Transportation Border Working Group
April 2014
Todd Carlson
Planning & Engineering Services Manager
WSDOT – Northwest Region
Kerri Woehler
Rail Operations Program Manager
WSDOT – Northwest Region
Lynn Peterson
Secretary of Transportation
Cam Gilmour
Deputy Secretary of Transportation

• 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.
2

3

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/
4

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)
5

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/rail www.AmtrakCascades.com
6

7

Vancouver, B.C. (Metro)
2.5 million residents
141,000 on/offs
Seattle (Metro)
3.5 million residents
461,000 on/offs
Portland (Metro)
2.3 million residents
462,000 on/offs
8

Saves 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 2 nd largest market
Beyond the Border: full preclearance at
Vancouver, B.C. for passenger rail
9

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.
10

“What”
Rail Operations and Infrastructure Needs
“Why”
Rail’s Role in Economic Development
“How”
Rail System Priorities and Goals
11

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.
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.
12

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.
Recommendations
• Include “first and last mile” connectivity in investment priorities.
• Include support or enhancement of domestic or international trade in investment priorities.
13

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.
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.
14

• 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
15

(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.
16

(cont.)
Long-Term (20-Year: through 2035 and beyond) Investment and Implementation Plan
• The freight forecasts in the State Rail Plan 83 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.
17

(cont.)
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 longrange 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).
18

Washington 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/
19

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-border passenger rail
• Strategies for developing and strengthening operating partnerships between states and provinces
• Rail infrastructure investments in Canada to improve service
20

Todd Carlson
Planning & Engineering Services Manager www.wsdot.wa.gov/rail
21