washington state rail plan integrated freight and passenger rail plan 2013-2030

Washington State Rail PlanIntegrated Freight and Passenger Rail Plan

2013-2030

Transportation Border Working GroupApril 2014

Todd CarlsonPlanning & Engineering Services Manager

WSDOT – Northwest Region

Lynn PetersonSecretary of Transportation

Cam GilmourDeputy Secretary of Transportation

Kerri WoehlerRail Operations Program Manager

WSDOT – Northwest Region

What is the Purpose of the State Rail Plan?

• Fulfills federal and state requirements.

• Provides an integrated plan for freight and passenger rail, including 5- and 20-year funding strategies, that meets federal and state requirements.

• Builds on previous plans and guides future efforts.

• Serves as a strategic blueprint for future public investment in the state’s rail transportation system.

Years of collaborative, consistent planning and substantial state

investment prepared WSDOT to compete for and secure nearly $800

million in federal funds for passenger rail improvements.

It’s time to be thinking about what’s next for freight and passenger rail.

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Washington State Rail Network

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Freight Rail in Washington State

Class I Railroads: BNSF and UP

•Privately-owned enterprises.

•Fund their own system improvements.

•Own the majority of the rail infrastructure.

•Occasionally partner with the public sector on capital projects (grade crossings, etc.).

•State and local governments do not regulate or otherwise control the frequency, schedule or type of rail traffic.

Box Cars and Port of Vancouver, Wash., Robert Gaskin. April 2013. Flickr. September 24, 2013. www.flickr.com/photos/24039825@N06/8649193535/

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Freight Rail in Washington State

Short-line and switching or terminal railroads:

•25 throughout Washington.

•40% of rail mileage in the state.

•50% is publicly owned (by mileage).

•WSDOT programs:• Freight Rail Assistance

Program (grants)• Freight Rail Investment

Bank (loans)

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Amtrak Cascades Intercity Passenger Rail

Partnerships make it possible:• BNSF, UP and CN own the tracks • Amtrak operates the service• Talgo and Amtrak maintain

equipment

2013 performance*:• 11 daily trains = 4,015 annually• Ridership exceeded 807,000• Ticket revenues $29 million• FFY Farebox recovery 59.5%  

*Per WSDOT Ridership and Revenue Database

www.wsdot.wa.gov/railwww.AmtrakCascades.com

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Amtrak Cascades Intercity Passenger Rail

Intercity Rail Connecting Major Economic Centers

Vancouver, B.C. (Metro)2.5 million residents141,000 on/offs

Seattle (Metro)3.5 million residents461,000 on/offs

Portland (Metro)2.3 million residents462,000 on/offs

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Preclearance for Amtrak CascadesSaves 10-minutes by eliminating international border train stop

Results:•Reduced travel time•Improved on-time performance•Reduces risk of unanticipated delays (can be up to 60 mins)

Benefits:•Improves convenience for passengers •Makes international rail travel a stronger component of the transportation system •Supports strategy to increase ridership in our 2nd largest market

Beyond the Border: full preclearance at Vancouver, B.C. for passenger rail

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Strengths and Challenges

Strengths:•Currently providing good mobility for existing train volumes.•Extensive network connects citizens and industry.•Supports industries that contribute $106 billion to GDP and support 1.2 million jobs.•Most fuel-efficient mode and produces the least amount of carbon.

Challenges:•Bottlenecks, constraints and access issues on Class I system.•Delays and reliability concerns.•Deferred maintenance degrading level of service on short-line railroads.•Access to national and global markets.•Meeting future demand.•Maintaining a safe rail system.

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Rail System Needs

“What” Rail Operations and Infrastructure Needs

“Why” Rail’s Role in Economic Development

“How” Rail System Priorities and Goals

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What: Rail Operations and Infrastructure

Recommendations•State action and investment based on performance measures.•Continue incremental improvement of intercity passenger rail.•Assess short-line railroad system conditions and needs.•Seek cost effective approaches.

Needs•Address constraints to ensure that future capacity meets future demand.•Preserve existing rail capacity and infrastructure.•Enhance the efficiency and reliability of existing services.

