercity Passenger Rail service in Texas. It serves most of the State s major metropolitan areas, though not all major urban areas are directly connected. Amtrak s partnership with motor coach service provides bus connections from Amtrak stations to other areas of the State. Currently, there are three Amtrak routes in Texas. Two of the AMTRAK Passenger Lines Sunset Limited & Texas Eagle Texas Eagle Sunset Limited Heartland Flyer Dallas Transit System MATA M-Line Trinity Railway Express DART Light Rail Blue Line DART Light Rail Red Line DART Proposed Blue Line DART Proposed Green Line DART Proposed Orange Line Capital MetroRail Red Line Proposed Green Line Houston MetroRail METRORail Proposed METRORail MILES Source: Texas Department of Transportation: Rail Division. Accuracy is limited to the validity of available data as of December 31, Rail: Educational Series 5

6 routes are fully funded by Amtrak: the Texas Eagle (San Antonio to Chicago) and the Sunset Limited (Los Angeles to New Orleans). The third route, the Heartland Flyer, provides daily round trips between Oklahoma City and Fort Worth. This route is jointly funded by TxDOT and the Oklahoma Department of Transportation. Commuter and Regional Rail Service CapMetro in Austin, The T in Fort Worth, DART in Dallas, and Houston METRO all have a component of rail transit. The T and DART have the most mature systems and service customers on routes within the Metroplex and between the two cities. CapMetro s commuter rail service extends from Leander, Texas-a suburban community north of Austin-to downtown Austin. Houston METRO s light rail services connects downtown Houston to the Medical Center south west of downtown Houston. Texas Rail Plan On November 18, 2010, the Texas Statewide Intercity Travel Corridor Rankings Transportation Commission approved the legislative and federally mandated Texas Rail Plan, a comprehensive document that TxDOT created in conjunction with stakeholders and the FRA to address future and existing passenger and freight rail service in Texas. TxDOT formally submitted the Texas Rail Plan to the U.S. Secretary of Transportation on December 13, The Texas Rail Plan will help the FRA develop the National Rail Plan. While AMALBB (18) DFWAMA (10) DFWLBB (4) DFWTXK (11) DFWELP1 (3), DFWLBB (4) DFWLOU (8) DFWELP1 (3), DFWELP2 (9), SATELP (16) DFWELP1 (3) DFWELP2 (9), SATELP (16) Rank Reference Corridor Description 1 DFWSAT Dallas-Fort Worth to San Antonio 2 DFWHOU Dallas-Fort Worth to Houston 3 DFWELP1 Dallas-Fort Worth to El Paso via Abilene 4 DFWLBB Dallas-Fort Worth to Lubbock via Abilene 5 HOUSAT Houston to San Antonio 6 HOUAUS Houston to Austin 7 HOUBMT Houston to Beaumont 8 DFWLOU Dallas-Fort Worth to Louisiana Border 9 DFWELP2 Dallas-Fort Worth to El Paso via San Angelo 10 DFWAMA Dallas-Fort Worth to Amarillo via Wichita Falls 11 DFWTXK Dallas-Fort Worth to Texarkana 12 HOUBVN Houston to Brownsville via Corpus Christi 13 HOUWAC Houston to Waco via Bryan/College Station 14 SATLRD San Antonio to Brownsville via Laredo 15 HOUTXK Houston to Texarkana 16 SATELP San Antonio to El Paso 17 SATBVN San Antonio to Brownsville via Corpus Christi 18 AMALBB Amarillo to Midland (Odessa) via Lubbock Source: Texas Transportation Institute, SATELP (16) DFWELP2 (9) SATLRD (14) SATBVN (17) DFWSAT (1) HOUAUS (6) HOUSAT (5) HOUBVN (12) DFWHOU (2) HOUWAC (13) HOUBVN (12), SATBVN (17) HOUBVN (12), SATBVN (17), SATLRD (14) HOUTXK (15) HOUBMT (7) 6 Rail: Educational Series

7 federal rules governing the development and content of state rail plans are still pending, the main components of a rail plan include establishing vision, goals and objectives for the rail system and its integration into the state s multimodal transportation system. Other key components are an inventory of freight and passenger rail infrastructure, and implementation of a needs assessment. The final component, planning for the future, involves developing prioritized programs and financing strategies to achieve the state s vision, goals, and objectives. Key features of the Texas Rail Plan include: Future expansion activities; Possible relocations; Underlying growth, both in population and freight mobility as trade patterns change; Evaluation of passenger and freight mobility; Development of freight and passenger rail policies and principles; Development of service and investment goals and programs; and Development of funding and financing for a comprehensive rail network. TxDOT is continuing on its trajectory to develop a mature and comprehensive rail system and has been recognized for its efforts to target areas with critical multi-modal infrastructure needs. As we continue the processes of mitigating congestion and providing increased economic development opportunities, TxDOT looks forward to working with its transportation partners across the State to improve and expand options for the citizens of Texas. Rail Grants TxDOT s Rail Division has aggressively pursued federal grants for rail projects, such as those available under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) High-Speed and Intercity Passenger Rail funding program (HSIPR) and the Transportation Infrastructure Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) programs. On January 28, 2009, the FRA awarded $11 million to Texas under HSIPR: $3.8million in HSIPR ARRA funds will be used to adjust signal timing on over 63 miles of the BNSF Fort Worth Subdivision. The project will reduce travel time on the Texas leg of Amtrak s Heartland Flyer by over 15 minutes by increasing travel speeds from 55 mph to 79 mph. $7.2 million from the FY 2009 appropriations bill will be used to lay additional track for a portion of the Trinity Rail Express (TRE) in Fort Worth. The project will improve commuter rail service between Fort Worth and Dallas. Amtrak s Texas Eagle on-time performance is also expected to improve once it is moved to the TRE from the Union Pacific Corridor, freeing up critical time at the Tower 55 intersection in Fort Worth. On October 20, 2010, the FRA awarded $34 million in TIGER II funds to Texas. Those funds will be used for improvements to both the BNSF and UP rail lines at Tower 55 in Fort Worth. On November 1, 2010, the FRA awarded $5.6 million in HSIPR funds to Texas. Those funds will pay for feasibility studies and planning for an 850 mile high-speed rail corridor stretching from south Texas to Oklahoma City. will support Texas in achieving reduced congestion, improved air quality and enhanced economic opportunity. CLOSING TxDOT s vision for a more efficient, reliable freight and passenger rail system Rail: Educational Series 7

8 TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION MISSION STATEMENT Work with others to provide safe and reliable transportation solutions for Texas. GOALS Maintain a safe system Address congestion Connect Texas communities Become best-in-class state agency VALUES Trust Integrity Responsibility Excellence Service This document is part of an educational series on transportation issues produced by Texas Department of Transportation.