Rail Division. Riding the Rails

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1 Rail Division Riding the Rails Amtrak Ridership within Texas Remains Strong The annual ridership within Texas on all three services (Heartland Flyer, Texas Eagle and Sunset Limited) continues to soar. For Amtrak s fiscal year ending on September 30, the total 2012 Texas ridership exceeded 465,000 passengers. This total equates to over a 9% increase from 2011, and an impressive 46% increase from Although recent monthly ridership totals for March and April 2013 are slightly below those months in 2012, Amtrak continues to strive to improve service. End-point on-time performance (OTP) for year-to-date (YTD) through March 2013 has improved nearly 20 percentage points to 82% on the Sunset Limited compared to the similar period last year; while YTD OTP for the Heartland Flyer and Texas Eagle has remained constant. Amtrak now also offers e-ticketing on every route. In This Issue Amtrak Ridership within Texas Remains Strong Message from the Director Rail Safety Remains Focus for Rail Division Success Story for Public Private Partnerships Heartland Flyer Set to Fly Faster El Paso Freight Rail Study near Completion Passenger Rail Planning Efforts Underway Update on Statewide Passenger Rail Ridership Analysis Process for Prioritizing Rail-Related Projects Statewide Enters Second Phase Amtrak Ridership in Texas, FY 08 - FY 12 General Contractor Requirements Developed for Railroad Projects 350, , ,000 Service Level Agreements Defining Roles and Responsibilities 200, , ,000 50,000 0 FY 08 FY 09 FY 10 FY 11 FY 12 Texas Eagle Sunset Limited Heartland Flyer Heartland Flyer Sunset Limited Texas Eagle Latest Federal Signal Program Call On-Line Rail Inventory Database Management System Operational TIGER Application Submitted for South Orient Railroad Improvements 1

2 Message from the Director I am proud to have served the citizens of the state of Texas over the last 3 ½ years beginning with the establishment of the Rail Division in December The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), in collaboration with our rail partners and local governments, has made great strides in developing a statewide vision for freight and passenger rail. As we continue to identify and develop rail projects with our partners, these efforts will effectively position the state to apply for future state and federal grant opportunities that become available. Whether opportunities come in the form of safety funds, Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) grants, air quality improvement funding, or High Speed Intercity Passenger Rail (HSIPR) grants, Texas will have projects ready to compete. Through our regional freight rail studies and the updating of the Texas Rail Plan, TxDOT has identified over 500 rail projects that, if funded, will increase freight rail mobility, expand passenger rail services, and improve highway traffic flows. These projects will allow Texas William Bill Glavin, P.E. Director - Rail Division businesses to remain competitive in the regional, national and international marketplaces while providing its citizens with new and enhanced passenger rail connections throughout Texas. One successful example of this public-private partnership is the rehabilitation of the state-owned South Orient Rail Line (SORR). Saved from abandonment in 2001 to preserve rail service in an underserved part of the state, the SORR infrastructure was severely deteriorated at the time of acquisition due to deferred maintenance by previous owners on this low-volume route. Annual carloads averaged 2,031 from 2001 through In the fall of 2009, TxDOT used a combination of American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), state, local, and private sector funds to begin the rehabilitation of the eastern end of the line. The rehabilitation was completed in 2012 and annual carloads reached 10,649 that year a 424% increase over historical averages. Traffic is projected to double in 2013 and again in Texas Pacifico Transportation, the SORR operator, has increased its staff from 8 employees in 2009 to over 50 in 2012, and expects to employ close to 100 workers by the end of The rehabilitation of the SORR is providing a vital transport corridor to the oil, gas, and energy industry in West Texas, fostering economic development and employment in the region, and removing large trucks from the state s roadways by diverting this freight to rail. It has been a pleasure working with the great team at the Rail Division and at TxDOT overall. I look forward to hearing about the conclusion of the current projects and the implementation of new ones as the multimodal efforts of TxDOT continue to expand. On-going construction at TIGER-funded Tower 55 Project. 2

3 Rail Safety Remains Focus for Rail Division For the past three years, the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) has rated Texas as having the top State Rail Safety Participation Program of all the 36 participating states. The State s rail safety inspectors continue to work with partnering railroad and local agencies to inspect and evaluate rail infrastructure. TxDOT s rail safety investigators are on-call 24 hours-a-day, 365 days-a-year to respond to rail emergencies including crossing accidents, derailments, and hazardous material releases. Rail Division s Safety Section also collaborates with Texas Operation Lifesaver to provide an average of 20 presentations annually to schools, employers and communities within the State. Over the past decade, there has been a general downward trend for rail-related incidents, injuries and deaths despite the substantial growth in population, registered vehicles, mile traveled and rail traffic. The Rail Division continues to strive to further improve upon this trend by focusing its safety miles program on core essential principles: educate, enforce, evaluate and engineer. 450 Texas Grade Crossing Accidents/Incidents, Public & Private Crossings Total Accidents/Incidents Year Public Crossings Private Crossings 3

