Public Meetings
White River, VT & Springfield, MA
January 22 and 23, 2014
Public Meetings
January 22 & 23, 2014
Agenda
• Welcome and Introductions
• Overview Presentation
• Discussion
– Discussion of Draft Purpose and Need
– Questions
– Project Schedule and Next Steps
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Northern New England Intercity Rail
Initiative (NNEIRI) Partnership
• Massachusetts Department of Transportation
• Vermont Agency of Transportation
with support from
• Federal Railroad Administration
and in collaboration with
• Connecticut Department of Transportation
• Ministère des Transports du Québec
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Overview of NNEIRI Project
Overall Project Scope
Examine the potential for operation of more frequent and
higher speed intercity passenger rail service on the
Inland Route and the Boston-to-Montreal corridors.
• Ridership potential
• Necessary incremental infrastructure improvements
• Maximize the use of the existing rail corridors
Project Outcomes
• NEPA Tier 1 EA/EIS
• Inland Route Corridor Service Development Plan
• Boston-to-Montreal Corridor Service Development
Plan
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Overview of NNEIRI Project
Major Work Tasks:
•
•
•
•
•
Identify existing passenger and freight operations
Identify institutional issues
Evaluate range of potential travel times
Development of ridership forecasts
Alternatives for increased intercity rail
– Operational options
– Incremental Infrastructure improvements
– Opportunities for implementation
• NEPA Tier 1 EA/EIS
– Public involvement
– Environmental considerations
• Service Development Plan
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Vision for New England High Speed and
Intercity Passenger Rail
State Departments of Transportations in Maine, New Hampshire,
Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut
• Downeaster Extension Portland to
Brunswick
• NH Capitol Corridor – Commuter rail
extension to Nashua, Manchester and
Concord
• Vermont Western Corridor Improvements
• MassDOT Knowledge Corridor to restore
Vermonter Route
• ConnDOT New Haven – Hartford –
Springfield Project
• Service and capacity improvements on
corridor south of Providence, including
connection to TF Green Airport
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MassDOT The Way Forward: A 21st
Century Transportation Plan
Inland Route Part of the MassDOT Strategic Plan
From the Section Titled:
Unlocking Economic Growth in the Commonwealth –
The Next 10 Years
Inland Route …. will support the expansion of passenger rail by directly
connecting Boston with Springfield, via what is commonly known as the Inland
Route. Funding will cover major rehabilitation along the route…. will also support a
future high-speed rail connection to New York City via Springfield.
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Current US Intercity Rail Network &
Designated High Speed Rail Corridors
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Recent Intercity Rail Investment
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Draft Project Purpose Statement
The Purpose of the Northern New England Intercity
Rail Initiative is to provide additional regional travel
options through improvements to the level and quality
of passenger rail service in the Corridor.
• The Corridor rail services would provide improved passenger rail
transportation, connecting major cities in New England with smaller
cities and rural areas and internationally to Montreal, to help meet
future travel demands in the Study Area.
• The Project would create a competitive rail transportation
alternative to the available automobile, bus, and air service by
implementing more frequent and higher speed intercity passenger
rail service.
• The study of the Corridor will focus on incremental infrastructure
improvement alternatives that will seek to maximize the use of the
existing rail lines along the Corridor.
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Summary of Draft Needs
• Economic Opportunity
– Job access
– Expanded transit options for Education Centers
– Tourism
• Responsive to Population and Demographics
– Changes transportation preferences
– Accommodates existing reliance on public transit
– Meets future increase in travel demand
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Project Map
470 Route Miles
• Boston to Springfield:
99 Miles
• Boston to Montreal:
408 Miles
• Boston to New Haven:
162 Miles
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Intercity/Higher-Speed Rail Characteristics
• Self-Guided intercity passenger ground
transportation
• Time competitive – door to door with air/auto
• Range of 100 to 500 miles
• Market-based, not speed-based
Source: 1997 USDOT Report
Feasibility High Speed Ground Transportation
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Types of Intercity Rail Service
• Core express services frequent
trains at 125-250+mph in the
nation’s densest and most
populous regions.
• Regional services service (90125mph) between mid-sized and
large cities.
• Emerging services (up to 90mph)
connecting communities to the
passenger rail network and
providing a foundation for future
corridor development.
