Passenger Rail Initiatives in Louisiana

Passenger Rail Initiatives in
Louisiana
2016 Louisiana Transportation Conference
February 29, 2016
Agenda
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•
•
•
Introduction
Baton Rouge to New Orleans
Shreveport to Vicksburg
Way Ahead
History
1982 – Louisiana – Mississippi – Alabama Rapid Rail Commission (now
Southern Rail Commission) created by U.S. Congress
1986 – New Orleans Regional Rail Transit Program study
1995 – Deep South High Speed Rail Corridor Feasibility Study
1998 – Gulf Coast High Speed Rail Corridor formally designated in federal TEA21 legislation
2007 – Lake Charles to Meridian Corridor Development Plan
2010 – Baton Rouge to New Orleans Intercity Passenger Rail Study
2013 – Baton Rouge to New Orleans Passenger Rail Feasibility Study:
Summary of Prior and On-Going Efforts, March 2013
Funding and Financing Options, September 2013
Capital and Operating Plan, September 2013
2015 – North Louisiana Passenger Rail Feasibility Study
Benefits of Passenger Rail Service
• Transportation Benefits
-
Alternative mode of travel in the corridor
Reliable travel time
Evacuation
Comfort and productivity
Trip cost savings
Reduction of vehicle emissions
Safety
• Economic Benefits
- Increases in productivity
- Improved access to jobs
- Development opportunities at stations
Baton Rouge – New Orleans Rail Study
Regional Partnership
• New Orleans Regional Planning Commission
• Capital Region Planning Commission
• Baton Rouge Area Foundation
Study Goals
• Confirm realistic capital and operating costs and incremental phasing plan
• Develop partnerships of individuals and groups supporting the
implementation of rail service
• Develop Business Plan that lays out steps for incremental implementation
and strategies for funding
• Identify key next steps to move the project forward
Proposed Initial Service
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•
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Intercity passenger service operated by Amtrak
2 round trips per day
79 MPH maximum speeds
Lease trainsets
Station stops:
-
Baton Rouge Downtown
Baton Rouge Suburban
Gonzales
LaPlace
New Orleans Louis Armstrong International Airport – Kenner
Jefferson Parish
New Orleans Union Passenger Terminal
Proposed Station Locations
Proposals to move station location
approximately 1 mile south from
Florida St. to Government St.
Proposals to move station north
towards Essen Ln. and coordinate
with Medical Complex Master Plan
Location identified
in 2010 Plan
Need to identify optimum
location to access future
north-side airport terminal
Consider proposal to move
station to Sorrento to provide
more direct access to jobs
Additional station proposed
in vicinity of Zephyr Field
Existing Amtrak
Station
Gonzales Station Prototype
Rail Station Development Strategies:
• Locate in proximity to diversity of
residential and commercial land
uses
• Direct access to local amenities
• Maximize connectivity to existing
street grid
• Connect to greenways
• Contain land for development
• Provide opportunities for place
making and community building
Proposed Capital Improvements
• Extending passing and industrial sidings
• Replacing Bonnet Carré Spillway Bridge
• Selectively repairing and replacing KCS open deck timber
bridges
• Installing lights and gates at all unprotected public grade
crossings
• Install Centralized Traffic Control (CTC) signal system on KCS
• Double track entire CN segment
• New stations and parking facilities
• Approximately $250 million total cost
Revised Capital Recommendations
Majo r Cost
Item
Estimated Cost ($ Millions 2013 Dollars)
KCS
CN
Site & Track
Work
$66.4
Structures
$87.8
Signals
$22.2
$3.1
Engineering &
Management
$12.4
$3.0
$39.8
East Bridge
Junction
$4.3
NOUPT
Corridor
$6.6
TOTAL
$117.1
$97.8
$25.3
$0.3
$15.7
Rolling Stock
$0.0
$0.0
Stations
$9.0
$9.0
$9.0
$254.9
TOTAL
$188.8
$45.9
$4.6
$6.6
2010 Service Development Plan Recommended Improvements: $447.8 Million
Strategic Business Plan
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The Case for Passenger Rail Service
Proposed Operations
Capital Improvements
Operating Costs and Revenues
Potential Funding Sources
Next Steps
Next Steps
• Identify organizations to lead the advancement of the rail
corridor project
Organizations that could take lead role include:
-
NORPC and CRPC
DOTD
Louisiana Intrastate Rail Compact
Southern Rail Commission
Public/Private Partnerships
• Pursue federal funding sources for the initial capital
investments
• Identify state, regional and local funding sources for capital
match and operating expenses
Next Steps
• Encourage investments in the rail corridor
through existing programs
- Grade Crossing Improvements
- Other Opportunities
• Explore strategies for funding the replacement of the Bonnet
Carré Spillway Bridge
