draft idaho statewide rail plan 41013
TRANSCRIPT
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Idaho Statewide Rail Plan
Prepared for the
Idaho Transportation Department
Project No. A013(334)Key No. 13334
April 10, 2013
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Rail POWERSIdahos Economy
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The Idaho Tranportation !epartment "IT!#, in partnerhip $ith the Idaho !epartment o% Agricultureand &ommerce, recently completed a State$ide 'ail Plan $ith grant %unding %rom the (ederal 'ail
Adminitration "('A#) The purpoe o% thi plan $a to identi%y, evaluate, and encourage the
development and preervation o% eential %reight and paenger rail and multi-modal ervice) The
Plan complie $ith %ederal and tate rail planning re*uirement)
Thi e%%ort relied heavily on involvement %rom +ey %reight ta+eholder including the ytem uer,
hipper, carrier, and Idaho commodity producer net$or+ o$neroperator and pu.lic
agencieorgani/ation) Input $a gathered through everal tool including a teering committee that
guided the entire e%%ort) Steering &ommittee mem.er included repreentative %rom the %ollo$ing
organi/ation
AT'A 4S( &lear$ater Economic !evelopment Aociation !airymen5 Aociation Idaho &attle Aociation Idaho 6rain Aociation
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GOAL 2: Idahos rail system eatures eective part!erships that leverage resources a!d
opportu!ities"
GOAL 3: Idaho strategically i!vests i! its rail system i!rastructure #hile maximi$i!g existi!g
capacity a!d preservi!g the system"
Table ES-1provides a summary o the recomme!ded policy a!d programmatic cha!ges, a!d Table ES-2
ide!tiiesthe additio!al studies a!d pla!s !eeded to ide!tiy lo!g ra!ge i!vestme!ts !ecessary to reachthe overall goals esta%lished i! this report"
Table ES-1.
Recommended Policy/Program Cange!"ame #e!cri$%ion
#ry Por% Legi!la%ion E!act legislatio! to e!a%le a port authority
Rail &reig% Ed'ca%ion and
(n)orma%ion Program
Esta%lish o!-goi!g pu%lic educatio! program to promote Idaho&s o%'ectives
relative to reight rail"
O$era%ion Li)e!a*er1( Provide sta resources)support to *peratio! +iesaver" 2( esearch u!di!g
sources or mareti!g)educatio!al campaig!s"
Tr'c+/Rail E,'i%y Proec%
1( Ide!tiy a!d prioriti$e rail improveme!ts that provide the %est opportu!ity to
provide eco!omic developme!t a!d e!ha!ce reve!ue opportu!ities through the
state %y movi!g reight via rail i! lieu o motor carriers" 2( .o!itor a!d e!act
legislatio! that e!sures motor carrier sta!dards are u!iorm a!d do !ot give
competitive adva!tage over rail"
Local Land !e Rail Planning
A!!i!%ance Program
1( Ide!tiy availa%le la!d use pla!!i!g resources" 2( /or #ith railo#!ers)operators to dissemi!ate policies regardi!g la!d use)tra!sportatio!
policies alo!g rail right-o-#ay
1( A!!ually assess rail volume reports rom IP( or tre!ds" 2( o!duct
% ) l d d l l h d l
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Table ES-2.
Addi%ional S%'die! and Plan!"ame #e!cri$%ion
Trea!'re alley &reig% 0'l%i-
0odal Tran!load Cen%er
/or #ith ey staeholders to ide!tiy local, state, 5ederal a!d private u!di!g
opportu!ities, a!d develop %usi!ess pla!
0'l%i-modal Rail 4ard
(m$ro*emen%!
Ide!tiy acility thresholds a!d pote!tial site locatio!s usi!g results rom multi-
modal acility a!alysis" Assess via%ility o existi!g yards" se regio!al orums to
ide!tiy pu%lic)private part!ership opportu!ities to %uild acilities"
ig C'be (n%ermodal Ser*ice
S%'dy
/or #ith rail li!e o#!ers a!d !eigh%ori!g states to prioriti$e corridors %ased o!