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FRA Types of Intercity Rail Service
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Public Participation
• Stakeholder committee
– Trans. agencies, transportation providers, and RPA/Cs
• Public outreach in MA and VT
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–
–
–
–
Four rounds of public meetings
Project website
Newsletters/e-bulletins
Local media
Electronic communication
• Coordination with other projects/studies
– New Haven – Hartford – Springfield,
– Vermont State Rail Plan
– NEC Futures
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Inclusive Public Participation
(Civil Rights Act- Title VI compliant)
Identification of potentially affected communities, including
minority and low-income populations, will require targeted
outreach. Strategies employed by the study will include:
• Mapping of corridor environmental justice (EJ) populations
(minority, low income and Limited English Proficiency)
• Distribution of study information to corridor libraries and social
service agencies that serve EJ populations
• Partnering with staff of regional planning agencies (MPOs and
RPCs) knowledgeable about EJ populations regarding successful
engagement methods
• Targeted outreach to station area EJ populations
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Track Ownership within the NNEIRI Corridor
• Commonwealth of Massachusetts: 44 Miles
• CSX: 55 Miles
• PanAm Southern: 49 Miles
• New England Central Railroad: 206 Miles
• Canadian National Railroad: 53 Miles
• AMTRAK: 62 Miles
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NNEIRI Corridor Owners
Commonwealth of Massachusetts: 44 Miles
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NNEIRI Corridor Owners
CSX: 55 Miles
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NNEIRI Corridor Owners
Pan Am Southern: 49 Miles
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NNEIRI Corridor Owners
NECR: 206 Miles
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NNEIRI Corridor Owners
CN: 53 Miles
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NNEIRI Corridor Owners
AMTRAK: 62 Miles
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Alternatives Development
The Study will develop a series of alternatives that
meet the Purpose and Need.
Alternatives will include:
• Variations of speed, frequency and fares
• Accommodation for operation and growth of freight
• Consistency with current and planned projects, and
• Incorporation of public input
Once developed, they will be screened against a set of
evaluation criteria.
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Corridor Considerations
• Existing use of rail corridor for freight and
passenger operations
• Not considering significant route modifications
• Environmental considerations such as:
– Noise and vibration
– Historic resources
– Natural resources
• Customs and immigration
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Infrastructure Considerations
• Capacity of existing rail corridor
• Track improvements of existing rail alignments
• Signal installation/upgrade
– Additional requirements for speeds > 79 mph
• Grade crossings – 404 total
– Must be grade separated > 110 mph
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Existing Grade Crossing Warning Devices
Warning Device
Number
Gates
105
Flashing Lights
63
Cross Bucks and/or Stop Signs
52
Other
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NONE
157
Total Grade Crossings
404
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Operating Assumptions
Intercity Rail Service Options
Low speed – Existing conditions – 60 mph
Mid speed – Existing conditions – 79-90 - mph max.
High speed – No curve restrictions – >90 &110 mph max.
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Operating Assumptions
Train Performance Calculator (TPC)
• Non-electrified
• Train models
– Current locomotives & standard coaches
– Tilting train equipment
• Intercity operation only
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Operating Assumptions
Potential Station Locations
Massachusetts
Vermont
Connecticut
Boston (Back Bay
and South Station)
Brattleboro
Windsor Locks
Suburban Boston
Bellows Falls
Windsor
Worcester
White River
Junction
Hartford
Palmer
Montpelier
Meriden
Springfield
Waterbury
Wallingford
Holyoke
Burlington
(Essex Junction)
New Haven
(Union Station)
Northampton
St. Albans
Greenfield
Quebec
Montreal (Central Station)
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Potential Station Attributes
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Existing Amtrak Travel Times
(Fastest Available Trip)
Boston, MA
St. Albans, VT
New Haven, CT
Boston, MA
-
9:02*
1:57
Springfield, MA
2:15
5:42
1:20
White River
Junction, VT
6:31*
2:28
5:13
St. Albans, VT
9:02*
-
7:35
Hartford, CT
3:37*
6:47
0:47
New Haven, CT
1:57
7:35
-
Montreal, QC
21:40*
N/A
18:30*
Source: Amtrak Trip Planner
*Requires Transfer
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Ridership Estimation Process
Potential
Station Locations
Intercity Rail
Operating Assumptions
Range of Intercity
Travel Times
Travel
Survey
Regional
Travel Models
Existing
Travel Data
Forecast
Model
Ridership
Estimates
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Project Schedule
• Draft Purpose and Need
12/27/13
• Service projections ridership
03/18/14
• Preliminary alternatives
09/12/14
• Finalize alternatives
10/31/14
• Service Development Plans
09/03/15
• Complete NEPA process
09/25/15
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Thank You
Questions and Discussion
Follow-up Meeting Comments to:
Paul.Nelson@state.ma.us
www.mass.gov/massdot/northernnewenglandrail
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