VRE AT WORK PREPARING VIRGINIA RAILROADING FOR ITS NEXT QUARTER CENTURY T. R. ( Tom ) Hickey Chief Development Officer April 4, 2017 1 1
TONIGHT S PRESENTATION Introduction Safety Briefing VRE Overview VRE at Work System Plan 2040 Regional Rail Potomac Crossing (the 8-Mile Bridge ) Other Corridor Improvements 2
WHO WE ARE A commuter rail system Running on CSXT, NS & Amtrak tracks Serving Washington DC and Northern Virginia Carrying long-distance commuters to DC, Arlington & Alexandria Two lines, 90 miles Adding peak capacity to I-95, I-395 & I-66 corridors 19,000 daily trips Commuters that would otherwise drive alone in cars 3
WHAT WE ARE Virginia Railway Express is a joint project of: Northern Virginia Transportation Commission Potomac & Rappahannock Transportation Commission 4
WHAT WE ARE KNOWN FOR Safe Operations High Customer Satisfaction Quality Service Reliable Service Strong Partnerships with Host Railroads 5
Origin Ridership Destination Ridership WHAT WE DO L Enfant busiest station Primary destination Nearby offices Metro connections Crystal City, Union Station & Alexandria Next three busiest destinations Busiest origin stations are at the end of lines Big park-ride lots Most VRE passengers have a car available! 6
On a typical weekday VRE draws ridership from 39 Virginia Jurisdictions * Winchester Manassas Washington DC Alexandria Charlottesville Fredericksburg Richmond * Source: 2015 Master Agreement Survey 7
Peak Hour Trips from Virginia to DC across the 14 th Street Bridges (6:30 to 7:30 AM) OTHER 11% 1% 13% 17% BUS VRE METRORAIL AUTOMOBILE 58% 21,934 TOTAL TRIPS Source: Transportation Planning Board 2013 Central Employment Core Cordon Count 8
HOW WE OPERATE VRE operates on tracks owned and controlled by our three host railroads: CSX Transportation Norfolk Southern Railway National Railroad Passenger Corporation (Amtrak) 9
VRE OPERATIONS VRE communications center in Old Town Alexandria Coordinate station, train, and crew activities Control customer service announcements and variable message signs Monitor station safety and security 10
VRE ROLLING STOCK 20 MP36PH-3C locomotives 3600 hp prime mover Head-end power equipped 90 mph top speed Purchase in 2010-2011 91 gallery-style bi-level push-pull railcars 21 cab cars 70 trailer cars 9 more trailer cars on order 2 maintenance & storage yards Crossroads (Spotsylvania) Broad Run (Manassas) Midday storage in DC 11
REGIONAL COLLABORATION WMATA Metrorail Used by about 17% of VRE riders Transfers extend the reach of rail Amtrak Virginia Trains Step-up fares available Faster ride for longer commutes MTA/MARC Train Service Fare Integration Exploring Opportunities for Through Running 12
VRE SYSTEM PLAN 2040 A 25-year plan to double VRE ridership A phased approach to growth Identifies short-term and long-term priorities Identifies projects, initiatives, funding, partners Transition from commuter rail to regional express rail 13
VRE SYSTEM PLAN 2040 Adding rail capacity to grow to 50,000+ daily riders PHASE 1: Run Longer Trains More railcars More station parking More train storage tracks Second & longer platforms PHASE 2 & 3: Run More Trains Earn additional train slots through capacity improvements Third/fourth tracks on CSXT Long Bridge Corridor Expansion ( 8-mile Bridge) More parking, railcars Manassas Line Capacity Expansion Was Gainesville-Haymarket 14
LONGER TRAINS = LONGER PLATFORMS, MORE AUTO PARKING AND MORE PARKING FOR LONGER TRAINS, TOO 15
REGIONAL RAIL VS. COMMUTER RAIL Service concept based on Paris Réseau Express Régional "Regional Express Network" or "RER" Integration of rapid transit operating principles into a commuter rail environment Bi-directional, all day service Less frequent but faster than journeys than by Metro Five Parisian commuter rail lines converted since 1977 16
REGIONAL RAIL VS. COMMUTER RAIL A shift in VRE s operating model to more frequent, two-way, all-day service A mix of non-stop express and local peak train services Reverse-peak train service Linking DC residents with Northern Virginia job markets Midday & evening train service North American examples SEPTA (Philadelphia) GO Transit (Toronto) NJ Transit (New York City) MTA (New York City) MBTA (Boston) Caltrain (San Francisco) 17
Total Six-Year Program: $1.7 billion including capital reserve, rolling stock, asset management & state-of-good-repair projects VRE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN Six-Year Roadmap for Investment (FY2018- FY2023) Asset Management/SOGR 8 projects $73 million Passenger Stations 19 projects $317 million Station Parking 5 projects $108 million Track & Signal Infrastructure 2 projects $28 million Maintenance/Storage Facilities 7 projects $194 million Other Projects 2 projects $1.1 billion Long Bridge & WPW Co. Extension 18
OUR PROJECT APPROACH VRE improves the RF&P corridor through strategic partnerships Pursue a collaborative approach to corridor/project management Corridor Improvement Task Force VRE, CSXT & VaDRPT A VRE improvement project may be led by: VRE VaDRPT CSX Transportation DC Department of Transportation A jurisdiction or private developer or any combination thereof 19
