MEETING DATE: July 28, 2017 ITEM 20. Update on Coordination with the California High Speed Rail, Link US Projects, and Freight Railroads

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1 REVISED July 25, 2017 Page 4 TRANSMITTAL DATE: July 21, 2017 MEETING DATE: July 28, 2017 ITEM 20 TO: FROM: SUBJECT: Board of Directors Arthur T. Leahy Update on Coordination with the California High Speed Rail, Link US Projects, and Freight Issue Staff is presenting an update on its efforts to work with the California High Speed Rail Authority (CHSRA) to bring high speed rail to Southern California; with Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) on the Link US run-through track project at Los Angeles Union Station (LAUS), and with freight railroads BNSF Railway (BNSF) and Union Pacific Railroad (UPRR) related to future capacity improvements and additional commuter train slots on freight owned rights-of-way. Recommendation The Board may receive and file this report. Strategic Goal Alignment This report aligns with the strategic goals to Improve Communication to Customers and Stakeholders by describing ongoing communication with regional transportation partners; Retain and Grow Ridership by reducing the dwell times at LAUS and modifying the service patterns to provide more stops; and Increase Regional Mobility by connecting to alternative modes of transportation. Background The Authority has been coordinating with transportation partners regarding projects and initiatives that affect future infrastructure capacity and the ability to increase service on several Metrolink lines. The coordination has been with: CHSRA on the high-speed rail (HSR) infrastructure between Lancaster and Anaheim Metro regarding the Link US project BNSF and UPRR regarding capacity along their corridors between downtown Los Angeles, San Bernardino and Riverside counties. 144

2 Page 2 High Speed Rail Update Staff has been participating in coordination meetings with the CHSRA development team. During the last quarter (from March to June), the CHSRA team presented concept designs for the sections of their program that could affect Metrolink operations. The concept designs are part of the CHSRA development team s efforts to environmentally clear the project. To date, the concepts presented are located within four main areas: Lancaster to Palmdale, Burbank to Los Angeles, Los Angeles to Fullerton, and Fullerton to Anaheim. Authority staff will be reviewing/discussing the latest concepts in preparation for formal submittals. Once the formal submittals are made, Authority staff will review the information for consistency with Metrolink standard practices. The latest concept designs involve the use of shared tracks as the preferred method of operations between Burbank and Los Angeles and Los Angeles to Anaheim, prompting the need for a formal concept of operations report. The Authority has also alerted CHSRA of many issues that will need to be addressed in future coordination efforts between Metrolink and the HSR program team such as: Operational and engineering challenges for either shared tracks or a shared corridor with separate electrified tracks, including incorporation of separation requirements of freight railroads Concept of Operations. Level of integration between regional rail and statewide and HSR services Construction staging impacts with placement of electrified catenary infrastructure along our existing main line tracks Positive Train Control (PTC) interoperability Revisions to Shard Use Agreements with the freight railroads Rolling stock and platform compatibility Role of freight railroads in infrastructure development and maintenance Funding and project development schedule Next quarter, staff will coordinate with the CHSRA development team, Metro and UPRR on the Lancaster to Palmdale and Burbank to Los Angeles sections. Staff will also be part of discussions with BNSF for the Los Angeles to Fullerton section. In addition, staff will work with CHSRA to develop a Concept of Operations report to properly define possible operational methods, to define roles and responsibilities for various operating railroad and infrastructure providers, establish fundamental operational constraints for all sections, and begin drafting preliminary outlines of new railroad shared use agreements necessary to accommodate HSR operations in Southern California. Finally, staff will continue to meet with CHSRA to review the latest design concepts. 145

3 Page 3 Link US Update Metro is the lead sponsor of the Link US project which is designed to provide run-through tracks at LAUS to allow trains serving that station to pass through the station, rather than terminating there, in turn reducing dwell times and improving throughput, and providing opportunities for future service growth. The lead agency for the environmental document is the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA). The Metro team plans to release the new Draft Environmental Impact Statement/Environmental Impact Report (EIS/EIR) in the first quarter of Staff has participated in the development of the Link US project as a member of the Project Development Team (PDT). Metro hosts PDT meetings where their design team typically present their latest updates and design considerations. Metro has also hosted initial presentations of operational analyses of the LAUS terminal during construction. Authority staff conveyed at these meetings that maintaining a smooth and consistently on-time operation during construction would be a critical issue. Staff also reviewed the information presented thus far for consistency with Metrolink design criteria and standard practices. The Metro design team is analyzing ways to reduce project costs based on the Metro Board s instructions in March As part of these redesign efforts, the Metro design team has requested Metrolink staff review several design exceptions, for example, design-related items that do not comply with current Metrolink design criteria and/or standard practices. Metrolink staff will be reviewing the requests as part of regular interdepartmental meetings and providing responses to the Metro design team. Many of the Link US program issues are the same as for the High Speed Rail program. However, there are additional, unique issues related to Link US which are provided below: Ensuring operations on reduced number of platforms with run through track operations (i.e. - reduction of dwell time at station) can provide greater train capacity than exists today Sustaining train operations during construction with reduced number of platforms and reduced amount of lead tracks in the throat Accommodating passenger access and internal station flow especially during construction Long-term operating plan and impact to location of service and maintenance facilities Coordination with Amtrak long-distance service Coordination with Caltrans and HSR regarding the structure over US-101 Freeway Signaling system upgrades leading into the Union Station Yard Incorporating maintenance needs into the project 146

4 Page 4 This quarter, staff will be working to develop the first phase of an operational analysis report in order to properly define fundamental operational constraints and provide this report to the Link US design team for their consideration into the project design. This report will help clarify Metrolink and Amtrak operational issues related to project construction sequencing and phasing. Freight Railroad Update Staff is in continuous coordination with the BNSF and UPRR freight railroads. Over the course of the last year, discussions have focused on how track capacity improvements (sidings, double track or triple track) could lead to additional commuter train slots. The discussions with BNSF relate to capacity on the BNSF s San Bernardino subdivision (which hosts Metrolink s Orange County Line, 91 Line, and IEOC Line service between Los Angeles and Fullerton and between Fullerton and Riverside/San Bernardino). There are long-standing agreements that relate specific capital improvements to specific numbers of commuter train slots. Recent talks have focused on updating the list of potential capital improvement projects and the relationship of the set of projects to future service. Member Agency staff has also participated in these discussions, since the Member Agencies are central to the agreements. Discussions with UPRR are very preliminary and more conceptual. Topics of discussion have included additional service on Metrolink s Riverside Line (UPRR s Los Angeles subdivision) and the potential for new track capacity between LAUS and the Inland Empire that might be shared between Metrolink service and freight trains It is also important to note that discussions with both BNSF and UPRR have involved HSR plans for shared corridors. Since cooperation with the freight railroads is critical for HSR development in Southern California, discussions with the CHSRA will involve BNSF and UPRR to a greater extent as they progress. Budget Impact There is no budgetary impact as a result of this item. Prepared by: Ron Mathieu, Sr. Public Project Specialist Roderick Diaz, Director, Planning and Development Kimberly Yu Gary Lettengarver 147

5 Page 5 Deputy Chief Operating Officer (Planning and Project Delivery) Chief Operating Officer 148