| Grade Separations | Improvement Classification Level | Estimated Cost | Estimated Public Benefit* |
Ratio: Benefit/Cost |
| Second Main: Spring Jct to MP 14.20 (BNSF Crossing) | 4 | $79,000,000 | NA | NA |
| Total Identified Improvements | $79,000,000 | |||
*No public benefits of individual rail improvements were identified.
Addition of Second Mainline Track
Currently, the UPRR Navasota Subdivision crosses the BNSF Houston Subdivision at railroad milepost 14.20, approximately one mile north of where the rail line crosses the Harris/Montgomery County line. Traffic on the BNSF Houston Subdivision from this location could enter the Houston rail network via a connection to the Navasota Subdivision, leaving the lower portion of the BNSF Houston Subdivision potentially available for alternative transportation uses, such as commuter rail.
A connector track would require construction between the Houston and Navasota Subdivisions, as would the construction of a second mainline to Spring Junction. Operating rights agreements would be required between the UPRR and the BNSF for this construction to materialize. Without the joint use of this rail corridor, double tracking this segment may not warrant consideration at this time.
Cost
The estimated cost of a second mainline from Spring Junction to the BNSF crossing on the Navasota Subdivision is $79,000,000. The second mainline is a level 4 long-range improvement, and should undergo further testing to determine the extent of the improvement's impact on the region's rail network, and to quantify the associated public and private benefits that may be attained.
Incidentally, should BNSF through-freight and yard operations (Pearland and New South Yards) be relocated to outlying areas, the same end result may be attainable without undertaking this improvement.
Identified Improvements
125 East 11th Street . Austin, Texas 78701 
Copyright 2012. Texas Department of Transportation. All Rights Reserved.
