POTENTIAL LOCAL DIRECT EFFECTS OF INCREASED COAL TRAIN TRAFFIC ON BNSF RAILWAY THROUGH BELLINGHAM

January 17 2012

Prepared forCOMMUNITYWISE BELLINGHAMby

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Among land transporta on modes, railroads have unique characteris cs that aff ect how they relate to their environment. An understanding of the environmental eff ect of railroads requires an understanding of these fundamental characteris cs. A specifi c method for the discussion of railroad opera on, and specifi c technical language, has been developed because of the unique nature of the characteris cs.

Railroad Characteristics

The most obvious characteris c is the track. A train follows a narrowly defi ned path. The engineer ( operator/driver of a train) does not steer. The locomo ves that pull and/or push the train follow the track as do all of the freight or passenger cars in the train. The track allows trains to operate in a space that is not substan- ally larger than the train. Trains do not

require guard rails along curves or jersey barriers between adjacent tracks. There-fore, a railroad can have a rela vely mod-est property requirement.

A train stays on the track because of the shape of the wheels. Wheels are tapered, smaller diameter toward the outside edge, and have a fl ange that extends be-low the top of the rail. The fl ange gen-erally does not touch the rail. Except on sharp curves and when moving through a turnout, the conical shape of the wheels is suffi cient to keep the wheels appropri-ately aligned on the rail.

Because the train merely follows the track and the engineer does not steer, a train cannot swerve to avoid an obstruc- on. Even when there are two or more parallel tracks, a train cannot

merely change lanes to avoid another train. Loca ons at which trains can change tracks, a special confi gura on called a turnout must be planned in advance and constructed for the purpose.

Tracks used by trains to move along the line at normal speed are main tracks. Trains can move in either direc on on a main track. If traffi c is rela vely light, the railroad may use only a single main track (single track) along all or a por on of a route. A siding is a track constructed parallel to the main track and connected to the main track by turnouts at the ends. A siding is used for one train to leave the main track to allow another train to move by, either mee ng (opposing direc on) or passing (overtaking in the same direc on). A siding must be long enough to accommodate the longest train that will need to leave the main track to yield to another train. Other tracks, generally called in-dustry or yard tracks, are used to store or maintain railroad engines and cars or to provide freight service to business.

The part of the wheel that is in contact with the rail is about the size of a dime. Smooth steel wheels rolling on a steel rail present very li le resistance to mo on. The small contact area is responsible for only a small amount of fric on. The wheel does not deform under the weight or in response to a turn as a rubber re does. This also limits the resistance to

TURNOUTSThis section of a turnout is known as the SWITCH or the POINTS. The points pivot at one end and taper to a point at the other. The tapered end fits tightly against the stock rail to guide the wheels.

If this is a manually-operated switch, a lever-type device known as a SWITCH STAND is mounted here. Moving the lever pulls or pushes on the operating rod to move the switch points.If this is a power-operated switch such as those used at a CTC control location, the electric motor, called a SWITCH MACHINE, that moves the operating rod is mounted here.

TAPERED AND FLANGED STEEL WHEELS OROUNDED-TOP RAIL

DRAINAGE: Generally in the form of ditches along the track, is required to keep water from accumulating in the ballast or in the subgrade earth.

Accumulated water will cause track movement under trains and failure of the subgrade to support the weight of the trains.

SUBGRADE: Compacted earth, supports the track.

TRACK: Basic Elements

RAILS: Made of steel and generally weighing between 38 and 45 pounds for a one-foot length, supports and guides the wheels of trains.

TIES: Generally wood or con-crete about 9 feet long 9 inches wide and 7 inches deep, support the rails and keep them stationary and in the correct alignment.

BALLAST: Crushed rock, keeps the track stationary and in the correct alignment.

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mo on. Therefore, the power required to move the lading or passengers is rela vely modest. A 40 horsepower Volkswagen Beetle of the 1960s could a ain a speed of about 70 mph on a fl at road. To a ain that speed in the Beetle with steel wheels on steel rails, a large lawnmower engine would suf-fi ce. With its original engine, the Beetle could pull 40 other Beetles at about 40 mph with steel wheels on steel rails. It could also pull 13 large SUVs at the same speed. It could pull a 25 ton trailer at close to 60 mph. Modest power requirements provide a great advantage in fuel consump on and the as-

sociated emissions. To take advantage of the low fric on fi xed guideway characteris cs of rail vehicles, they are much larger than highway vehicles. The size and weight aff ects the speed at which they can nego- ate curves.

