| Rail Capacity Enhancements | Improvement Classification Level | Estimated Cost | Estimated Public Benefit* |
Ratio: Benefit/Cost |
| Second Main: Arcola to Pierce | 4 | $84,000,000 | NA | NA |
| NE & NW Wye at Arcola | 4 | $4,000,000 | NA | NA |
| Total Identified Improvements | $88,000,000 | |||
*No public benefits of individual rail improvements were identified.
Addition of Second Mainline from Arcola to Pierce Junction
The Popp Subdivision would play a vital role in facilitating train movement in the event that the UPRR and BNSF would begin running directional traffic inbound on the Glidden Subdivision from Tower 17 (Rosenberg) to West Junction, and outbound on the BNSF Galveston Subdivision from Arcola to Tower 17.
The Popp Subdivision would require an upgrade to a double mainline facility complete with Centralized Traffic Control (CTC) signals. Ultimately, this could aid in relieving congestion on both the UPRR Glidden and BNSF Galveston Subdivisions, reducing train delays within the Houston Terminal.
Cost
The additional mainline along the Popp Subdivision is estimated to cost $84,000,000. The level 4 long-range improvement 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.
Construction of Connection Tracks to BNSF Galveston Subdivision at Arcola
The BNSF Galveston Subdivision crosses the UPRR Popp Subdivision at-grade with a crossing diamond, which does not allow travel between the two subdivisions. Connections from the Popp Subdivision onto the BNSF Galveston Subdivision in the Northeast and Northwest quadrants of the interchange in Arcola would facilitate movement between the subdivisions.
Analysis
Relocating existing BNSF operations to outlying areas may negate the need for an additional mainline between Arcola and Pierce Junction, however the construction of connecting tracks previously discussed may be required to facilitate the directional running of trains.
Cost
The estimated cost of connection tracks between the Popp Subdivision and the BNSF Galveston Subdivision is $4,000,000. The level 4 long-range improvement 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.
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