• Develop consensus on station locations
• Initiate National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)
documentation (EIS/EA/FONSI) and Service Development Plan
(SDP)
• Continued development of stakeholder and public support
North Louisiana Passenger Rail Study
Northwest Louisiana Council of Governments (NLCOG)
− Goals:
• Route alternatives
• Operating characteristics
• Ridership & revenue
• Infrastructure needs
• Station locations
• Estimated costs
Existing Planning
• Meridian Speedway
̶
Joint venture between Kansas City
Southern and Norfolk Southern
̶
Key east/west freight route
• Existing tracks from Shreveport
- Vicksburg
̶
Maintained at FRA Class 4 standards
̶
Several locations with reduced speeds
̶
20 sidings
̶
More than 60 business tracks serving
freight customers
Initial Service
• Intercity passenger service operated by Amtrak
• 170 mile corridor
• Two daily round trips; Shreveport/Bossier City to
Vicksburg, MS
• Interim stops: Ruston and Monroe
• 79 mph
• Leased train sets
READ DOWN
101
103
7:30 AM
5:00 PM
8:25 AM
5:55 PM
8:59 AM
6:30 PM
9:56 AM
7:34 PM
READ UP
Station
Shreveport/Bossier City, LA
Ruston, LA
Monroe, LA
Vicksburg, MS
102
10:05 AM
9:09 AM
8:38 AM
7:40 AM
104
7:32 PM
6:39 PM
6:09 PM
5:10 PM
Proposed StationsPlan-Stations
• Identified multiple potential station locations
• Coordinated with local planning staff
• Representative station location
- To confirm feasibility and develop capital costs
• Formal alternative station site analysis required
before selecting a preferred station location
- Detailed station analysis typically occurs during
environmental (NEPA) study
- Includes formal public input
oLeased Equipmentlling
• Utilize Amtrak
equipment
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1 Locomotive
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2 coach cars (70 seats each)
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1 Non-powered control unit
(cab/baggage car)
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3 train consists
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2 Operational
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1 Spare
Operating Cost Estimates
• Estimate costs directly associated with train
operations:
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Train crew and other labor costs
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Fuel
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Maintenance of equipment
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Operation and maintenance of stations
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Host railroad access fees
• Estimate shared costs:
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Administrative overhead
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Ticketing
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System marketing
• $9,644,000 Annual O&M Costs
Ridership and Revenue Projections
• Annual Ridership/Revenue
Shreveport-Vicksburg
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̶
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81,500 annual riders
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$1,353,000 annual revenue
With Dallas/Ft. Worth connection
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181,000 annual riders
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$3,365,000 annual revenue
Operating Subsidy Requirement
The difference between the operating cost and
passenger revenue must be subsidized.
Annual Estimated O&M Costs
(9,644,000)
Annual Forecasted Revenue
+ 1,353,000
Annual Operating Subsidy
$ (8,291,000)
• States are typically responsible for covering
operating subsidy (per federal legislation)
• Potential use of federal CMAQ grant funding to offset
operating costs
Next Steps
− Investigate Future Potential Corridor Analysis
− Coordination with Amtrak East Texas Study (Ft. WorthShreveport) and other regional stakeholders
− Ft. Worth/Dallas, TX -Meridian, MS (possibly
Birmingham, AL)
− Service development planning and environmental study
(NEPA)
− Formal station/facilities site alternatives analysis
− Formal coordination with KCS Railroad
Funding and Financing Options
State Rail Plan
- Meets federal requirements
- Includes profile of both
freight and passenger rail
systems
- Identifies passenger rail
initiatives including Baton
Rouge to New Orleans
- Identifies long-term rail
investment strategies
- Includes a program of rail
improvements
Future
Southern Rail Commission Vision
BACK UP SLIDES
2016 Louisiana Transportation Conference
February 29, 2016
Conceptual Shreveport/Bossier City Station
• Traffic Street Station without
maintenance facility
• Traffic Street Station with
maintenance facility
Note: Passenger terminal building, platform, and parking are
included in conceptual plan to understand maximum site
constraints.