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Why: Rail’s Role in Economic Development

Recommendations

•Include “first and last mile” connectivity in investment priorities.

•Include support or enhancement of domestic or international trade in investment priorities.

Needs

•Rail should support Washington’s economy by providing access to people and industry.

•Preserve access to global markets by ensuring access to Washington's ports.

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How: Rail System Priorities and Goals

Recommendations•Use performance measures to assess funding needs.•Consider expansion of funding partnerships.•Communicate the benefits of rail.•Support state and federal programs that promote rail safety and security.

Needs•Prioritize cost-effective investments into the state's rail system.•Strengthen rail to maximize benefits and minimize negative impacts.•Continue to support safe and secure passenger and freight rail movement.

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Implementation and Investment Plan

• 5- and 20-year strategies.

• Priorities for state-owned and state-sponsored assets.

• Capital projects (identified in adopted transportation plans) that address system needs.

Near-term priorities:(Funding from existing sources is very limited)

• Deliver funded projects.

• Maintain and preserve existing infrastructure.

• Establish short line system inventory.

• Support State Freight Mobility Plan effort to define freight priorities.

• Improve efficiency.

• Manage costs and maintain revenues for Amtrak Cascades

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Implementation and Investment Plan (cont.)

Near-Term (5-Year: 2013-2018) Investment and Implementation Plan

•All indications show that the next five years (2013-2018) will be a time of great change for the rail system in Washington state.

•Freight rail volumes are expected to double by 2035 and community discussions about potential impacts related to increasing rail traffic will continue.

•Passenger rail service will improve significantly as the Washington State Department of Transportation and Sound Transit complete capital projects to support Amtrak Cascades and Sounder.

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Long-Term (20-Year: through 2035 and beyond) Investment and Implementation Plan

•The freight forecasts in the State Rail Plan83

project that freight rail tonnage on the state’s system will double by 2035.

•Passenger rail service is also expected to increase and expand to achieve the state’s vision for additional daily round trips and shorter travel times.

•Increases in coal and crude oil shipments, and development of new terminals on the west coast, could accelerate the rate of growth. Substantial operational and capital improvements will be needed to accommodate these changes.

Implementation and Investment Plan (cont.)

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Long-Term Goals — High-Speed Rail

•Amtrak Cascades operates at speeds up to 79 miles per hour. Efforts are underway that will increase the amount of time trains can operate at the maximum speed.

•Stakeholder feedback revealed broad support for maintaining the long-range vision of high-speed rail for Amtrak Cascades service to better serve customers and increase ridership:

• Thirteen round trips between Seattle and Portland (1-hour frequency during peak travel times) with a travel time of two hours and 30 minutes (2:30).

• Four round trips between Seattle and Vancouver, British Columbia with a travel time of two hours and 37 minutes (2:37).

Implementation and Investment Plan (cont.)

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Cross Border CollaborationWashington and British Columbia

Joint Transportation Executive Council, established by Governor and Premier

Current work program focus:

•"Continued joint advocacy requesting the implementation of integrated customs and immigration preclearance...".

•Assess responses to financial operating pressures resulting from the elimination of U.S. Federal Amtrak funding. Options include increasing fares, reducing service, or increasing partner contributions.

•Deliver capital improvement projects

Amtrak Cascades over the Fraser Bridge heading to Vancouver, B.C. Rog45/Roger. Boats N Stuff - Brownsville - Surrey BC. 28 September 2006. Flickr. April 16, 2013.

www.flickr.com/photos/rog45/256066529/

Priorities for Cross-Border Service

Preclearance:

Eliminate stop at the border by

combining Immigrations and Customs

prior to boarding in Canada

•Unique needs for Amtrak Cascades

•Well-functioning system already

in place - implement the system

that already works

Key Questions for Cross-Border Rail:

•PRIIA Section 209 implementation and implications for cross-borderpassenger rail

•Strategies for developing and strengthening operating partnerships between states and provinces

•Rail infrastructure investments in Canada to improve service

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Contact Information

Todd CarlsonPlanning & Engineering Services Manager

www.wsdot.wa.gov/rail

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