Rail 101 Highway-Rail Crossing Program & Project Coordination Darin Kosmak, Rail-Highway Section Director Rail Division 2011 Transportation Short Course Multimodal Session
TxDOT Dedicated Fund Highway- Rail Programs Federal Railway-Hwy Signal - $15 M/YR Federal RR-Hwy Grade Separation - $25 M/YR State Crossing Replanking - $3.5 M/YR State Signal Maintenance - $1.2 M/YR
Railroad Crossings in Texas Total open public crossings: 9,904 Total with signalization: 6,069 (61.28%) Total passive (unsignalized): 3,835 Total private crossings: 8,641 Total closed crossings: 5,852 Total public grade separations: 1,791 772 Railroad over & 1,019 Highway over
Railroad Agreements TxDOT continues to execute over 100 agreements per year with Railroads for highway-rail projects Railroad Signal Program Projects 86 projects per year Railroad Replanking Program Projects - 65 projects per year
Railroad Project Development Process From project concept to design and agreement approval can take 12 to 24 months depending on the project. (Underpass projects take longer) Communicate & Coordinate with Railroads & TxDOT Divisions (TRF - BRG - DES) EARLY Start with pre-design meeting with Railroad to get a clear understanding of Railroad s operations & expectations
Pre-Design Meeting with Railroad Communicate with Railroad at the Conceptual Stage Verify future track & RR ROW roadway access needs Discourage track raise & change of track alignment Overpass preferred to Underpass structure Determine RR s operating requirements and design expectations & limitations Design per Railroad s guidelines & operating requirements
Railroad Project Development Process - Districts Coordinate design activities with RRD and BRG throughout project development Keep RRD & BRG apprised of meetings with Railroads and outcome of those meetings Manage consultant s coordination activities w/ Railroads to avoid unnecessary design elements being added w/o TxDOT approval Send in a complete design package to avoid delays and minimize revisions
Railroad Project Development RRD & BRG personnel at TxDOT have years of exp. dealing with Railroads RRD Project Development Guide Railroad Guidelines for RR Grade Separation Projects Resources
Guidelines for RR Grade Separation Projects Published by the railroads to provide consistent bridge design & establish RR s expectations. BNSF & UP have a joint version KCS has their own version Approval timelines Agreement requirements Bridge Standards Available on BRG website
Guidelines for RR Grade Separation Projects Highlights No interruption to railroad operations during or after construction Overpass spanning RR ROW is highly recommended design alternatives white paper Underpass is discouraged - approved only if temporary shoo-fly track & structure is provided Project design which deviates from guidelines will result in design revisions and delays Railroad turnaround of 30-45 days on review time!
Railroad Project Development: Tips for Success -Collaboration Allow plenty of lead time Involve Railroad early in pre-design meetings Involve Divisions - RRD and BRG Follow process and design guidelines Manage consultants work activities Submit complete set of plans with all supporting documentation Handle revisions and comments in a timely manner Provide design justification white paper identifying design alternatives considered and why project can or cannot meet railroad s design criteria.
Railroad Project Development: Tips for Success (Cont.) Propose Overpass rather than underpass Consider design consultant and contractor with railroad expertise Use Realistic Time Table for design review and approval Consider Railroad s review time in time table Use Realistic time table for construction include clumping track windows for construction activities Clear Communication and Coordination are key to achieving the level of Cooperation necessary to successfully develop railroad projects
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