Presentation To:

Hampton Roads Transportation Planning Organization Board

March 21, 2013

HAMPTON ROADS PASSENGER RAIL STUDY – DATA COLLECTION – PHASE 2A

NORFOLK-RICHMOND CORRIDOR

Presentation By:

Transportation Economics & Management Systems, Inc.

Agenda Item #11

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BACKGROUND: STATE EFFORTS

Image Source: Department of Rail and Public Transportation, Tier 1 Final Environmental Impact Statement.

Tier I Richmond/Hampton Roads Passenger Rail

• Federal Railroad Administration approved the Record of Decision in January 2013.

• Newport News-Richmond – Conventional Speed (79-mph) – 3 Roundtrips/Day

• Norfolk-Petersburg – Higher Speed (up to 90-mph) – 6 Roundtrips/Day

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BACKGROUND: HRTPO EFFORTS

HRTPO Board Resolution (Oct. 2009):

• Endorsement of the designation of a “high-speed rail” corridor along the Norfolk Southern/Route 460 (Norfolk-Richmond) corridor designated ultimately at speeds of more than 110 mph.

• Endorsement of the enhancement of the intercity passenger rail service along the CSX/I-64 corridor (Newport News-Richmond).

• Authorization to hire a consultant to develop a strategic passenger rail plan.

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BACKGROUND: TEMS EFFORTS

Phase 1: Preliminary Vision Plan (July 2010)

•Results indicated that the HRTPO Board objectives to bring high-speed passenger rail between Norfolk-Richmond and enhanced intercity passenger rail between Newport News-Richmond are financially and economically feasible.

Phase 1B: Blueprint

Study (Dec. 2010)

•Program that shows the timing, institutional structures and funding requirements for a Passenger Rail Plan with speeds ranging between 110-mph and 150-mph.

Phase 2A: Data

Collection (March 2013)

•Data collection to complete the Norfolk-Richmond corridor Vision Plan and the Service Development Plan assessment needed by the FRA to support further planning work on high speed rail for the Norfolk-Richmond corridor.

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BACKGROUND: NORFOLK-RICHMOND CORRIDOR

Proposed System Development Steps for the Norfolk-Richmond Corridor

Steps Route Max Speed No. of Trains Infrastructure Station

Step 1 Route 460/ Norfolk Southern 79 mph 1-3* Shared Track

NS Staples Mill Only

Norfolk

Step 2 (FEIS Alt 1) Route 460/Norfolk Southern 79-90 mph 4-6 Shared Track

V Line Main Street Bowers Hill

Step 3 Norfolk-Richmond along Route 460 110 mph 8-12 Dedicated Track

V Line Main Street Bowers Hill

Step 4 Norfolk-Richmond along Route 460 150 mph 12-16

Dedicated Electric Track V

Line

Main Street Bowers Hill

* Two additional trains are planned in the near future by DRPT. Note: Norfolk Southern (NS) does not permit passenger train maximum authorized speed in excess of 79 mph on any NS track. Where the V-line (former Virginian Railway) has existing freight services, maximum authorized speed for passenger trains will be 79 mph. Along the Algren – Kenyon portion of the V-line (over which NS freight rail service has been formally abandoned), passenger rail planners may consider speeds above 79 mph.

DRPT

HRTPO

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PHASE 2A: DATA COLLECTION (NORFOLK-RICHMOND)

Collection of appropriate databases required for a Service Development Plan application and other analysis needed to apply for FRA passenger rail project funding for the Norfolk-Richmond corridor.

• Market1

• Technology2

• Engineering3

• Environmental4

1. The data collection for the Marketing database surveyed Hampton Roads to Washington, DC and Raleigh. Furthermore, given the potential competition between the Norfolk- Richmond and Newport News-Richmond, both corridors are included in the data collection for the Market Database. As such, a thorough understanding of the responsiveness of a corridors population and its opportunity to use the system provides the critical element in the ability to evaluate and potentially justify the system.

2. The data collection for the Technology database surveyed Hampton Roads to Washington, DC and Raleigh. Furthermore, to effectively model the market, the Technology analysis assesses the potential technologies that will be used in both the Norfolk-Richmond and Newport News-Richmond corridors. As a result, the study investigates the interaction between alignments and technologies to identify optimum trade-offs between capital investments in track, signals, other infrastructure improvements, and operating speed.

3. The data collection for the Engineering database surveyed Norfolk to Richmond. This includes data on existing and potential rights-of-way, alignment, FRA speeds, curves, speeds, grades, rail and highway crossings, signaling facilities, and potential restrictions such as bridges and track limitations.

4. The data collection for the Environmental database surveyed Norfolk to Richmond. This includes environmental data collection at the landscape level for the envelope of the study area between Norfolk and Richmond.

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Note: Phase 2A includes potential conceptual northern and southern options for new high speed lines connecting Suffolk with Petersburg. Since the primary focus of Phase 2A is only on database development, the reason for suggesting two potential options at this time is only to support a definition of the required environmental study area, e.g., the region in which potential greenfield options are most likely to lie. A preliminary analysis suggests that the most likely locations for new rail lines lie beyond the boundaries of the original Route 460 environmental study area, and so it has been necessary to expand the environmental study area to encompass an area larger than that which the highway study considered.

NORFOLK-RICHMOND POTENTIAL GREENFIELD ROUTES

Existing RailV-LineStudy Area*

*Alignment will not be determined until the Tier II Environmental Process is complete.

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DATA COLLECTION CONCLUSION

The four comprehensive databases provide the HRTPO and DRPT with the level of documentation needed for an Official Project Description and for public information and institutional bodies. This will allow:

• Project to meet FRA requirements for Service Development Plan.

• Provide database documentation needed to begin Public Private Partnership discussions.

• Provide input for Public Outreach program.

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• HRTPO Board Recommended Action under Consent Item 15-I: – Accept the Hampton Roads Passenger Rail Study: Phase

2A final report in meeting the requirements of the contract and for public distribution.

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