4 Success Story for Public Private Partnerships Construction improvements at Tower 55, an at-grade crossing of two east-west and two north-south rail lines in Fort Worth and one of the most congested rail interlockings in the country, have begun. Supported by a combined $65 million from Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) Railway and Union Pacific Railroad, TxDOT Rail Division was successful in being awarded a TIGER grant for $34 million to improve congestion on both the rail and roadway networks in and around Fort Worth. Additional funds were provided by TxDOT and the City of Fort Worth. Construction began in March 2013 on the additional north-south track across Tower 55, extending approximately 9,000 feet in each direction. The construction includes several new bridges as well as roadway and drainage improvements. Construction is expected to last through the end of Tower 55 Interlocking Rail congestion south of Tower 55 Heartland Flyer Set to Fly Faster Amtrak s Heartland Flyer, which provides daily round-trip service between Fort Worth, TX and Oklahoma City, OK, will be operating at increased speeds by the end of TxDOT Rail Division secured over $3 million from the FRA to fund signal improvements along 63 miles of this route within Texas. TxDOT is currently working with BNSF Railway, the owner and maintainer of the infrastructure on which the Heartland Flyer operates, to adjust crossing signal timing at 15 highway-rail grade crossings. These improvements, already underway, will allow operating speeds of up to 79 miles per hour (mph) and decrease the overall trip time by approximately 18 minutes. Increased ridership is expected with this improved service and may reduce the operational subsidy currently being provided to Amtrak by the States of Texas and Oklahoma. Amtrak s Heartland Flyer in Fort Worth BNSF - Owner and maintainer of Heartland Flyer route 4

5 El Paso Freight Rail Study near Completion Working with local stakeholders, the TxDOT Rail Division is set to complete the second phase of the TxDOT Freight Rail Study in the El Paso area this summer. With the completion of this study, 17 of the 25 TxDOT Districts will have been studied. With Phase I completed in 2011, Phase II focuses on the impacts that freight rail traffic growth has on the region. Various freight rail traffic growth scenarios are being evaluated to determine the required improvements to the rail network to maintain operational fluidity. Roadway improvements, such as grade separations, are also being identified to minimize impacts associated with increased rail traffic. The list of identified improvements will be included in the Rail Division s project prioritization of unfunded rail-related projects for all around the State. Passenger Rail Planning Efforts Underway The Texas Oklahoma Passenger Rail Study (TOPRS) is nearing the halfway point of the project schedule. This study includes conducting a feasibility study for intercity passenger rail service between Oklahoma City and South Texas, developing a Service Level National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) document for the proposed corridor, and finalizing a Service Development Plan for its operation and development. Public involvement is paramount in this planning effort. Two rounds of stakeholder workshops have been conducted to gather input from those parties directly effected by the project. In addition, independent meetings are being held regularly with the railroads on which passenger rail service is being considered. Public meetings were held to assist in developing the scope of the study. Additionally, public meetings were conducted to assist in the development of scope of the study and additional meetings will be scheduled for early fall 2013 to present the potential alternatives for service. The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) filed the Notice of Intent (NOI) in March 2013 to prepare the Tier 1 EIS. Planned completion of the study is set for August Additional information can be found at 5

6 Update on Statewide Passenger Rail Ridership Analysis A comprehensive city pair analysis of projected ridership on various levels of proposed passenger rail service is near completion. The levels of service were categorized as Emerging (up to 90 miles per hour mph), Regional (up to 125 mph) and Core Express (greater than 125 mph). This analysis evaluates the interconnectivity of various transportation modes and approximates the anticipated ridership for each potential level of service between various city pairs within the State. Connecting to city pairs in adjoining States was also included in the analysis. The analysis will present cost effectiveness results which compare total anticipated costs, including construction, operations and maintenance, with projected user revenue and benefits. The analysis results will assist in determining the types of service to be further developed in the State, provide the basis for more detailed ridership studies, and support applications for future federal funding opportunities to develop proposed services. The final report is due later this summer. Process for Prioritizing Unfunded Rail Projects Statewide Enters Second Phase The list of unfunded rail projects as currently listed in the Texas Rail Plan has recently been updated after soliciting input from each of the TxDOT Districts and Metropolitan Planning Organizations around the State. Working with steering committees, the Rail Division developed a three-phase approach to evaluating rail-related projects around the State. In Phase I, an evaluation matrix was developed for proposed grade separations projects and rail programmatic projects with general project criteria being applied to identify a smaller group of project to more closely evaluate from the initial list of over 500 identified projects. The initial list of priority projects was categorized based on the District designation (Metropolitan, Urban, and Rural) in which each project was located. Approximately 20% of these projects were identified in Phase I to advance into the Phase II evaluation. Phase II will more closely examine each identified project using more detailed criteria to evaluate each proposal. Once Phase II is completed, 25 projects will advance to Phase III where detailed economic analyses will be conducted on each project. The results of Phase III allow the Rail Division to work with project stakeholders to further advance the projects, prepare for future funding opportunities and identify potential financing partners. 6