cost-%e!eit8 Ide!tiy u!di!g !eeds or i!stallatio! o high-cu%ed dou%le stac
i!termodal service"
S%a%e5ide 0'l%i-0odal
&reig% &acili%ie! S%'dy
1( *%tai! research u!ds to dei!e multi-modal acility types, thresholds a!d
pote!tial site locatio!s i! Idaho a!d the regio!" 2( o!sider dou%le-traced
tra!sload acilities, dry ports, rail spurs, tra!sload acilities, i!termodal acilities,
etc"("
Tr'c+/Rail E,'i%y Proec%
Ide!tiy a!d prioriti$e rail improveme!ts that provide the %est opportu!ity to
provide eco!omic developme!t a!d e!ha!ce reve!ue opportu!ities through the
state %y movi!g reight via rail i! lieu o motor carriers"
Am%ra+ Pioneer Ro'%e
&ea!ibili%y S%'dy
oordi!ate)commu!icate #ith ad'oi!i!g states o! uture studies to evaluate the
restoratio! or replaceme!t o the li!e that Amtra termi!ated i! 199: alo!g P
li!e"
Comm'%er Rail Ser*ice
&ea!ibili%y S%'dy
Evaluate pote!tial support)dema!d a!d pote!tial locatio!s or commuter rail
service
Table ES-3 summari$es the recomme!ded ;-year apital I!vestme!t pla! or Idaho, #hile TableES-6
summari$es the recomme!dedlo!g-ra!ge 20-year( capital i!vestme!ts" .a!y o the pro'ects listed i!
the 20-year apital I!vestme!t pla! are co!ti!ge!t upo! the outcome o studies a!d pla!s listed i!
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7-4ear Ca$i%al (n*e!%men% PlanProec% "ame #e!cri$%ion E!%. Co!%i Po%e!tial
5u!di!g)5i!a!ci!g
Railroad Cro!!ing
Sa)e%y Program
.ultiple pro'ects listed i! the ail rossi!g
Saety Pro'ect +ist i! Sectio! C, as detailed i!
the Idaho State ?ra!sportatio!
Improveme!t Pla! 2013-201:
%o!ds(8E4I5i? loa!(
Rail Tre!$a!!ing
#e%errence Program
1( Ide!tiy ey railroad yards, i!tercha!ge
poi!ts, a!d ma'or structures that may !eed
to %e secured rom ope! pu%lic access" 2(
Part!er #ith local 'urisdictio!s to ide!tiy
security strategies i!cludi!g educatio!,
e!orceme!t, a!d a#are!ess"
@)A I5 loa!(
PL Sor% line
Railroad ridge
Re$lacemen% and
S'%%le Train Loader
&acili%y
1( pgrade the PD+ %ra!ch %ridges to the
level re6uired %y the 5ederal ail
Admi!istratio! 5A( i! order to
accommodate 2C,000 l%" 2CF( rail cars
a!d 2( provide relia%le rail access to a !e#
private sector
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28-4ear Ca$i%al (n*e!%men% PlanProec% "ame #e!cri$%ion E!%. Co!% Po%e!tial
5u!di!g)5i!a!ci!g
ig C'be
(n%ermodal Ser*ice
o!ti!ue to impleme!t high-cu%ed dou%le
stac i!termodal service capa%ility i! Idaho,
as %ased o! i!di!g a!d priorities ide!tiied
i! 5-1CA, ost >e!eit A!alysis"
@)A I5 loa!(8 PA> %o!ds(8
E4I5i? loa!(
ridging Te alley:Grade Cro!!ing
(m$ro*emen% 9"S&
ro'%e and
Realignmen% o) PRR
mainline
1( /or #ith F.P* to ide!tiy u!di!g or%e!eit cost a!alysis a!d prioriti$atio! o
>ridgi!g the Halley pro'ects" 2( E!gi!eeri!g
a!d co!structio!"
@)A I5 loa!(8 ?I5IA loa!(
ridging Te alley:
Grade Cro!!ing
(m$ro*emen% only
9"S& ro'%e
1( /or #ith F.P* to ide!tiy u!di!g or
%e!eit cost a!alysis a!d prioriti$atio! o
>ridgi!g the Halley pro'ects" 2( E!gi!eeri!g
a!d co!structio!"