The ease of movement on steel rails presents two diffi cul- es. The limited fric on makes

climbing grades and stopping diffi cult. Railroad grades must be gentle compared to high-way grades. A grade consid-ered moderate for a highway is extreme for a railroad. If the amount of force that the brakes exert on the wheels exceeds the small amount of fric on between the wheels and the track, the wheels will

SIGNALS

NO SIGNAL SYSTEM: Train speed is limited to the speed at which the train can be stopped withinsight distance. To allow increased speed, the engineer must be notified that the track ahead is clear oftrains for at least the distance required for stopping at the desired speed.

AUTOMATIC BLOCK SIGNAL SYSTEM: Signals spaced at approximately stopping distance, usingelectric current in the track to sense the presence of trains, tell the engineer the condition between thatsignal and the next, extending the engineer’s sight distance and allowing increased speed.

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merely slide on the rail. Opera ng a train is like driving on ice except that the train will not slide off of the desired course. The stopping distance of a train is, at commercial-ly viable speeds, much longer than the engi-neer’s range of vision. A system of detec ng the presence of trains (and perhaps other hazards), called a signal system, is needed to virtually ex-tend the engineer’s sight distance. Signals along the track, looking similar to traffi c signals at inter-sec ons but func oning diff erently, tell the train engineer if the track is occupied at a point ahead that is eyond stop-ping distance. The signal system electronically divides the track into segments called blocks. There is a signal at the entrance to each block. It indicates the condi on of the immediate block (oc-cupied / not occupied) and the condi on of one or more blocks beyond the immediate block (proceed-no restric on, prepare to stop at the next signal or second signal, proceed at a speed speci-fi ed by the signal).

Because the track steers the train, changing tracks at a turnout requires opera on of the movable part of the turnout. The movable part may be manually operated, requiring the train to stop, and a crew member to get off and operate the mov-able part of the turnout. Alterna vely, the movable part of the turnout may be operated by a motor, remotely controlled from a distant loca on. When the turnouts are remotely controlled, typically called Centralized Traffi c Control (CTC), sig-nals serve the dual purpose of showing whether the track ahead is clear of other trains and convey authority to occupy the track ahead and may tell the train engineer what route the train will take through the turnout(s) just beyond the signal.

SafetyRailroads, because they are engaged in interstate commerce, are regulated by the US government, specifi cally the Federal Railroad Administra on of the Department of Transporta on. The Staggers Act of 1980 deregulated the railaroad industry, but only the economic and business aspect regulated by the Interstate Commerce Commission. Safety regula ons and enforcement moved from ICC to FRA.The federal regula ons that apply to railroads are found in Title 49 of the Code of Federal Regula ons part 200-299. They apply to virtually every aspect of railroad opera on. 49 CFR 200-299 is divided into groups that apply to specifi c subjects:

SIDING

MAIN TRACK MAIN TRACK

SIDINGINTERMEDIATE SIGNALS WORK

AUTOMATICALLY TO SHOW CONDITION OF THE TRACK

AHEAD

CONTROLLED SIGNALS ARE USED TO AUTHORIZE TRAINS TO USE A SEGMENT OF TRACK. THEY ARE USED IN CONJUNCTION WITH CONTROLLED SWITCHES TO MANAGE TRAFFIC AND THE USE OF TRACKS. THEY NORMALLY DISPLAY STOP. WHEN THEY ARE SET TO AUTHORIZE A TRAIN TO

USE THE TRACK SECTION THEY BECOME AUTOMATIC SIGNALS THAT SHOW THE CONIDITON OF THE TRACK AHEAD.

