Options for Sustained Freight Rail Growth

Options for Sustained Freight Rail Growth

Existing freight rail infrastructure in San Diego is near capacity. With an expected growth rate for freight rail of 3% per year, the system will reach gridlock around the year 2008. Capacity is constrained on the main lines and the rail yards. The main lines operating north of San Diego used by BNSF are shared with AMTRAK and the COASTER. As the frequency of passenger trains increases, the operating windows for freight train operations decrease. The SDIV operates on a limited window from 0130 to 0400 six days a week on the Trolley Blue Line. This operating window already limits the amount of traffic that can be handled per day to about 40 carloads. If night service on the Trolley increases, the capacity could be further reduced. The freight yard receive incoming trains and sort the cars for delivery to customers. The empty cars are then collected and assembled for outbound trains at the same yards. Physical capacity of the yards is the number of freight cars than can occupy the yard. But some space and empty track is required to sort the cars in the yard, leaving the operating capacity of the yard at 60-75% of the physical capacity. Both BNSF and SDIV are operating near the limits of yard capacity. The arrival of extra manifest trains have already stressed the system, requiring additional trains, placing extra cars in sidings, and requiring difficult arrangements with the Trolley to operate trains outside the operating windows. These events result in increase costs per carload, and indicator of decreasing returns to scale and operations above the optimum car to capacity ratio on the system rail system. Growth in downtown San Diego has come into conflict with freight rail operations in the area. Downtown redevelopment has drastically changed the nature and population density of the area nears the downtown freight yards. The hotels, Convention Center, and PETCO Park have increased dramatically pedestrian and automotive traffic in the area. Yet rail and switching operation still occur along the Harbor Drive corridor that runs across major pedestrian and vehicle flows. This issue has been recognized and addressed at previous hearings. Ultimately, a solution is required which removes these operations from this corridor. A review of rail operations in San Diego by the freight rail operators identified some choke points that further impact the ability to increase freight tail traffic. They include Customs windows at San Ysidro for rail car interchange, and limited access for trucks to rail yards that conduct transload operations. And the recently introduced 286,000lb railcars require that the existing track be upgraded to handle these cars. Solutions to remedy these deficiencies are area available. Capital improvements are needed. But there are also operational changes that can be made which effectively increase the existing capacity. Some of these operational changes have already been implemented.

Operating Solutions As the operating window for freight services decreased, there were evenings where the SDIV was unable to complete switching operations. Efforts were initiated to investigate how better use could be made of the limited window. Joint discussions between the SDIV Superintendent of Operations and SDTI arrived at a scheme where the southbound freight could depart earlier from San Diego, and meet the last northbound trolley at the area of the Sweetwater River. An effective meet was also established for the later northbound train from San Ysidro to San Diego. This changed rule provides almost 45 minutes of additional time for freight operations on the line. The way in which cars are delivered to San Diego can speed switching and interchange. Pre-blocking a section of the manifest train for SDIV traffic would make pulling the cars for the SDIV easier and quicker. The freight rail operators have joined together to form the San Diego Freight Rail Advisory Council. It is anticipated that this group will develop further beneficial operating changes.

Capital Improvements

Yard Improvements The biggest yard bottleneck is located at the SDIV San Ysidro Yard. All customers in San Ysidro, Chula Vista, and National City have their cars sorted at San Ysidro. All Mexican interchange with CZRY is conducted at this facility. The Desert Line traffic for San Diego will be interchanged, and sorted for customers. And paper and plastic transload from railcar to truck is conducted there. The existing truck access is through a tight radius that further limits the ability to conduct these operations. The yard is subject to frequent flooding which can hamper or halt operations until the water recedes. To remedy these problems, a substantial upgrade to this yard is required. It would consist of moving the lead from to the yard from the trolley line farter north, expanding the physical capacity to 200 cars, making drainage improvements, and re-locating the truck access. A paved and lighted transload facility could also be constructed of sufficient size to attract sand and other bulk commodity transload traffic. The establishment of this site would have to address the increased truck traffic and access to the freeways in the area.

The downtown SDIV yard has become a victim of redevelopment encroachment and pedestrian/vehicular traffic growth. These operations can no longer expand with the increasing traffic. Additional capacity for this yard is required to support any growth in freight rail movements. Some of this capacity could be need to be shifted to a site to the south. One option is to move this yard to a site at National City located on Navy property north of 8 th St. along Harbor Dr. This location has the advantages of direct access for both BNSF and SDIV. It is located in an industrial area, and would not negatively impact the neighborhood. This site could be developed to provide a physical car capacity of 200 cars. A limited transload site could also be constructed. Movement of some SDIV switching operations to this site could eliminate the BNSF/SDIV interchange downtown that conflicts with vehicle and pedestrian traffic. If the yard is developed as a joint BNSF/SDIV facility, and BNSF provides a pre-blocked manifest train with SDIV traffic, this yard would provide a virtual capacity increase to BNSF of 150 cars. This capacity could handle the surge cause by additional manifest trains form Barstow. SDIV could serve the National City customers from this site without going through San Ysidro, further increasing capacity of that yard to handle the Desert Line growth.

Main Line Improvements Operating windows hampers the existing movement of freight traffic. Movement of traffic south of San Diego is severely limited by the short operating window on the SDTI Blue Line. By establishing a connection with BNSF farter south for interchange, and providing a freight track off the existing SDTI line would address these issues. To provide access to the proposed National City Yard and move SDIV/BNSF interchange out of out of San Diego. The proposed location for this crossover is just south of 32 nd St. in San Diego. A connection with BNSF at National City with the Coronado Line would enable the establishment of the separate freight main line to the south.

This line would continue south on the Coronado Line to F Street in Chula Vista where it would cross Interstate 5 south of F St. and then parallel the existing trolley main south to L St. Just north of L Street the track would cross the Trolley line and connect with the Palomar siding to the east of the Trolley line. This siding extends south of Main St. in Chula Vista. This alignment effectively takes SDIV through freight operations off the Trolley main north of Palomar with the exception of the crossing at L Street. With trackage rights, BNSF/SDIV could interchange well to the south. This dramatically opens up the operating window, and provides much more flexibility of SDTI in Trolley operations and maintenance.

Coastal Rail Corridor Improvements The BNSF operating window is still limited by the passenger operations on the LOSSAN corridor. But improvements have been programmed and budgeted that are providing second main lines and passing sidings. An extensive bridge rehabilitation program is also ongoing. Inputs ans support from the freight rail stakeholders are required to ensure that further improvements are adequate to handle the projected freight rail growth.