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Table of Contents
Section 1: Role of Rail in Statewide Transportation
1.1 Introduction.....1-11.2Process..1-11.3 Idahos Rail Vision and Goals.1-21.4Role of Freight Rail in Idahos Transortation !"ste#......1-31.$Role of Passenger Rail in Idaho...1-41.%Rail Institutional Fra#e&or'....1-(1.(Prior !tudies) Initiati*es) and Plans.1-11Section 2: Idahos Rail System
2.1 Freight Rail..2-1
2.2 Passenger Rail...2-2+
Section 3: Trends and Forecasts
3.1 ,e#ograhic and cono#ic Gro&th Factors....3-1
3.2 n*iron#ent and nerg" Trends..3-1
3.3 /and 0se o##unit" I#acts..3-133.4 !afet" and !ecurit"....3-1$
3.$ Freight ,e#and and Gro&th3-21
3 % Passenger Tra*el ,e#and 3 41
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%.2 Progra# oordination.%-3
%.3 Rail Financing 7lternati*es%-4
%.4 Potential !tate Rail 7genc" rgani6ational) Polic") and Progra# hanges.%-1+
%.$ Progra# ffects ...%-23
%.% eeded Rail !tudies and Plans...%-2%
%.( Freight Rail aital Pro5ects /ist.%-2+
%.+ Passenger Rail aital Pro5ects /ist.%-33
Section ': (oordination and Review
(.1 Introduction .....(-1
(.2 !tate&ide !u##it..(-2
(.3 Pu8lic In*ol*e#ent Plan ...(-3
(.4 Pu8lic 7genc" and !ta'eholder ngage#ent....(-4
(.$ Pu8lic In*ol*e#ent in Plan ,e*elo#ent....(-+
(.% oordination &ith ther !tate Rail Plans..(-9
Appendices
7endi: 7; Pu8lic In*ol*e#ent ,ocu#entation
7endi:
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Section 1 Role of Rail in Statewide Transportation
1.1 Introduction
The Passenger Rail Investent and Iproveent Act of 200! "PRIIA# tas$s each state with prod%cing a
State Rail Plan to esta&lish polic', priorities and ipleentation strategies for freight and passenger rail
transportation within its &o%ndaries, enhance rail service in the p%&lic interest, and serve as the &asisfor (ederal and State rail investents within the state) PRIIA re*%ires State Rail Plans &e s%&itted to
the (ederal Railroad Adinistration "(RA# for review and approval)
In response, Idaho Transportation +epartent "IT+# has developed this statewide rail plan to identif',
eval%ate, and enco%rage the developent and preservation of essential freight and passenger rail and
%lti-odal services) The Plan coplies with federal and state rail planning re*%ireents)
The Idaho Rail Plan addresses a &road spectr% of rail iss%es, incl%ding identification of the States
freight and passenger rail o&ectives and plans, an inventor' of the rail s'stes transportation
infrastr%ct%re, anal'sis of rail-related econoic environental ipacts, and esta&lishent of a long-
range investent progra for c%rrent and f%t%re freight and passenger rail infrastr%ct%re thro%gho%t
the State)
This Statewide Rail Plan was f%nded thro%gh a grant fro the (ederal Rail Adinistration and was done
in con%nction with a statewide (reight St%d' which was f%nded with state f%nds) The Statewide (reightSt%d' served as a fo%ndation for developent of the freight coponent of Idahos Statewide Rail Plan,
which is c%rrentl' in developent)
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incl%ding Atra$. and, federal, state, and local agencies s%pporting transportation services, econoic
developent, and agric%lt%re)
The Steering oittee wor$ed colla&orativel', helping to ens%re that the st%d' process and prod%cts
&alanced the varied interests of statewide sta$eholders) The' also pla'ed a critical role in disseinating
proect inforation and collecting feed&ac$ fro their networ$s of ind%str' contacts and affiliated
interest gro%ps) The' also reviewed and provided recoendations to IT+ on proect prod%cts and
delivera&les, and pla'ed a $e' role in for%lating st%d' recoendations) Their inp%t was providedthro%gh a series of f%ll-da' eetings, wor$shops, and facilitated disc%ssions, along with a series of
hoewor$ assignents %sed to infor the developent of the vision stateent, perforance
eas%res, scenarios developent and eval%ation, and %ltiatel', st%d' recoendations)
A Statewide (reight S%it was held in +ece&er of 2011 to $ic$ off the freight st%d' with nearl' !0
sta$eholders in attendance) The goal of the S%it was to identif' $e' iss%es, opport%nities, and
challenges related to Idahos freight s'ste, incl%ding freight rail and interodal s'ste needs andopport%nities)
Sta$eholder interviews were also cond%cted with $e' inforants earl' in the process to gather an in-
depth %nderstanding of the perspectives of owners, operators, and %sers fro vario%s ind%stries and
odes) A n%&er of data- and4or iss%e-specific interviews were cond%cted to infor the tea
regarding partic%lar freight iss%es and opport%nities) In addition, n%ero%s and fre*%ent inforal
disc%ssions were cond%cted &' tea e&ers with ind%str' gro%ps and coalitions, freight- and
transportation-related professional organiations, special-interest gro%ps, and e&ers of the general
p%&lic thro%gh the co%rse of the st%d')
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,ire 1-1. Idaho Rail Network O%er%iew
Track Status Miles
Active Track (tot.) 1,709.5Class I 995.8