CTC

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Part Subject Part Subject Part Subject200 Passenger service rules of prac-

ce222 Use of locomo ve horns at pub-

lic highway - rail grade crossings237 Bridge safety standards

207 Railroad police offi cers 223 Safety glazing standards loco-mo ves, passenger cars, and cabooses

238 Passenger equipment safety standards

209 Safety enforcement procedures 224 Refl ectoria on of rail freight rolling stock

239 Passenger train emergency pre-paredness

210 Noise emission 225 Railroad accidents/incidents: reports, classifi ca on, and in-ves ga on

240 Qualifi ca on and cer fi ca on of locomo ve engineers

211 Rules of Prac ce 227 Occupa onal noise exposure 241 US loca on of dispatching of railroads in US

212 State safety par cipa on 228 Hours of service 242 Qualifi ca on and cer fi ca on of conductors

213 Track safety standards 229 Locomo ve safety standards 244 Safety integr on plans govern-ing consilida ons, mergers, or acquisi ons of control

214 Workplace safety 230 Steam locomo ve inspec on and maintenance standards

250 Trustees of railroads in reorga-niza on

215 Freight car safety standards 231 Safety appliance standards 256 Financial assistance for passen-ger terminals

216 Special no ce and emergency order procedures

232 Freight brake safety standards 260 Loans and loan guarantees un-der the rialroad rehabilita on and improvement fi nancing program

217 Opera ng rules 233 Signal systems repor ng 261 Credit assistance for surface transportatoin projects

218 Opera ng prac ces 234 Grade crossing signals 262 Capital grnts for rail line reloca-ton and improvement

219 Control of alcohol and drug use 235 Discon nuance or material modifi ca on of a signal system

266 Assistance to states for local rail service

220 Communica ons 236 Installa on, inspec on, mainte-nance, and repair of signal and train control systems

268 Magne c levita on technology deployment

221 Rear end marking device

The safety standards are quite detailed. For example, Part 213, Track Safety Standards divides track condi on into several classes. a maximum freight train and passenger train speed is assigned to each class. Measurements and condi on are specifi ed for track componentswith tolerances specifi ed for each class of track. For some components and condi ons, specifi ed measurements are as small as 1/4 inch. The regula ons specify the frequency of track inspec on and the qualifi -ca ons of the person inspec ng the track. When a defect is found, including any of the specifi ed measurements being out of the tolernce for the track speed limit, train speeds must be reduced by temporary speed restric on to the maximum al-lowed speed for the class of track that current condi on meets. The speed limit may only be restored to the normal speed a er the track has been brought back into the standard for that class of track. The regula ons also provide a mathema -cal formula for determining the maximum allowed speed through curves, based upon the sharpness of the curve (radius) and the amount of supereleva on (banking). Similarly, the regula ons contain detailed specifi ca ons for the condi on of locomo ves, freight cars, and passenger cars. FRA safety inspectors regularly inspect track, signals, cars, and locomo ves for compliance with the regula ons.

The regula ons also specify an extensive set of opera ng procedures for the use of the locomo ve horn at highway grade

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crossings, the tes ng and opera on of the air brake system of a train, and general opera ng prac ces. The opera ng prac ces and rules for each railroad are contained in rulebooks, metables, and other documents. The prac ces must be approved by FRA. The regula ons provide specifi c procedures and standards for the cer fi ca on (licensing) of locomo ve engineers and train conductors. Employees are required to pass a biennial examina on on the rules and procedures. The regula ons require periodic on the job tes ng by railroad management staff in addi on to the biennial wri en examina- ons. Tes ng and examina on records must be maintained for periodic

review by FRA safety inspectors. FRA inspectors also preiodically perform on the job tes ng of employees in addi on to the tes ng conducted by railroad management staff .

Railroad cars, freight or passenger, receive a thorough mechanical inspec- on at each terminal where cars are assembled into trains or trains are

broken apart into individual cars for furtherance or delivery. In addi on, all employees along the line are required to visually inspect trains as they pass. Electronic detectors spaced periodically along the line inspec ng bearings and wheels for defects and detec ng objects dragging along the track from the bo omsof cars. when defects are found by electronic de-tector or visual inspec on, the train is no fi ed by radio to stop.

The Language of Railroad Operation.

The loca on of and need for railroad infrastructure is demonstrated using a traffi c (stringline) diagram. A stringline diagram is a me-distance chart that demonstrates the loca on of trains at any point in me. It is neces-sary to understand and be comfortable with reading stringline diagrams in order to understand railroad infrastructure requirements.