OUR FUNDING APPROACH VRE is a grant funded agency VRE capital projects presently funded in whole or in part by: Federal agencies Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Federal Highway Administration (FHwA) State agencies Virginia Department of Rail & Public Transportation Virginia Department of Transportation Regional agencies Northern Virginia Transportation Authority (NVTA) VRE Capital Reserve For last dollar matches Limited to planning or system projects 20
RF&P CORRIDOR RECONFIGURATION Platform-track configuration are key to operational fluidity Diverging moves rob a corridor of velocity and capacity. Trains must slow for crossing moves. Crossing moves block multiple tracks. All RF&P Corridor stations south of AF are being reconfigured into side/island combinations All tracks have access to a station platform. Dispatchers have the flexibility to use any track in the corridor. Fluidity is not lost in diverging moves between tracks. 21
RF&P CORRIDOR RECONFIGURATION Six RF&P stations being converted to side-island configuration. Franconia-Springfield Lorton Rippon Quantico Brooke Leeland Road plus Potomac Shores 22
LONG BRIDGE EXPANSION PROJECT 23
LONG BRIDGE EXPANSION PROJECT Strategic transportation asset for the Eastern Seaboard Links the North and the South Next crossing 75 miles away in WV Owned by CSX Transportation Shared by passenger & freight CSXT Freight 24% Amtrak Intercity Passenger 32% VRE Commuter Passenger 45% Typical Weekday Traffic 18 CSXT Freight trains 34 VRE Commuter trains 24 Amtrak trains 24
LONG BRIDGE EXPANSION PROJECT LE L Enfant VA RO CSX Transportation Amtrak Passenger Station Interlockings Long Bridge Other Bridges 25
POTOMAC CROSSING CORE CAPACITY PROGRAM CSXT RF&P SUBDIVISION Virginia (VA) to AF TOTAL LENGTH: 7.9 miles The Eight-Mile Bridge RAILROAD OWNERSHIP CSX Transportation AMTRAK (WTC) Norfolk Southern Passenger Stations Controlled Points 26
POTOMAC CROSSING CORE CAPACITY PROGRAM CORRIDOR GOALS Optimize the physical plant to minimize freight-passenger train conflicts ( fluidity ) Provide redundancy to maintain reliability during maintenance or disrupted conditions Provide for an equitably balance between public-private investment in improvements Protect all party s interests regarding access, operability, and continuing control 27
POTOMAC CROSSING CORE CAPACITY PROGRAM Operational fluidity over the Eight-Mile Bridge is attained by minimizing diverging or conflicting moves between VA and AF Freight trains would primarily use Tracks 0 and 1. Train spacing set by movements through the Virginia Avenue Tunnel. Passenger trains would primarily use Tracks 2 and 3. Trains spacing set by movements through the First Street Tunnel. Track 0 or 1 available if needed for non-stop Amtrak Intercity trains. Extra platform (Track 1) available at Alexandria to absorb delays. 3 2 1 0 ALEXANDRIA CRYSTAL CITY LONG BRIDGE L ENFANT TO VIRGINIA AV TUNNEL 28
L ENFANT TEMPORARY STORAGE TRACKS LE VA LE VA 29
L ENFANT STATION CONCEPT DESIGN Eliminate Ramp New WMATA Elevators (2) WMATA Main Entrance New VRE Elevator New VRE Elevator Seventh St SW D St SW Sixth St SW Key design issues to be resolved in PE: Encroachment on Hancock Park (Reservation #113) Highway clearances for new bridges over 6 th & 7 th Sts SW 30
CRYSTAL CITY STATION CONCEPT DESIGN ❸ ❷ ❶ Key design issues to be resolved in PE: Relocate platform between Tracks 2 & 3 Lengthen platform to 700 feet 31
The south end of Option 2 aligns well with pedestrian bridge at Reagan-National Airport 700-foot linear distance Potential impacts on NPS property Bridge or tunnel (by others) Example of a 850-foot tunnel with moving sidewalks, music and dynamic neon art under the runways at Chicago s O Hare Airport CRYSTAL CITY STATION CONCEPT DESIGN 32
SLATERS LANE / ALEXANDRIA TRACK 1 ACCESS New crossover at Slaters Lane and east platform expansion Provides a third platform track for VRE & Amtrak trains at Alexandria 50% increase in passenger train capacity/throughout NVTA regionally funded project CSXT completed track and signal design; ordering material Anticipate construction in 2017 Platform design 60% complete Anticipate construction in 2018 AF 33
ALEXANDRIA STATION CONCEPT DESIGN STATION METRO EAST PLATFORM WEST PLATFORM INSERT CONCEPT Track PLAN Track HERE Track 1 2 3 T U N N E L Pedestrian Tunnel Cross-Section 34
MIDDAY STORAGE REPLACEMENT PROJECT VRE has temporarily used Ivy City Coach Yard since 1992 Insufficient today Restricts further growth Will diminish to zero Agreement allows reduction in VRE storage starting July 2018 WTY Master Plan Amtrak & VRE collaboration VRE storage area needed for new Amtrak HSR trainsets Amtrak proposed former Hecht Yard site for VRE 5200 feet x 60 feet Replaces storage for 13 trains 35
UNION MIDDAY MARKET STORAGE TRACK REPLACEMENT PROJECT 1500-foot connector with underpass between C-Interlocking and NYASF Adds capacity to Amtrak NE Corridor Removes 24 peak crossings of the NEC under New York Avenue bottleneck to a new dedicated track for commuter rail 36
LIFECYCLE OVERHAUL & UPGRADE FACILITY INSERT CONCEPT PLAN HERE D R A F T Concept Design Integrated into Crossroad Yard Replacement storage tracks provide for longer trains 33,500 square-foot maintenance building Extend lifecycle rolling stock maintenance 37
T. R. ( Tom ) Hickey Chief Development Officer 703-838-5428 THICKEY@VRE.ORG 38 38