Update on high Speed and Intercity Passenger Rail Progam Research

1. Update on high Speed and Intercity Passenger Rail Progam Research Randy Wade TRB Intercity Passenger Rail Committee Tuesday January 25, 2011 Washington, DC

2. 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

3. 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

4. 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

5. 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

6. 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.

7. 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

8. 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

9. 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

10. 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

11. 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

12. 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

13. Randy Wade Passenger Rail Director HNTB Corporation 10 West Mifflin Street, Ste. 300 Madison, WI 53703 Tel: (608) 294-5022 Email: rwade@hntb.com