Class II 33.5
Class III 680.2
Embargoed 277.7
Suspeded !".1
Abadoed 70!.7
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,ire 1-(. Em'ire #ilder Ro#te
Source: A#trak
According to the 2010 ens%s, the pop%lation within a 30-ile radi%s of the Sandpoint station totals an
estiated 23,000, and incl%des portions of Contana and
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1.* Rail Institutional Fra"ewor)
Federal 'encies
At least nine federal departents, agencies, and &oards are involved in rail related atters) The )S)
+epartent of Transportation ")S) +BT# has the ost e5tensive involveent, &oth directl' with the
carriers and indirectl' in con%nction with the state departents of transportation and regional
%risdictions) The p%rpose and relationship of the agencies that are ost heavil' involved with the
railroad ind%str' are s%aried &elow)
Federal +ihwa! 'd"inistration ,F+-'
Bne of the odal agencies within )S) +BT, (D
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light rail and rapid transit %s%all' operate over dedicated trac$age, co%ter services %tilie the freight
networ$, and th%s are s%&ect to (RA and railroad ind%str' standards that are adinistered &' the
Association of Aerican Railroads "AAR#) The (TA presents an option for f%nding soe iproveents
where intercit' operations are shared with co%ter rail and transit)
Surface Transportation /oard ,ST/
sta&lished in 188? as a s%ccessor to the long-lived Interstate oerce oission, the S%rface
Transportation ;oard ad%dicates disp%tes over rates and services &etween shippers and carriers, and
has adinistrative a%thorit' over railroad ergers and line a&andonents) In 200!, PRIIA e5panded its
role to ediate conflicts &etween passenger rail operators with freight rail owners) This new provision
is intended to address long-standing concerns a&o%t enforceent of Atra$s stat%tor' rights to
operate passenger trains over the freight networ$)
Idaho 'encies
Idaho Transportation %epart"ent
The role of the Idaho Transportation +epartents state rail progra is to assist in the preservation of
essential rail lines thro%gh planning and coordination with private railroad owners and &' addressing
potential safet' haards at at-grade railroad crossings) Planning and coordination is a f%nction of the
+ivision of Transportation Perforance, forerl' the +ivision of Transportation Planning, while the
Railroad rossing Progra is a f%nction of the Reso%rces +ivision)
The Idaho Transportation ;oard provides an ann%al allocation of F2@0,000 to f%nd state rail-highwa'
safet' proects) A crossing over an' p%&lic road is eligi&le for this progra) Proects are identified &'
the +istricts the Bffice of Dighwa' Safet' or local officials and prioritied &' the State Priorit' Inde5
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Pu0lic tilities o""ission
The Idaho P%&lic tilities oission "P# was esta&lished in Ca' of 1813 &' the Idaho Eegislat%re,
with stat%tor' a%thorities detailed in Title ?1 and ?2 of Idaho code) The P oversees the intrastate
operation of investor-owned electric, gas, water, and teleco%nications %tilities, as well as rail and
pipeline safet' progras) The P has responsi&ilit' for ens%ring all rail services operating within Idaho
do so in a safe and efficient anner) The P has rail inspectors that investigate highwa'-railroad
crossing iss%es and safet' proects thro%gho%t the state) State safet' inspectors are also responsi&le for
inspection of rail cars carr'ing haardo%s aterials in and thro%gh the state of Idaho, and enforce
federal haardo%s aterials reg%lations, which the State of Idaho has adopted)
In 1888, otor carrier responsi&ilities were transferred to the +epartent of Eaw nforceent and
Idaho Transportation +epartent, with Idaho P retaining its %risdiction in rail carrier atters)
Approval of an' new or reinstit%ted rail service re*%ires approval thro%gh the Idaho P according to
stat%e I+APA 31)01)01, R%les of Proced%re) Rail line a&andonents also re*%ire P review and
approval)
Idaho State %epart"ent of 'riculture
The Idaho Eegislat%re created the Idaho State +epartent of Agric%lt%re "IS+A# in 1818 to assist and
reg%late the stateGs fast-growing agric%lt%ral ind%str') The priar' p%rposes for esta&lishent were to
protect IdahoGs crops and livestoc$ fro the introd%ction and spread of pests and transitta&le
diseases, to help provide the ind%str' with a s'ste for the orderl' ar$eting of agric%lt%ral
coodities, and to protect cons%ers fro containated prod%cts or fra%d%lent ar$eting practices)
The +epartent of Agric%lt%re is responsi&le for adinistering the Idaho R%ral conoic +evelopent
and Integrated (reight Transportation "R+I(iT# loan progra The ission of the R+I(iT Progra is to
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allocations or receipt of f%nds to the e5tent needed to provide collateral for the loan) ligi&le proects
for consideration %st have the p%rpose of:
Reha&ilitating or iproving rail lines to preserve essential local rail service.
