Cross Border Rail Passenger
Progress Report
Transportation Border Working Group
April 17, 2012 – Seattle, WA
Presented by Amtrak and VIA Rail Canada also on behalf of:
New York State DOT
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Presentation Outline
• Summary Review of November Presentation
• Montreal Central Station
 Current Operations
 Potential Future Preclearance Concept
• Niagara Falls
 Whirlpool Bridge
 Niagara Falls NY Station and Customs Facilities
• Vancouver
 Current Operations
 Potential Future Preclearance Concept
• Requirements for Preclearance
 Canada / U.S. Treaty
 Completion of Facility Improvements in Montreal
 Staff and Other Resources for USCBP and CBSA Operations
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Summary Review of November Presentation
• Lack of Process for Border Security
• Agency Issues with On-Board Inspection
• Amtrak Issues with Enroute Off-Board Inspection
• Characteristics of Two Route Types
 Single Canadian Station
 Multiple Stops on Both Sides of the Border
• Current International Rail Passenger Services
 New York – Montreal “Adirondack”
 New York – Toronto “Maple Leaf” with VIA Rail Canada
 Portland – Seattle – Vancouver “Amtrak Cascades”
• Potential Future International Services
 Northeast Corridor – Vermont – Montreal
 Chicago – Michigan – Ontario - Quebec
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Montreal
• Montreal Central Station
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Serves Amtrak’s New York – Montreal “Adirondack”
VIA Rail Canada intercity hub – Halifax, Quebec, Ottawa, Toronto, etc.
Agence Metropolitaine de Transport commuter train system
Expect to add NEC – Vermont – Montreal “Vermonter” perhaps late 2014
• The partners intend to build a joint customs and immigration
facility in Central Station for both CBSA and USCBP
 Replace CBSA facility at Lacolle and USCBP facility at Rouses Point
 Discontinue Amtrak service at St. Lambert and operate non-stop, closeddoor between Central Station and the border
 Serve the New York – Montreal “Adirondack” initially
 Be available to Vermont to serve an extended “Vermonter” although not at
the times the “Adirondack” is in the station
• Plans follow:
 Concourse level
 Track level
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Montreal Central Station Proposed Concourse Level
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Montreal Central Station Proposed Track Level
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Montreal
• Progress to date
 Amtrak Engineering has developed a conceptual plan
 CBSA and USCBP have concurred in the concept subject to further
review as the project advances
 Quebec, New York and Vermont have committed to share the $250,000
cost of a Canadian architect’s review
 Agence Metropolitaine de Transport (AMT) and Amtrak have signed a
memorandum of understanding whereby AMT will act on behalf of Amtrak
to retain the architect
• Next phase through September 2012
 Retain and task the architect
 Conclude the architect’s review, hopefully by September
 Conduct a September “all partners” meeting to evaluate the architect’s
recommendations
 Determine the probable lease cost for the required space in the station
 Make a joint partners’ go / no go decision to proceed subject to treaty
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Montreal
• Post September Work Plan, assuming a decision to proceed
 Quebec, New York and Vermont to determine funding sources for
construction, lease and operating costs
 Monitor progress towards the attainment of a Canada / U.S. surface
transportation preclearance treaty currently targeted for December
 Inform federal authorities of the resource requirements for CBSA and
USCBP to staff and operate the facility if built
 Once the above steps are complete, suspend effort until the surface
transportation preclearance treaty has been enacted in both countries
• Once (and if) the treaty is enacted
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Lease required space on both levels in Central Station
Advertise for bids and select the designer of the facility
Obtain approval of the final design by USCBP and CBSA
Advertise for bids to construct the facility
 Outfit and staff the facility
 Commence operations no earlier than the last half of 2014
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Niagara Falls – Whirlpool Bridge
• Owned by Niagara Falls Bridge Commission (NFBC).
• CNR has filed for abandonment of rail service on the Canadian
side
• CNR will file for abandonment of rail service on the U.S. side.
The delay was for environmental reasons
• The NFBC, Amtrak and VIA have a verbal agreement in principal
on a future bridge agreement including a per train fee
• CNR is drafting proposed agreements for VIA and Amtrak to
acquire CNR’s assets at a nominal price
• Three agreements must take effect simultaneously upon CNR’s
actual abandonment of track on both sides of the border
• Roughly $2.0 million more will be needed for track, tie and
drainage replacement on the bridge
• New York State DOT has been kept advised but has not
participated in the negotiations
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Niagara Falls – Customs and Stations Facilities
• A preclearance operation is not currently feasible because there
need to be multiple stops on both sides of the border
• Passengers are now cleared at the border
 In Ontario screening is entirely off board in VIA’s Niagara Falls, ON,
station
 In New York primary inspection is on the train at Amtrak’s Niagara Falls,
NY, station with secondary screening in the station
• City of Niagara Falls is building a new station and USCBP facility
including the former Customs House plus a major expansion
 Amtrak will relocate to the new facility
 USCBP will screen passengers entirely off board as now done in Canada
 Facility will have a high level platform alleviating safety concerns but not
train delays or passenger inconvenience
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Vancouver
• Pacific Central Station is owned by VIA Rail Canada and serves
 Toronto – Vancouver “Canadian”
 Portland – Seattle – Vancouver “Amtrak Cascades”
 Intercity bus carriers
• Most advanced of the three border crossings
 Full customs and immigration processing by CBSA for inbound
passengers to Canada
 Immigration pre-inspection and agriculture inspection for passengers to
the U.S. are done in PCS although customs inspections remain on board
at Blaine, WA
• The post – treaty goal is to have Vancouver and Montreal
function similarly with full customs and immigration plus
preclearance in the station
• Photographs of customs and immigration facility at Pacific
Central Station follow
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Vancouver Pacific Central Station Facility
• Track and sterile compound
• Approach to customs facility
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Additional Developments – Detroit - Windsor
• Regular international rail service is years in the future
 Connect the Amtrak Michigan Corridor with the VIA Rail Canada Quebec
– Windsor Corridor
 Requires construction of the new Continental Rail Gateway Tunnel
 Released capacity in existing tunnel potentially then to be made available
for intercity rail passenger service
• Michigan Department of Transportation has requested a one time
demonstration round trip – Toronto – Ann Arbor and return
 January 1, 2013
 For the “Winter Classic” game in Ann Arbor hosted by the Detroit Red
Wings for the Toronto Maple Leafs
 Requires cooperation and assistance by: MDOT, Amtrak. VIA Rail
Canada, Canadian Pacific, Norfolk Southern, CBSA, USCBP, the two
teams, and others
 Amtrak and VIA are studying the feasibility of this potential operation
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Questions and Discussion
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