7 General Contractor Requirements Developed for Railroad Projects The TxDOT Rail Division has been working closely with the TxDOT Construction Division (CST) and the Association of General Contractors (AGC) to streamline the process for TxDOT contractors to obtain Right of Entry Agreements (ROE) with railroad companies to perform TxDOT project work on railroad right of way. The new process requires revisions to TxDOT project contractor s bid specifications. Changes from the current process also include CST assuming direct responsibility for obtaining the signed ROE from the TxDOT contractor and submitting it to the railroad company for execution. The new procedure will improve coordination for railroad flagging and ensure the proper insurance documents are in place for the higher limits of contractor s insurance necessary to work on railroad right of way. The anticipated outcomes include improved work zone safety and less risk to both TxDOT and the railroad. Service Level Agreements - Defining Roles and Responsibilities The Rail Division is working to develop service level agreements (SLA) with each of the TxDOT district offices. The SLA is intended to better define roles and responsibilities for project development and coordination activities between TxDOT and the railroad companies. The SLA will help to ensure timely submittals of highway development project plans and revised plans that impact railroad right of way. The SLA will identify the project development timeline necessary to allow sufficient time in the schedule for review and approval of project plans, specifications and estimates by and from the affected railroad company. Plans are in place to integrate the additional time required to coordinate plan review and approval with the railroad company into existing district and consultant-led highway project development schedules. This includes identifying the predecessor and successor steps where railroad coordination is necessary within the current process work flow and building sufficient time in the process to allow for railroad review and approval. The SLA will include best practices for coordinating project development with railroads and help to ensure completion of project on time and budget to meet construction project letting schedules. 7

8 Latest Federal Signal Program Call TxDOT administers the Section 130, Federal Railway-Highway Signal Program under an oversight agreement with the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). This program of work is the Railway-Highway Grade Crossing portion of the Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP), which implements safety projects with the objective to reduce the number and severity of auto-train collisions by decreasing the potential for crashes at public highwayrail grade crossings. Proposed railroad crossing protection and railroad grade crossing hazard elimination projects are selected by TxDOT Rail Division from data verified by the 25 TxDOT district offices located throughout the state, and the railroad companies. TxDOT uses the Texas Priority Index Formula (TxPI) for selecting public highway-rail grade crossings for safety improvement projects. Eligible crossings are prioritized using six factors in the TxPI, which include: the average daily vehicle traffic; average daily school bus traffic; average daily train traffic; maximum train speed; existing type of warning device and past five-year auto-train involved crash history. The TxPI is essentially an exposure index. A program is then developed according to priority index ranking of each eligible crossing location and available funding. Between December 2009 and the Rail Division has selected and funded over 422 grade crossing safety improvement upgrades from diagnostic inspections at public, open at-grade railroad crossings, and have completed over 230 improvements. This program also funds other projects to close redundant unnecessary open public at-grade crossings, advance traffic signal preemption upgrades, and other statewide projects to conform with changes to the at-grade Texas Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices. On-Line Rail Inventory Database Management System Operational The on-line Texas Railroad Information Management System (WebTRIMS), critical to the State s rail safety program, is now operational. This new tool replaces the outdated predecessor database and provides several enhancements. WebTRIMS maintains the mandatory railroad crossing information required by the FRA but also provides corresponding GIS mapping tools and customizable queries for information management. Information gathered from all of the State s rail safety inspectors is easily remotely downloaded and integrated into WebTRIMS to provide a realtime information database. This upto-date information will improve the accuracy, consistency and accessibility to highway-rail grade crossing data and will be used for evaluation and prioritization of crossing improvements, accident analysis, and FRA reporting. 8

9 TIGER Application Submitted for South Orient Railroad Improvements The TxDOT Rail Division recently prepared and submitted an application to the FRA for the 2013 TIGER grant program for proposed infrastructure improvements along the State-owned SORR. The proposed improvements include the replacement of about 143,000 feet of obsolete rail, 10,000 defective crossties and four turnouts, the installation of 11,000 tons of new ballast to provide stability, the reconstruction of four roadway at-grade crossings and correcting alignment and profile deviations over 13 miles of existing track between Sulphur Junction and Fort Stockton, TX. These improvements will facilitate the increase in maximum operating speed from 10 mph to 25 mph and will support the already surging economic development in the area fueled by the oil and gas industry. The total cost for the proposed improvements is approximately $13.6 million, with $6.4 million being requested in the TIGER grant application. Of the remaining funds necessary for the project, most of the $6.8 million will be provided by the railroad operator (Texas Pacifico). Fort Stockton Economic Development Corporation and TxDOT will be contributing additional funds to cover the remaining required project costs. This project has already been environmentally cleared at the State level. If TIGER funding is awarded, the project can go to letting immediately upon receipt of federal approval of the Categorical Exclusion. The total project duration is approximately 12 to 14 months. Maintaining A Safe System Addressing Congestion Connecting Texas Communities Becoming A Best In Class State Agency 9