Capacity

Railroad infrastructure re-quirements are determined in terms of capacity. Capac-ity is not an absolute quan- ty. It is dependent upon

the speed of the trains, the rela ve speed of one train to another, the length of the trains, and the spe-cifi c combina on of trains that will be operated (e.g., speed, length, and me sensi vity). At any me, a train must have exclusive occupancy of the track on which is it located as well as the track in front of the train that is within stop-ping distance. Thus, it may be necessary for a train to have exclusive right to sev-eral miles of track at any me. On main lines, the

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Trains 1 and 2 will meet here. If this is single track, train 1 must wait at B for Train 2 ot Train 2 must wait at C for Train 1. When used in capacity study, this demonstrates that a siding constructed at this point will eliminate the delay.

Direction of rising slope is direction of movement

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The diagram may include a schematic diagram of the track arrangement

Two main tracks Single track and sidings

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signal system determines the amount of track ahead of the train that the train must occupy. On a single track line, a train must occupy the segment of line between sidings exclusively as well.

Capacity is generally not uniformly distributed along the line. The distance between signals may vary or the signals may be spaced uniformly but the speed limit varies. Sidings may be located at diff erent intervals or the speed limit may vary be-tween sidings along the line. These factors must be considered in determining the adequacy of the route for proposed traffi c. The capacity of the line is generally dictated by the individual segment that trains must occupy for the longest period. On a single track line, that segment is the segment between the two sidings that are the greatest travel me apart. On a line that has two or more main tracks, the capacity is generally de-termined by the two signals that are separated by the great-est travel me. These are the capacity-limi ng segments. The examples will demonstrate single track line capacity because the line between Evere and Bellingham is single track.

Traffi c on the line has reached the capacity of the line when every opportunity to operate a train through the capacity lim-i ng segment has been reached.The minimum me that can be achieved between two trains in the same direc on is called minimum headway.

Flee ng, the opera on of several trains in one direc on on close headway, is generally not an eff ec ve means of capacity increase. Flee ng can cause substan al delay to trains in the opposite direc on. Flee ng trains in both direc ons is not an eff ec ve means of increasing capacity.

Capacity can be approximated by dividing the length of a day by the travel me through the capacity-limi ng segment.Thus, if the travel me through the capacity-limi ng segment is 30 minutes (one-half hour) the capacity is 48 trains per day (24 hours divided by 1/2 hour).

Practical and Theoretical Capacity

The examples demonstrate theore cal capacity. That is the ca-pacity that can be achieved by using every possible movement opportunity through the capacity-limi ng segment. That type of traffi c density and the precision that is required to achieve it are not prac cal in regular operatoin. There will be some varia on in even the most precise railroad opera on (e.g., Switzerland or Germany). On a con nuing basis, a railroad can be expected to perform reliably at about half of the prac cal cpacity. The unused half of the theore cal capacity is needed for track maintenance and as a buff er when trains do not fi t exactly into the full-to-capacity traffi c pa ern.

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A westward train cannot leave Fairfielduntil 0600 when the eastward train

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In this example, the siding to siding travel time is uniform for the entire length of the line

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Eastward trainleaves Galloway

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A westward train cannot leaveFairfield until 0700 when the

eastward train arrives

The next eastward train cannot leaveGalloway until 0900 when the westward

train arrives: minimum headway 4hours.

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In tis example, the travel time beteween Fairfi eld and Galloway is twice the travel time between other sidings. The segment between Fairfi eld and Galloway is the capacity limiting segment.

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Fleeting trains in one direction may provide a small increase in ca-pacity, but it is done at the expense of substantial delays to trains in the opposite direction.

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Congestion

Regardless of when it is desirable to operate trains, the infra-structurre will determine when trains can be operated. Con-ges on occurs when traffi c exceeds capacity. Conges on does not end un l some me a er traffi c has been reduced to less than capacity.

Commercial Capacity

The theory of spacing traffi c evanly throughout the day in order to maximize u liza on of the infrastructure is o en not prac cal. Railroads are a business compe ng with other transporta on modes for customers. They must provide ser-vice when customers need it or customers will shop for an alterna ve. Rather than confi guring traffi c to the characteris- cs of the infrastructure, it may be necessary to confi gure the

characteris cs of the infrastructure to the desired traffi c. This approach is typically necessary when passenger trains are part of the traffi c because of their need to operate at specic mes determined by the travel needs of the public. Freight

trains can also require special treatment. Bulk commodity trains operate in a conveyor belt-like manner, but trains car-rying certain types of manufactured goods and packages for delivery have service requirements similar to those of pas-senger trains.