Shreveport/Bossier City – Future Considerations
• Shreveport
Intermodal
Transit Facility
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Local bus
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Regional bus
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Taxi
̶
Bike path access
Future
Intermodal
Transit
Facility
Conceptual Ruston Station
Conceptual Monroe Station
Conceptual Vicksburg Station
Daily Ridership
• Stand-alone Shreveport-Vicksburg service
Daily Ridership
• Shreveport-Vicksburg service, with Dallas/Ft. Worth
Connection
Major Capital Projects
Bonnet Carré Spillway Bridge
- Two mile long timber bridge across the spillway in poor condition –
freight speeds are limited to 10 mph
- Cost of building new bridge at this location approximately $62 Million
KCS Improvements
Acadian Thruway
Baton Rouge
Drainage Canal
New Sarpy
LA-22
Sorrento
Current Projects
New Orleans Rail Gateway
- EIS underway to evaluate benefits and impacts of proposed
improvements to freight rail network
- Includes East Bridge Junction
East Bridge
Junction
California Capitol Corridor Case Study
Major city
Capitol City
Oakland/San Francisco
Sacramento
89 miles
Major city
Capitol City
New Orleans
Baton Rouge
86 miles
Both corridors have major travel markets to/from the state capital & beyond
and parallel busy interstate highways
California’s Capitol Corridor Experience
1,800,000
$50,000,000
1,600,000
$45,000,000
1,750,000
1,400,000
$40,000,000
$35,000,000
1,200,000
$30,000,000
1,000,000
$25,000,000
800,000
463,000
$20,000,000
600,000
$15,000,000
400,000
$10,000,000
Annual Farebox Recovery Ratio
200,000
30%
31%
36%
40%
37%
38%
39%
43%
46%
48%
55%
47%
47%
49%
50%
-
$5,000,000
$0
1998
1999
2000
4RT 6RT 7RT
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
9RT 10RT 11RT 12RT
2006
2007
2008
16RT
2009
2010
2011
2012
The Capitol Corridor: Then and Now
1998
2013
New Agency Created
Now: 3rd busiest Amtrak route
4 round trips (2’ 20” travel time)
8 daily trains, 7 stations
16 round trips (1’ 58” travel time)
32 daily trains, 7 stations
Maximum speed: 79 mph
Maximum speed: 79 mph
463,000 annual riders
1,750,000 annual riders
$6.25 million revenue
$29.6 million revenue
29.8% farebox recovery
50% farebox recovery
No ‘transfers’ to local bus/rail
Transit Transfers ‘free’ to riders
$.34 cost/passenger mile
$.18 cost/passenger mile
Annual state subsidy $12 million
Annual state subsidy $23 million
85% on-time
94% on-time (best in the US)
Project-by-project agreements
Master Construction & Maintenance Agreement
Click to edit Master title style
Summary
North Louisiana Passenger
Rail Feasibility Study
Stakeholder Meetings
July 16, 2015
Bossier City: 11 a.m.-12:30 PM
Bossier Parish Community College
6220 E. Texas Street
Ruston: 6:00 – 7:30 PM
Lincoln Parish Library
910 N. Trenton Street
Baton Rouge – New Orleans Route Ownership
North End of
Segment
South End of
Segment
Baton Rouge
MP 788.1
Frellsen Jct.
MP 855.7
New Orleans
Subdivision
Kansas City
Southern
KCS
67.5
Frellsen Jct.
MP 443.5
Orleans Jct.
MP 444.2
Baton Rouge
Subdivision
Canadian
National
CN, KCS
0.7
Orleans Jct.
MP 900.8
Southport Jct. McComb
MP 908.6
Subdivision
Canadian
National
CN, KCS,
Amtrak
7.8
New Orleans
Building
Corporation
Amtrak
3.7
Southport Jct. NOUPT
MP 3.7
MP 0.0
CORRIDOR TOTALS
Segment Name
New Orleans
Union Passenger
Terminal
Owner
Operating
Railroads
Length
(miles)
79.7
Revised Capital Recommendations
Estimated Cost ($ Millions 2013 Dollars)
Majo Cost Item
KCS
CN
Site & Track
Work
$66.4
Structures
$87.8
Signals
$22.2
$3.1
Engineering &
Management
$12.4
$3.0
$39.8
East Bridge
Junction
$4.3
NOUPT
Corridor
$6.6
TOTAL
$117.1
$97.8
$25.3
$0.3
$15.7
Rolling Stock
$0.0
$0.0
Stations
$9.0
$9.0
$9.0
$254.9
TOTAL
$188.8
$45.9
$4.6
$6.6
2010 Service Development Plan Recommended Improvements: $447.8 Million
Key Savings Current Study vs. 2010 Study
2010 Study
Current Study
Savings
Extend Baton Rouge Yard Lead and
construct 4 bridges
Moving station to Government St.
eliminates need for these
improvements
Extend Essen Siding from 5,000 ft.
to 9,000 ft.
