|
Rail Capacity Enhancements |
Improvement Classification Level |
Estimated Cost |
Estimated Public
Benefit* |
Ratio:
Benefit/Cost |
Single Main: Dayton to
Cleveland |
5 |
$212,000,000 |
NA |
NA |
|
Total Identified Improvements |
$212,000,000 |
|
|
* No public benefits of individual rail improvements were identified.
Add Single Mainline from Dayton to Cleveland
Incorporating a CTC signal system with set-out tracks and passing sidings
along the line from Dayton to Cleveland would permit bidirectional traffic flow.
Currently, the BNSF intermodal, auto and carload operations take place at
either Pearland on the BNSF Mykawa Subdivision or New South Yard on the West
Belt Subdivision. Trains inbound from Temple or Teague must take the long way
around to get to either facility, while trains being prepared for departure
often occupy the main track preventing the passage of additional trains.
The Cleveland to Dayton connection carries with it the relocation of current
BNSF carload switching operations to a site not yet determined. Utilizing their
existing network, a large number of BNSF trains will not need to enter into the
heart of Houston area rail network, although the existing interchange with the
PTRA will remain, as will trains serving their customer base such the Houston
Light and Power facility at Thompson, Texas.
Analysis
This relocation would free up capacity on existing rail lines and enhance
movement capabilities on other existing rail corridors within the region.
Combined with the UPRR Glidden Subdivision, this relocation could make it
feasible for the directional running of train traffic between Rosenberg and
Houston, perhaps eliminating the need for either a double track rail facility
along the US 90A corridor, or a new bypass alternative route through Ft. Bend
County.
Cost
The estimated cost for the addition of a new rail corridor from Dayton to
Cleveland is $197,000,000, and is classified as a level 5 long-range
improvement.
This 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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Identified Improvements
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