Transcript Freight and Passenger Rail Transportation in Iowa Iowa State University December 6, 2010

Freight and Passenger Rail
Transportation in Iowa
Iowa State University
December 6, 2010
Rail in Iowa
Freight Rail
–Rail in Iowa
–Railroad Revolving Loan
and Grant Program
–Rail Port Funding (2010)
–2008 Flood Relief
Passenger Rail
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Background
Iowa’s Vision
Activities
HSIPR applications
Iowa’s Railroads
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19 railroad companies
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3,716 railroad employees
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4,023 track miles (over 50,000
acres of land)
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4471 public at-grade crossings;
718 grade separations
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In Iowa, railroads spend nearly
$300 million annually for
maintenance and improvements.
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Pay over $245 million in wages &
benefits to Iowans; $128 million in
retirement benefits
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Pay income, sales and property
taxes
Iowa’s Rail System In 1915
Today’s Rail System
Rail Revolving Loan and Grant Program
(RRLGP)
•Building access to rail for
Iowa’s businesses
•Rail network
improvement projects for
Iowa’s communities
•New for 2010- Rail Port
Funding
RRLGP 2008 Flood
Recovery
• $3.9 million
awarded to
seven Iowa
railroads
• Restored rail
service to much
of eastern Iowa
by rebuilding
track
Highway/Railroad Surface
Repair Program
• Program began in 1976
• Funding Source – State
$900,000 and $1M from
Federal Aid Crossing Safety
Program
In 2000 Primary Program
created
• Crossing life was 4-5
years
• DOT staff hired
• Partnership in
construction with DOT
and Railroad field staff
Federal Aid Highway-Railroad
Crossing Safety Program
• All Funding Source –
– Section 1401 of SAFETEA-LU
– FY 2009 - $4.2 million
– FY 2010 - $3.6 million
• Project Eligibility - all safety improvements on public roads
including new crossing signal devices, upgrading of existing
signals, increased sight distance, increased lens size, crossing
surface rebuilds, crossing closures, raised medians and other
safety improvements.
• Project Participation – flexible 10% match by railroad and/or
highway authority on signal work
• Project Prioritization – B/C ratio for warning devices
IA 17/UP mainline - Four Quadrant Gates
Amtrak in Iowa
Amtrak RoutesNational System
Serving Iowa
California Zephyr
Southwest Chief
Amtrak in USA
Passenger Rail - Intercity System
Fifteen States have Amtrak
Intercity Service (shown in
pink plus Virginia)
Midwest Planning
Midwest Regional Rail Initiative Plan
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Commuter Service
Passenger Rail - Commuter System
Source: Commuter Rail Feasibility Study for the Des Moines Metropolitan
Area 2000
Iowa Connections Effort
Iowa’s Passenger Rail
Vision
Create a passenger rail
network that connects
Iowans to each other and
the country, and makes
Iowa a more attractive
place to live, work and
visit.
Insert Iowa
Connections front
page
Iowa’s Vision
Implement Iowa’s Vision in Phases
Iowa’s Planning and Activities to be
READY for Passenger Rail
• 1990’s legislation creating Passenger Rail Service
Revolving Fund
• 1996 Midwest Regional Rail Initiative member state
• 1998 Route Feasibility Study (Chicago to Omaha)
• 2000 Rail System Plan
• 2006/2007 Transportation Enhancement funding of
depot improvements on California Zephyr route
• 2006/2007 Requested Amtrak feasibility studies
• 2007 Amtrak feasibility study Chicago to Dubuque
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Iowa’s Planning and Activities to be
READY for Passenger Rail
• 2007 Iowa passed legislation joining the Midwest Interstate
Passenger Rail Compact
• 2008 Amtrak feasibility study Chicago to Iowa City
• 2008 Formed Passenger Rail Advisory Committee
(statewide membership)
• 2009 Appropriated $3 million to the Passenger Rail Service
Revolving Fund
• 2009 Updating State Rail Plan
• 2010 Appropriated Funding to Match Federal Funds for
future grant opportunities
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• 2010 Prepared a Draft 10 Year Strategic Plan
Federal Funding
Passenger Rail Funding
• Federal Funding
– American Reinvestment and
Recovery Act (Recovery Act)
February 2009
• $8 billion ~ High Speed and
Intercity Passenger Rail
– FY10 Appropriations Funding
• $2.5 billion ~ High Speed and
Intercity Passenger Rail
• Competitive Grants
– States must apply for funds
National Planning
Preliminary
National Rail Plan
The Groundwork for
Developing Policies to
Improve the United
States Transportation
System
National Planning
Preliminary
National Rail Plan
National Planning
Future Corridor Volumes Compared to Current Corridor Capacity
2035 without improvements
Source: National Rail Capacity Study, 2007
National Planning
Preliminary
National Rail
Plan
Strategic Transportation Goals
Current Performance
FREIGHT
SAFETY
ENERGY
LIVABLE
COMMUNITIES
ECONOMIC
GROWTH
ENVIRONMENT
Rail and intermodal
rail can enhance
safety in competitive
corridors
1.9 to 5.5 times more
fuel-efficient than
trucks
PASSENGER
Average fatalities
per yr.--2002-2008
= less than 9
Mitigates urban
congestion
Consumes 21% less
energy per passenger
mile than
automobiles
Encourages efficient
land use
Reduces logistics
costs
Improves regional
interconnectivity
Reduces greenhouse
gases and pollutants
Reduces greenhouse
gases and pollutants
National Planning
Preliminary National Rail Plan
Next steps…
State Rail Plans
National Rail Plan
Passenger Rail Investment and
Improvement Act of 2008 (PRIIA)
National Planning
FRA’s High Speed Rail Strategic
Plan—Major Elements
• Investment strategy
 Express high speed—over 150 mph
 Corridor high speed—over 90 mph
 Conventional intercity rail—up to 90 mph
• Focuses on 100 to 600 mile trip lengths
• Federal Funding is a down payment - A starting
point only—will not build the full system
Funding Iowa Received
Passenger Rail Applications
• American Reinvestment and Recovery Act (Recovery
Act)
– Iowa awarded funding for:
• California Zephyr route – BNSF Ottumwa
Subdivision/Crossovers
– $17.3 million federal grant
– No state match required
– Installation for 4 new crossovers to reduce congestion
and improve On-Time Performance
• Chicago to Omaha (for planning)
– $1 million federal grant
– $1 million state match required
– For planning, environmental analysis, route study and
preliminary engineering
Funding Iowa Received
Passenger Rail Applications
• FY 2010 funding
– Iowa and Illinois awarded funding for:
• Chicago to Iowa City
– $230 million federal funding
– Total Project Cost = $310 million (80 % federal
funding/ 20% state match)
– For environmental analysis, track construction and
improvements, layover facility, equipment
acquisition, and station improvements
– Complete funding for implementing new service
– Future costs for operating subsidy
What’s next?
Chicago to Iowa City
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Two daily round trips
Maximum 79 mph
Each train carries 230 passengers
Total route 219.5 miles
Travel time = less than 5 hours
New station at Iowa City
246,800 riders per year
What’s next?
Chicago to Iowa City - Benefits
• Transportation options for Iowans
• Create jobs – during construction and after
service is in operation
• Improve Iowa’s infrastructure
• Sustainable/Livable communities
• Positive Economic Benefits (B/C=1.7)
• Highway user safety benefits ($7.4 M/year)
• Increased business activity ($25 M/year)
Tammy Nicholson
Office of Rail Transportation
Iowa Department of
Transportation
515-239-1052
[email protected]
www.iowarail.com