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87 Music City Star Regional Transportation Authority of Middle Tennessee Nashville, TN HISTORY State statute Tennessee Code 64-8-101 to 64-8-106 created RTA. The Nashville region, known locally as Middle Tennessee, fi rst explored commuter rail as an option. NERR, in partnership with RTA and Nashville MTA, decided to run a series of demonstration trains between Nashville and Donelson using NERR motive power and borrowed passenger cars. Preliminary engineering and environmental assessment was completed. RTA received a fi nding of no signifi cant (environmental) impact. RTA received approval from FTA to enter into fi nal design. The Tennessee Legislature passed the legislation for the Greater Nashville Regional Council to provide an ongoing source of funding for RTA. RTA acquired passenger cars from Metra in Chicago. RTA purchased three rebuilt Amtrak locomotives. Music City Star began service. The Nashville MTA management team became the managers of RTAâs regional services. 1988 1990 1991 2000 1999 2001 2003 2004 2006 2008 Music City Star is a commuter rail line launched in 2006 by the Regional Transportation Authority (RTA) of Middle Tennessee. RTA coordinates transportation services for 21 cities/towns within a nine-county region composed of Cheatham, Davidson, Dickson, Montgomery, Robertson, Rutherford, Sumner, Williamson, and Wilson counties. In addition to the Music City Star commuter rail, RTA operates carpools, express bus routes, and a commuter vanpool program. Music City Star connects downtown Nashville to Lebanon, Tennessee, in Wilson County. The entire line is 32 miles long and stops at six stations: Riverfront, Donelson, and Hermitage in Davidson County; and Mt. Juliet, Martha, and Lebanon in Wilson County. Three trains provide service from/ to Nashville during peak periods on weekday mornings and afternoons, and a night train off ers a roundtrip to Nashville on Friday evenings. The Nashville Metropolitan Transit Authority (Nashville MTA), collaborating with RTA, off ers Nashville MTA buses at the Riverfront Station to commuters with a proximity card for no charge. RTA rehabilitated the freight tracks of the Nashville and Eastern Railroad (NERR). The agency uses a fl eet of three refurbished Amtrak F40PH locomotives and seven bi-level coaches acquired from the Metropolitan Rail Corporation (Metra) in Chicago. GOVERNANCE RTA is the agency that oversees the Music City Star commuter rail. Its 37-member governing board consists of 28 mayors representing all cities and counties in the region, a governorâs appointee from each of the nine counties, and the Tennessee Department of Transportation (Tennessee DOT) commissioner.
88 Contracting Commuter Rail Services, Volume 2: Commuter Rail System Profiles PERFORMANCE STATISTICS Past Trends 2012â2016 Service Data in RY* 2016 Data source: NTD *Report year: for each report year, NTD collects data refl ecting the reporterâs operation in the same fi scal year. Annual Operating Cost: $5,152,128 Total Directional Route Miles: 63 Passenger Car Revenue Miles: 201,335 Unlinked Passenger Trips: 277,741 Annual Total Passenger Miles: 4,434,105 Operating Cost per Passenger Car Revenue Mile Operating Cost per Passenger Passenger Trips per Passenger Car Revenue Mile Passenger Miles per Passenger Trip $25.59 $23.63 $21.68$20.90 $19.33 20162015201420132012 $18.55$17.63$17.82$16.57 $14.11 20162015201420132012 1.381.34 1.221.26 1.37 20162015201420132012 15.96 14.50 15.5315.5315.97 20162015201420132012 As a recipient agency of the Federal Transit Administration (FTA), RTA must ensure programs are in accordance with FTA regulations. Nashville MTA, a close partner with RTA, regularly interacts with FTA on funding and reporting functions. RTA reports to the National Transit Database (NTD), with necessary inputs from the contract operator, TSG. RTA also meets specific requirements of the Federal Railroad Administration, mostly through cooperative inputs from TSG. RTA oversees the prime contractor TSG. RTA generally uses a few small additional outside contractors beyond the host railroad NERR and TSG. Either NERR or TSG takes the responsibility to coordinate with any independent third-party contractors for required work on the property, especially ensuring proper access, flagging, and other safety-sensitive functions. RTA develops resilience strategies and implements service recovery, cooperating with TnDOT, the Department of Homeland Security, NERR, TSG, and other local authorities. RTA must work with NERR in the implementation of positive train control (PTC) on NERR trackage. RTA proposes to reduce service by eliminating one scheduled Music City Star passenger train by December 31, 2018, in order to qualify for a limited operations exception (no more than 12 regularly scheduled passenger trains a calendar day) for PTC if the segment is signaled (e.g., equipped with a traffi c control system, automatic block signal system, or cab signal system). CONTRACTED SERVICE General Contracted Service Informa on Oversight and Responsibili es The Transit Solutions Group, LLC (TSG), a subsidiary of NERR, has provided operations and maintenance (O&M) services to the Music City Star commuter rail since inception in 2006. RTA signed a complex and unique tri-party agreement with NERR and the Nashville Rail Corporation (NRC), which is an affiliate of NERR. NRC then subcontracted with TSG for a fully bundled operational contract, including several local and non-local subcontractors for specific functions. The initial contract began from the start of revenue service and lasted for 5 years, with the option to extend for another 5 years. With minor modifications, this agreement was renewed for a second 5-year term. The agreement was extended to provide time for a new procurement. A new 5-year contract was awarded to TSG in 2018. The new contract expires December 2023. RTA also arranged a 30-year trackage rights agreement with the short-line host railroad NERR in 2006, currently in effect through 2036. This contract includes a cost escalator clause for access fees to be imposed every 5 years, based on the general consumer price index. RTA has a continuing arrangement with Nashville MTA for dedicated shuttle bus services for Music City Star passengers between the Riverfront Station and multiple destinations in downtown Nashville. The contract, which includes oversight functions for the Music City Star service, began in 2008 and is renewable every 3 years.
Music City Star 89 AâAgency; BâHost Railroad (RR); CâAmtrak; DâIndependent Contractors (RR or Non-RR) A B C D Train Operations Maintenance of Infrastructure Maintenance of Equipment Specifi cally: Train Dispatching Services Train Operations Maintenance of Equipment Facilities Maintenance Maintenance of Way Provision of Electric Traction (na) Signals and Communication Positive Train Control (PTC) Maintenance (1) Station Operations and Maintenance (2) Non-revenue Equipment Provision Safety Management (3) Security Services Environmental Services Management/Oversight Services Materials Management Services Risk Management Assessment Customer Service Functions Marketing Communications Ticketing/Sales (3) Revenue Collection Information Technology Systems Accident/Fatality Investigations/Support Supplemental Work Other (na) Contracted Service Matrix Notes for Matrix: 1. RTA will work with NERR to implement PTC. RTA proposes to reduce service on the Music City Star by December 31, 2018, to qualify for a limited operations exception to PTC requirements. 2. Nashville MTA owns and maintains the Riverfront Station. The O&M contractor maintains the other stations, with help from several local jurisdictions. 3. Separate, independent third- party contracts cover ticket sales at vending machines and safety oversight. The matrix below illustrates the responsibility for major service functions for Music City Star. The capital letters A, B, and D represent the RTA in-house staff (RTA), the host railroad (NERR), and the independent contractor (TSG), respectively. In this case, C for Amtrak is not applicable.