Do not extend – not needed for
reduced number of trips
$5 Million
Extend McElroy Siding from 5,000
ft. to 9,000 ft.
Do not extend – not needed for
reduced number of trips
$5 Million
Build 12 new bridges for sidings
and replace all open-deck timber
bridges on KCS portion of corridor
- 76 total
Only build 8 bridges needed for
sidings, replace Bonnet Carré’ and 12
other bridges and repair remaining
44 bridges
$25 Million
$42 Million
Key Savings Current Study vs. 2010 Study
2010 Study
Current Study
Install PTC signal systems on both
KCS and CN
Railroads will install to meet 2015
federal deadline
$49 Million
Purchase new trainsets for this
corridor service
Lease trains from Amtrak or other
operator
$58 Million
Engineering & Management
calculated at 7% of construction
costs
Reduced construction costs reduce
Engineering & Management costs
Build 6 new stations
Build 7 stations including additional
station in Jefferson Parish
Total Savings from 2010 Service Development Plan
Savings
$10 Million
-$1.5 Million
$192.9 Million
Annual Operating Cost and Subsidy
Factors
Round Trips/Day
Annual Operating Expense
2010 SDP
Revised 2013
4
2
$18.51 Million
$8.88 Million
Estimated Ridership
461,000
Estimated Revenue
$3.95 Million
$2.10 Million
$14.56 Million
$6.77 Million
Estimated Deficit (Subsidy)
210,000
Notes:
• 2010 Estimates include 20% contingency.
• 2013 Estimates are based on Amtrak Section 209 formulas and do not include a
contingency.
• 2013 Estimates includes annual expense of $1.6 Million for lease of equipment.
• 2010 Ridership projected using transit model which underestimates potential
ridership for special events and other non-commuting trips
• 2013 Study did not include detailed demand analysis. Ridership estimate based
on experience of comparable routes in other states.
Scope of Work
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Route infrastructure assessment
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Cost estimates
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Ridership and revenue estimates
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Development of schedules and stops
•
Estimate operating and start-up costs
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Estimate state subsidy requirements
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Terminal location in the Shreveport/Bossier City
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Stakeholder involvement
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Final report
Stakeholder Involvement
•
Second set of outreach meetings to present study
findings. The invitation list included key regional
stakeholders such as:
− Elected officials
− Agency leaders
− Business community leaders
− Employers
− Colleges and universities
− Freight railroads
− Amtrak
•
Final e-mail newsletter summarizing study distributed to
stakeholder list
OPurpose of Studyperating PlanStations Maintenance Facilities
• Station needs
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Station platform
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Traffic access
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Canopy
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Parking
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Lighting
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Safety related improvements
• Station cities
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Shreveport/Bossier City
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Monroe
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Ruston
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Vicksburg
• Maintenance/layover facility
- Shreveport/Bossier City station site or existing freight facility to
reduce capital costs
Shreveport/Bossier Station Analysis
• Site requirements
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Approximately 9 acres
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Room for station facility, parking, platforms, overnight storage
track
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Availability of land
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Availability of public utilities
• Location requirements
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On, or with direct access to KCS Mainline
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Walking access to casinos, motels and hotels, and other
attractions
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Accessibility to local and regional transportation network
Proposed Capital ExpendituresitaCos
Estimates
• FRA Standard Cost Categories
• High level cost estimates with 35% contingency
• Cost Estimates for:
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Track improvements
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Bridges
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Signals
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Right-of-way
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Stations
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Layover and Support Facilities
• $85,400,000
IProposed Capital Improvementsts
• Nine miles of new track
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Extend existing sidings
• Six miles of track
rehabilitation
• Seven bridge replacements
• Grade crossing improvements
• Assumes freight railroad
upgrades to signal system
Additional coordination with KCS and NS required to
confirm proposed improvements
Capital Funding
• State tax sources
•
Grant and loan programs
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PRIIA established an 80/20 (federal/state) cost share
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Federal funding availability is subject to future appropriations
• Innovative funding techniques
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Public-private partnerships, economic development districts, tax
increment financing districts and bonding
• Identify financial instruments that can capture
economic value from the new development of
stations and their surrounding areas