The effect of the pending PTC installations

The purpose of the PTC systems that have been mandated by the US Federal government is collision preven on. Such systems may have some eff ect on capacity, depending upon their design. The design of the systems is a work in progress. However, the fundamental opera on of the system is similar to that of exis ng systems. The signifi cant diff erence will be that the system will enforce the speed and stoppng require-ments instead of relying solely on the engineers of trains.

PTC systems will probably include a display of the signals in the locomo ve cab (commonly called cab signals). Cab signals provide a reliability improvement, but no substan al capacity improvement. Some current systems actually reduce capacity because of their design. The reliability improvement is found in the con nuous informa on about condi ons ahead. Way-side signals provide informa on to the engineer only as they are passed. If the condi on ahead changes a er the train has passed a signal, the engineer will not know about it un l the next signal comes into view. If a train is closing on a slower train ahead, the train will receive a yellow signal (prepare to stop at next signal) when it is one block behind the slower train. If one second a er the following train passes the yellow signal, the leading train clears the main track at a turnout, the engineer of the following train must s ll begin stopping and not discon nue the braking un l the next signal, now displaying green, comes into view. A con nuously updated cab signal, such as will probably be included in PTC design, will no fy the engineer of the following train of the change and the discon nued need to stop immediately. The following train may proceed at normal speed and not experience the delay associated with preparing to stop.

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Fleeting trains in both directions may provide a small increase in capacity, but it is done at the expense of greater delays to trains in the opposite direction than result from single direction fl eeting.

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When trains are operated at a following time of less than mini-mum headway, congestion occurs. Delays continue until after traffi c entering the line has been reduced to less than capacity (less than minimum headway).

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PTC systems may include some type of moving block system. These systems do not divide the line into discreet segments (blocks). Electronic systems and radio are used to allow a following train to be as close as stopping distance plus a safety buff er from the train ahead. There is always a possibility that a train may stop suddenly, probably due to a derailment or defec ve equipment. For that reason, the systems will be designed to not allow the following train to be closer than stop-ping distance. The systems will not allow many trains to follow within a short distance, making one very long virtual train.

As well, PTC systems do not aff ect the basic infrastructure limita ons on capacity. The distance between sidings on a single track line remain the same. PTC does not materially aff ect the travel me between sidings. The BNSF line between the Powder River Basin coal mines and the west coast is almost en rely a single track railroad. The supply of trains entering the line that extends between Evere and Custer is limited by the approximately 1,000 miles of single track railroad east of Evere .

Adjusting the infrastruc-ture to the traf ic

In general, a single track line should be confi gured with the travel me between sidings as uniform as possible. This ar-rangement minimizes delay when traffi c is at or near capac-ity. If traffi c is heaviest during a specifi c period because of com-mercial requirements, infra-structure is confi gured for that traffi c level. Regardless, uni-form travel me between sid-ings provides the most effi cient opera on.

The BNSF line between Everett and Custer

The adequacy of the line to ac-commodate traffi c cannot be determined by examining an isolated segment. The line must be examined over a distance that allows considera on of the secondary consequences (e.g., a train that must be held be-cause there is no track available for it at some distant point). That distance typically involves endpoints of junc ons or termi-nals that feed traffi c into and ac-cept traffi c from the line being examined. For the purpose of the discussion of the BNSF line that extends through Belling-ham, we will consider the line between Evere and Custer,

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The capacity of the BNSF line between Everett and Custer is limited by the travel time between Bow and Ferndale (shaded). The siding at South Bellingham is not long enough to accommodate a typical freight train. In a day, 31 freight trains can operate through this segment when every movement opoortunity is used (practical capacity 15 trains).

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where the proposed coal trains would leave the main line and travel on the branch line to Cherry Point.

Between Evere and Bow, the average speed limit is rela vely high, the terrain is rela vely fl at, and sidings are spaced at intervals of about 15 minutes. Between Bow and Ferndale, the speed limit is rela vely low, the steepest (ruling) grade on the line is located between Belling-ham and Ferndale, and the sid-ing at South Bellingham is not long enough to accommodate a typical freight train, render-ing it useless for providing ca-pacity to the line. The distance between Ferndale and Custer is short, but the capacity aff ected by coal trains would be limited by the low speed at which trains would leave the main track at Intalco (Custer).

