Cross Border Rail Passenger Corridor Development

1. Cross Border Rail PassengerCorridor Development Transportation Border Working Group November 1, 2011 – Niagara Falls, ON

2. VT Working to Get You There rans Vermont Agency of Transportation Presented by Amtrak also on behalf of: New York State DOT

3. Presentation Outline • Border Security Concerns • Agency Issues with On Board Processing. • Carrier Issues with Off Board Processing. • Two Types of Routes Require Different Solutions • Single Station in Canada. • Multiple stations on both sides of the border. • Single Station Corridor Services • Amtrak Cascades – Portland / Seattle / Vancouver . • Adirondack – New York / Albany / Montreal. • Future – NEC / Vermont / Montreal. • Multiple Stops Corridor Services • Maple Leaf – New York / Niagara Falls / Toronto. • Future – Chicago / Michigan / Ontario / Quebec (Potentially after 2015 with VIA Rail Canada). • What’s next?

4. Lack of Process for Border Security • Customs and Immigration inspection processes evolved locally and independently following 9/11. • Before 9/11 informal on-train screening was satisfactory. • Passenger rail does not fit air or highway models. • Issues other than terrorism. • On train inspection no longer satisfactory from the perspective of border agencies. • Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA). • U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP).

5. Agency Issues with On-Board Inspection • Lacks the privacy to properly interview travelers especially about sensitive issues. • Inability to clearly match every item of baggage to its owner. • Poor connectivity with agency information technologies. • Safety and security risks with potentially unruly passengers and officer firearms. • Inability to inspect a completely empty train.

6. Amtrak Issues with Enroute Off-Board Inspection • Unsafe at low platforms especially in bad weather • Elderly and ADA passengers. • Passengers carrying infants and small children. • Serious inconvenience to passengers • Unloading baggage. • Requirement for coats and hats in cold weather. • Long border dwell times cause longer trip times • All passengers must wait until the last passenger has cleared. • Frequent delays exacerbate poor on-time performance at down-line stations. • In conflict with intent of Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act of 2008 for Amtrak to improve on-time performance.

7. Characteristics of Two Route Types • Single Canadian Station • Non-stop operation between the border and the Canadian station. • Entire train operation conducted by Amtrak with BNSF/CN support. • Closed door operation within Canada. • Secure sterile train enclosure in the Canadian station. • Enclosure access controlled by CBSA and CBP. • All Amtrak crew members to be pre-approved by Canadian authorities. • Direct communications between Amtrak train crew, CBSA and CBP. • Examples: Amtrak Cascades, Adirondack, and prospectively Vermont. • Multiple stations on both sides of the border • Major communities on both sides of the border that cannot be bypassed. • Train operation shared by Amtrak and VIA Rail Canada with CN and CSX support. • Designated future high speed corridors. • Expedited border process possibilities are unclear … but … • It makes little sense to run 110 MPH only to stop at the border for an hour. • Examples: Maple Leaf and prospectively Michigan / Ontario / Quebec.

8. “Amtrak Cascades” • Schedule – Two daily round trips • Morning northbound train turns for late day southbound. • Late evening northbound train turns for morning southbound. • Operate non-stop closed-door in Canada to/from a sterile compound in Vancouver’s Pacific Central Station (PCS). • Amtrak operation and crews end to end. • Customs and Immigration • Advance manifest to border agencies. • Facility improvements at PCS completed in 2010. • CBSA performs all inspections in PCS. • CBP performs immigration pre-inspection in PCS. • CBP performs customs inspection on-board at Blaine, WA. • Objective • A fully functioning joint CBSA / CBP facility performing all customs and immigration functions for all passengers in both directions and replacing southbound stop at Blaine WA.

9. “Amtrak Cascades”

10. “Adirondack” • Schedule – One daily round trip • Morning departure and evening arrival in both directions at New York and Montreal Central Station. • Currently stops at St. Lambert QC and Montreal but could operate non-stop closed door in Canada to sterile compound in Central Station. • Amtrak operation and crews end to end. • Customs and Immigration • Advance manifest to border agencies. • CBSA inspection on board at Lacolle QC with secondary screening at nearby highway facility. • CBP inspection on board at Rouses Point NY with secondary screening at nearby highway facility. • Objectives • Construct a joint new customs and immigration facility in Montreal Central Station replacing Lacolle and Rouses Point - estimated cost $3.0 million. • Discontinue stop at St. Lambert and operate non-stop closed-door between the border and Montreal. • Provide same day connections to all primary VIA services.

11. “Adirondack”

12. “Maple Leaf” • Schedule – One daily round trip • Morning departure and evening arrival in both directions at New York and Toronto. • Entirely Amtrak equipment. • An Amtrak train in New York State but a VIA Rail Canada train in Ontario. • Operating crew change at first station in Canada. • Cleaning and servicing by Amtrak in New York and by VIA in Toronto. • Customs and immigration • Advance manifest to border agencies. • Trains make intermediate stops on both sides of the border precluding end point customs and immigration inspection. • CBSA inspection after full offload in the VIA Rail Niagara Falls Station. • CBP inspection is currently on board the train at station with secondary screening in Amtrak Niagara Falls station. • CBP plans full offload at “new” station at the old Customs House now being rebuilt in Niagara Falls NY.

13. “Maple Leaf” • Whirlpool Rapids Bridge • Owned by Niagara Falls Bridge Commission. • CN filing for abandonment of rail rights. • Amtrak and VIA Rail Canada in negotiations with NFBC for use. • Roughly $2.0 million more needed for track replacement. • Customs House Station expected to open January 2014 • Project is fully funded with the City of Niagara Falls as sponsor. • Thereafter CBP full passenger and baggage offload for inspection will add more delay.

14. “Maple Leaf”

15. What’s next? • Single destination corridors • Enough known about requirements to get started on implementation. • Vancouver • British Columbia to designate a preclearance host agency. • Montreal • Validate modified (for CBP) conceptual plan for Montreal. • Work with Quebec to confirm a “host agency” responsible for managing construction. • Canada and U.S. to create a legal basis for preclearance. • Discussions between Amtrak / Quebec / New York / Vermont / U.S. and Canada agencies with regard to funding options. • Multiple stop corridors • A much more difficult challenge. • Some possible precedents in Europe and in the Shiprider program. • Amtrak / VIA / New York / Michigan / Ontario / CBSA / CBP to develop and discuss options.