P%rchasing or reha&ilitating railroad e*%ipent necessar' to aintain essential rail service.
onstr%ction of loading or reloading facilities or other capital iproveents. and
oordinating interodal traffic for integrated r%ral freight transportation)
(%nds are also availa&le for planning activities) Applicants can appl' for %p to F100,000 to st%d'
potential rail investents) Applicants are re*%ired to provide a 100 percent atch)
Reional Plannin raniations
A Cetropolitan Planning Brganiation, coonl' referred to as a CPB, is an association of local
agencies that coordinate transportation planning and developent activities within a etropolitan area)
sta&lishent of a CPB is re*%ired &' law in %r&an areas with pop%lations of ore than @0,000 in order
for the area to %se federal transportation f%nding) CPBs are designed to ens%re coordination and
cooperation aong the vario%s %risdictions that oversee transportation within the %r&an area) CPB
decision-a$ing is g%ided &':
A polic' &oard, generall' coprised of local elected officials and p%&lic agenc' officials who
adinister or operate aor odes of transportation, and
A technical advisor' gro%p of professional planners and engineers who are often eplo'ees of
the sae agencies)
A CPB has effective control over transportation iproveent f%nding within the etropolitan planning
i t t & t f th CPBG d t d l l d & l d i th i
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Bnce prograed, crossing %pgrades are to &e constr%cted within a 3 'ear tie frae) Rail-highwa'
crossing safet' proect priorities and f%nding are deterined &' the IT+ Roadwa' +esign,
tilit'4Railroad nit in coordination with +istrict, local officials and, when appropriate, with the IT+
Dighwa' Bperations J Safet' ngineer and the Canager of Bffice of Transportation Investents,
according to IT+ Traffic Can%al Section !@@)00)
Pu0lic6Pri7ate Partnerships
The Passenger Rail Investent and Iproveent Act "PRIIA# of 200! contains several provisions tofacilitate increased private sector participation in intercit' passenger rail service, incl%ding:
Section 21/ of PRIIA creates an Alternate Passenger Rail Service Pilot Progra that wo%ld allow
one of ore private railroads over which Atra$ operates to receive federal operating s%&sidies
in ret%rn for ass%ing responsi&ilit' for the operation of %p to two intercit' passenger rail
ro%tes c%rrentl' operated &' Atra$)
Section 21= of PRIIA wo%ld allow states that select an entit' other than Atra$ to operate astate-s%pported intercit' passenger rail ro%te to re*%est %se of Atra$ facilities, e*%ipent and
services necessar' to operate that ro%te, with the S%rface Transportation ;oard responsi&le for
resolving an' disp%tes)
Section @02 of PRIIA re*%ired the (RA to solicit private sector proposals for developent of
federall' designated high-speed rail corridors)
An ite not incl%ded in PRIIA is Atra$s stat%tor' access rights to the national rail s'ste) These rights
ens%re Atra$s a&ilit' to operate over rail lines owned &' freight railroads and regional transportation
a%thorities, which acco%nt for all &%t ?@@ iles of Atra$s c%rrent 21,000 ro%te s'ste and nearl' all of
the rail lines on which new 12@ ph or less intercit' passenger service has &een proposed) %rrent
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Sealess and safe %lti-odal connections
ffective partnerships
S%ccess of the goals will &e eas%red &' anal'ing the following o%tcoes over tie:
Idaho goods transported effectivel'
(reight transportation costs are copetitive
(reight-related safet' iproves
The st%d' res%lted in the identification of si5 $e' recoendations that are designed to fraewor$
f%t%re activit' related to freight in Idaho) These recoendations incl%de:
reate an instit%tional fraewor$ for co%nication, colla&oration and partnership
Align transportation polic' and proects with econoic developent strategies
Strategicall' invest in a freight networ$ incl%ding corridors and new4e5panded %lti-odal
facilities and connections (acilitate the efficient oveent of freight
ollect and anal'e freight data
5pand so%rces for freight infrastr%ct%re f%nding
This effort relied heavil' on involveent fro $e' freight sta$eholders incl%ding the s'ste %sers,
incl%ding shippers, carriers, and Idaho coodit' prod%cers. networ$ owners4operators. and p%&lic