Traffi c on the line varies with economic condi ons. Typically, there are several daily mer-chandise (mixture of manufac-tured goods and raw materials) daily, two daily Amtrak Cas-cades trains in either direc on, and several coal and returning empty trains each week. The coal trains are moving from Wyoming to Roberts Bank BC for export from the West Shore terminal.

Travel me for a freight train through the capacity-limi ng segment between Bow and Ferndale is 48 minutes. That generates a theore cal cpacity of 31 trains per day (24 hours / 0.8 hours), which is a prac cal capacity of 15 trains. Previous to the current economic downturn, normal traffi c on the line would regularly reach 12 trains per day, including the four Amtrak trains. Thus, any expected increase in normal traffi c, freight or passenger, would require addi onal infrastructure.

Plans for additional Amtrak Cascades trains

The Washington State Department of Transporta on Log Range Plan for Amtrak Cascades (2007) includes two addi onal Amtrak Cascades trains in either direc on between Sea le and Vancouver BC (a er substan al infrastructure construc- on), but there is no currently projected funding for this expansion of the service.

The Long Range Plan describes the addi onal infrastructure requirements for the fi rst of the two trains (the third daily

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When the current Amtrak Cascades trains are added to the diagram, the number of freight train movement opportunities are reduced to 26 (practical capacity 12 freight trains).

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train). Between Evere and Custer, the service will require extending the Samish siding to the south and connec ng to the siding at Bow, and extend-ing the South Bellingham siding north from its present north end to Central Avenue. The in-frastructure requirements for this train in Bri sh Columbia are substan al. There is no current plan in Washington or Bri sh Columbia to fund the required infrastructure.

The Samish and South Belling-ham siding extensions were cal-culated for those loca ons for specifi c reasons. The greatest capacity increase for a project is found in reducing the longest travel me between sidings and simultaneously making inter-siding trvel mes as uniform as possible. Construciton that makes the travel me through the capacity limi ng segment substan ally shorter than those along the rest of the line will move the capacity limita on to another segment. Constructoin that reduces the travel me through the capacity limi ng segment to an amount that is s ll substan ally more than the travel me through other seg-ments along the line provides insuffi cient gain for the expen-diture.

An early plan to address the Bow - Ferndale segment was to construct a new siding north of Bellingham, between the Cliff side Drive and Slater Road crossings. This loca on provided a very small capacity increase, reducing the Bow - Ferndale travel me by less than ten minutes. That small gain in capacity would have been insuffi cient, and costly for the benefi t. The op mum locatoin for a siding to provide the required capacity would be as close as possible to half way (in travel me) between Bow and Fern-dale. That loca on would have been somewhere south of Chuckanut Bay. It would have been very costly costruc on with poten ally signifi cant environmental consequences. The resul ng inter-siding travel mes would have been more than 20 minutes, s ll the longest inter-siding travel mes on the line. The Bow-Ferndale segment would have twice the capacity, but would s ll limit capacity of the line to less than the other segments.

The solu on that was developed for the fi nal plan, extending the Samish and South Bellingham sidings, provided the great-est benefi t for the expenditure, would be less costly then a siding south of Chuckanut Bay, and have smaller environmental consequences than a siding south of Chuckanut Bay.

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The WSDOT long range plan for Amtrak Cascades includes extending the sidings at Samish and South Bellingham to increase capacity. These locations are necessary in order to increase capacity and maintain approximately uniform travel times between sidings. The capacity limiting segment is now between Samish and South Bellingham. The extension of the Samish and South Bellingham sidings provides a capacity of 53 freight trains per day (Theoretical 25 freight trains per day).

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The infrastructure require-ments described in the Long Range Plan for the fourth daily round trip are substan al. The plan includes the change from 79 mph maximum speed to 110 mph maximum speed. This change will require a substan- al amount of second and third

main track between Marysville and Larrabee State Park and between a point near Marine Drive and Alderwood Ave. in Bellingham and the south bank of the Fraser River in Surrey BC. There is likewise no funding plan for this infrastructure.

There is a plan to redevelop the former Georgia Pacifi c paper mill in Bellingham. Part of the redevelopment plan includes reloca ng the BNSF main track from its current alignment through the Georgia Pacifi c property to south of the GP property and south of Cornwall Ave. This realignment would al-low a speed increase from the current 20 mph for all trains around the curve through the GP property between Laurel Street and Central Avenue to 60 mph for Amtrak Cascades trains and 40 mph for freight trains. The increased speed reduces the amount of me that trains occupy road crossings and in-creases capacity by reducing the travel me between the South Bellingham siding and the Ferndale siding.

