Update on high Speed and Intercity Passenger Rail Progam Research

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Update on high Speed and Intercity Passenger Rail
Progam Research

• Randy Wade
• TRB Intercity Passenger Rail Committee
• Tuesday January 25, 2011
• Washington, DC

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Shared-Use Corridor Studies

• NCHRP Report 657 A Guidebook for Implementing
  Passenger Rail Service on Shared Passenger and
  Freight Corridors -- 500,000
• Provides a general overview of all aspects of
  planning, cost estimating, engineering, modeling,
  negotiating, and implementing shared use
  corridor service

http//onlinepubs.trb.org/onlinepubs/nchrp/nchrp_
rpt_657.pdf
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Shared-Use Corridor Studies

• NCFRP 30 Web-Based Screening Tool For Shared-Use
  Rail Corridors - 500,000
• Feasibility screening tool
• Low cost
• Publicly available data
• State and local rail program staff
• Eliminate from further consideration infeasible
  service proposals

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Shared-Use Corridor Studies

• NCHRP Project 08-86 Understanding Capacity
  Modeling for Shared-Use Passenger and Freight
  Rail Operations - 350,000
• How to guidebook for state and local rail staff
• RTC and similar capacity models
• Goal informed participation by state and local
  staff in capacity modeling

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Shared-Use Corridor Studies

• NCHRP Project 08-85 Comprehensive Economic
  Effects of Highway-Rail At-Grade Crossing Crashes
  350,000
• Multi-dimensional cost model for evaluating
  vehicle-train collisions.
• Delays to rail and highway shipments
• Societal costs
• Hazardous materials impacts
• Pollution impacts from delays and rerouting.
• Improved decision-making

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National Cooperative Rail Research Program (NCRRP)

• Authorized in Section 306 of PRIIA
• 5 million
• Administered by the Transportation Research Board
  (TRB) of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS)
• Specific research projects will be selected by an
  advisory board
• State transportation agencies economists,
  scientist, and engineers Amtrak, the Alaska
  Railroad, freight railroads, transit operating
  agencies, railway labor organizations, and
  environmental organizations.

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Research Subcommittee Proposal Topics

• Modal energy efficiency comparisons
• Innovative funding
• Use of abandoned railroad corridors
• Inter-operability
• Risk management
• Environmental Justice
• Co-location of energy and rail facilities
• Model validation
• Data source standardization
• Intermodal rail connections

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Research Subcommittee Proposal Topics

• Freight access to HSR
• Intercity auto data collection
• Performance measures
• Project delivery
• Institutional and organizational structures
• First and last mile
• PTC benefits
• Intergovernmental coordination
• Residential and commercial density information

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Research Subcommittee Proposal Topics

• Emissions analysis and modal comparisons
• Interline ticketing
• NEPA Process
• P3
• Safety -- mixed traffic
• Using existing ROW
• Alternative energy and efficiency
• Quantifying public and private benefits
• Enhanced conventional vs. very high speed

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Research Subcommittee Proposal Topics

• Intermodal schedule optimization
• Grade crossings shared use corridors
• Signaling and train control
• Track maintenance standards
• Effective project oversight
• Vehicle energy management
• Car trains
• Mega and regional planning
• FRA vs. new agency

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Research Subcommittee Proposal Topics

• International perspective on rail finance
• State federal and local MPO roles in IC rail
• Performance measure criteria
• Public involvement strategies
• Passenger rail equipment overview
• Ridership and revenue forecasting techniques
• State capital share financing issues
• Tier 1 NEPA screening and alternatives analysis

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Research Subcommittee Proposal Topics

• Financing techniques - TIFIA and RRIF
• Estimating operating costs
• Economic impact analysis
• Intermodal connectivity
• Institutional structures for intercity rail
  management
• Station design

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Randy Wade Passenger Rail Director HNTB
Corporation 10 West Mifflin Street, Ste.
300 Madison, WI 53703 Tel [phone] Email
rwade_at_hntb.com