Below are the first 10 and last 10 pages of uncorrected machine-read text (when available) of this chapter, followed by the top 30 algorithmically extracted key phrases from the chapter as a whole.
Intended to provide our own search engines and external engines with highly rich, chapter-representative searchable text on the opening pages of each chapter.
Because it is UNCORRECTED material, please consider the following text as a useful but insufficient proxy for the authoritative book pages.
Do not use for reproduction, copying, pasting, or reading; exclusively for search engines.
OCR for page 40
40 Guidebook for Implementing Passenger Rail Service on Shared Passenger and Freight Corridors
3.3 Capital Investment Planning, Costing,
and Cost Sharing
Almost all proposals for new or expanded passenger service require capital investment in
infrastructure along the route, either to improve the quality of the infrastructure, to support the
proposed passenger service, or to add needed capacity. The steps in this investment process are
first to determine what is needed to support the proposed passenger service, then to estimate the
capital cost of the required projects, and finally to determine how these costs will be shared
between the freight railroad and the passenger rail agency. The details of a capital project also
have significant implications for ongoing maintenance costs. Adding a passing siding means that
maintenance cost will increase. Rebuilding deteriorated track structure with new rails, ties, and
ballast will reduce ongoing maintenance costs for a period of time.
3.3.1 Right-of-Way Access or Acquisition
The different approaches to gaining access to a rail corridor for a new or expanded passenger
rail service are discussed in Section 2.4.2. This section discusses methods to place a price on gain-
ing access and to estimate the cost of completing corridor upgrades to support the planned pas-
senger rail service. The factors to consider in estimating costs and prices are discussed in the
following subsections.
Amtrak Intercity Service
Amtrak's right of access means that it can make use of existing available capacity on a rail cor-
ridor at no cost and is only obligated to pay incremental costs for use of a host railroad's tracks.
However, in many cases, the existing infrastructure is not adequate for a planned service, either
because track condition and signal system capabilities will not support planned train speeds
and/or because there is insufficient capacity to accommodate planned passenger and freight oper-
ations. The need for additional capacity should be based on objective analyses as described in
Section 3.2, to ensure that the corridor is able to accommodate planned and forecast passenger
and freight services with planned investment. If necessary, a passenger rail agency will need to
negotiate funding for track and signal system improvements and additional line capacity needed
for passenger service. The host railroad would be responsible for any investment that it would
have needed to accommodate forecast traffic, if the passenger service had not been implemented.
The process for estimating capital costs of track and signal system improvements and additions,
and shares of cost to be borne by host and tenant are discussed in separate sections.
In a few instances, it may be attractive for the passenger rail agency to purchase a rail corridor
or part of a rail corridor, usually where freight traffic is very low and there is a willing seller. This
approach has not been used in the past--opportunities were few and funds were lacking.
However, outside the NEC, Amtrak does operate over portions of several commuter networks,
owns a segment of the Chicago to Detroit corridor, and operates a corridor in North Carolina
owned by the state.
Commuter Service
Commuter rail agencies do not have Amtrak's right of access to the rail network and there-
fore must expect to incur a cost for access to a rail corridor that is separate from capital expenses
for infrastructure improvement and a share of operations and maintenance costs. The different
approaches used by passenger rail agencies and their cost implications include:
Purchase the Rail Corridor. This option is commonly selected for commuter rail, where the
corridor was a low-traffic freight branch line prior to introducing a new service. The value of a
corridor as a freight rail business or the value of railroad materials installed in the corridor is gen-