The segment between Bow and Ferndale is the current capacity limi ng segment between Evere and Blaine. Extending the Samish and South Bellingham sidings as required for the third daily Amtrak Cascades train and increasing the train speeds as will be provided for in the reloca on to the perimeter of the GP property will make travel mes between sidings close to uniform between Evere and Blaine, providing a smooth fl ow of traffi c as well as increased capacity.

Coal trains

Railroads are common carriers. That means that they provide service to any party that has something to ship. In the days of regula on, that meant handling any shipment whether it was profi table or not. Regula on ended when such requirements caused the economic collapse of a large part of the railroad industry. Railroads s ll handle any shipments off ered, but with no requirement to handle them at a loss. There remains a small degree of regula on of railroads by Surface Transpor-

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When the current Amtrak Cascades trains and the one additional Amtrak Cascades train for which the Samish and South Bellingham siding extensions are required are added to the capac-ity-level freight traffi c, 49 freight trains may be operated (24 trains at practical level).

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ta on Board. Shippers who feel that they have been treated unfairly by a railroad may fi le a complaint with STB for possible correc ve ac- on. Railroads have no fi nancial interest in the products they transport.

Freight transport by rail is safer than freight transplort by highway. Freight transport by rail also represents the re-duc on of damage to roadways by heavily-loaded trucks. Coal trains have characteris cs that make them somewhat safer than a conven on-al freight train. All of the cars in the train are the same size and weight. The eff ect of braking ac- on is uniform through-

out the train. Conven- onal freight trains are

made up of cars of many sizes and weights. The poten al for derailment because of the diff er-ences in the cars (e.g., heavy cars following light cars or a mixture of long and short cars) requires greater cau- on in accelera ng and

braking the train. Coal trains also typically have locomo ves at the rear of the train, controlled by radio-based remote control from the engi-neer of the locomo ve at the front of the train. This arrangement fa-cilitates the handling of the train, reducing the stress on the couplings and reducing the chance of mechanical failures. It also improves braking performance.

Railroads do not construct facili es that are not required. They have an extensive process to determine exactly what must

CURRENT SOUTH BELLINGHAM SIDING

SOUTH BELLINGHAM SIDING EXTENSION FROM WSDOT LONG RANGE PLAN FOR AMTRAK CASCADESSEPTEMBER 2007

CURRENT BNSF ALIGNMENT TO BE RELOCATED AS SHOWN IN RED FOR GP SITE REDEVELOPMENT

CURRENT SAMISH SIDING

CURRENT BOW SIDING

BOW-SAMISH SIDING EXTENSION FROM WSDOT LONG RANGE PLAN FOR AMTRAK CASCADESSEPTEMBER 2007

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be built, where, and why. The BNSF system consists of about 32,000 miles of track in 27 states and Bri sh Columbia. The en re system must compete for the capital improvement funds that are available through normal business revenue. Every prospec ve project is analyzed and weighed careully against others. Each year, the capital program is the list of the highest return projects among all candidate projects. Projects that do not generate a return of the capital investment in a rela vely short me are generally not considered. Unnecessary or poorly conceived projects will not be considered for funding.

The study process expands upon the fundamentals that have been explained in this paper. In addi on to development using these principles, simula on is extensively used in a process that establishes a proposed solu on as eff ec ve and not excessive. BNSF can be expected to support any new business, including the proposed coal trains, with the minimum amount of eff ec ve investment.

BNSF has made no public announcement of how it intends to handle the addi onal traffi c, nor what infrastructure must be constructed to support it. It appears likely from examina on of the infrastructure proposed in the WSDOT Long Range Plan for Amtrak Cascades, that the infrastrucure solu on developed for increased coal train traffi c will probably be similar. However, before construc on can begin, the project will be subject to the procedures prescribed by the Na onal Environ-mental Policy Act (NEPA). Projects of the magnitude of the addi onal infrastructure needed to support the expected coal train traffi c will require a detailed statement of purpose and need, extensive research into the poten al environmental eff ects, public discussion, and mi ga on plans for environmental impacts that cannot be prac cally avoided.