agencies4organiations) Inp%t was gathered thro%gh several tools incl%ding a steering coittee that
g%ided the entire effort which incl%ded the ;%rlington 7orthern, nion Pacific, and
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To level the pla'ing field &etween transportation odes)
To coordinate rail planning and ipleentation activities with state and local land %se policies,
and advocate %t%all' &eneficial practices, s%ch as the preservation of ind%strial sites which can
&e served &' rail)
To red%ce the potential for at-grade rail-highwa' accidents)
To proote the developent and iproveent of rail-served interodal transportation service
thro%gho%t the state, freight and passenger)
Goal II" The retention and aintenance of operations over all lines of the rail s'ste which serve as
essential coponents of the states transportation s'ste) B&ectives for this goal incl%ded:
To identif' endangered coponents of the rail s'ste, define pro&les and ca%ses, and
for%late sol%tions)
To identif' all potential so%rces of federal f%nds for application in pro&le sit%ations)
To define a dedicated so%rce of state f%nds for rail service preservation and to enco%rage the%se of local f%nds)
Goal III" The preservation of rights-of-wa' of rail lines for which the prior goal cannot &e et for f%t%re
rail or alternative %ses) B&ectives for this goal incl%ded:
To ass%re local decision a$ers are aware of the potential to preserve rights-of-wa' thro%gh the
federal P%&lic se and Interi Trail se proced%res
To enco%rage localities to e5aine alternative %ses of rights-of-wa' of endangered or
a&andoned rail lines)
To identif' potential f%nding so%rces K federal, state, and local K for right-of-wa' preservation)1=
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principall' on agric%lt%re and heav' ind%strial coodities) In assessing the feasi&ilit' of locating s%ch a
facilit' in the ;oise4Treas%re alle' area, it was concl%ded that ;oise is a nat%ral ne5%s for s%ch a facilit'
d%e to the geographic distri&%tion of ind%stries, rail and highwa' infrastr%ct%re) The st%d' also
concl%ded that a transload and ind%strial par$ site appeared to &e a potentiall' via&le opport%nit')
The st%d' then foc%sed on facilities, identif'ing a two-phase approach, with the first phase incl%ding a
%lti-odal transload facilit' with appro5iatel' @0,000 s*%are feet of wareho%sing capacit' that will
ena&le transloading, aterial handling, o%tside and inside storage of the coodities, incl%dingagric%lt%ral grains and &%l$ coodities. inerals and related aggregates. cheical, f%els, and other
li*%ids. iscellaneo%s &%l$ aterials. and, palletied, crated, and &o5ed goods) The cost of the first
phase was estiated at F1@)@ illion) The second phase recoended developent of a rail &ased
regional ind%strial par$ of appro5iatel' 1/0 acres, re*%iring investent of appro5iatel' F2! illion,
to incl%de the developent of loop trac$ service to the par$) The st%d' concl%ded that, while the site
wo%ld not generate h%ge ret%rns on investent, however, the potential of increased rail vol%es co%ld
a$e the concept attractive to a railroad operating partner) The direct econoic ipact of the sitewo%ld &e e*%ivalent to a oderatel' large an%fact%ring enterprise locating in the region)
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S%pport of local efforts to esta&lish Port +istricts in Spo$ane and Hootenai o%nties to serve as
iportant econoic drivers in the IPD Region.
Prootion of the esta&lishent of a &i-state port district to %nif' the regional vision and give
political and econoic weight to the h%& vision. and,
nco%rage e5pansion of &order crossing ho%rs with anada)
Priorit' transportation investents identified &' the st%d' incl%ded:
5pansion of S-8@ fro ;onners (err' to anada in the short-ter.
S-8@ Iproveents to and fro the Sna$e River Ports in the id-ter.
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and wo%ld pass thro%gh Eivingston, Contana) The ro%te fro Sandpoint, Idaho to Spo$ane,
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will re*%ire all affected states to agree to provide s%&sidies for operating losses and also re*%ire
additional federal capital f%nding, which co%ld &e pro&leatic given the proected ridership vol%es)2/
Atra$ has also &een p%rs%ing partnerships with the private sector) (or instance, the copan' has
fored a consorti% with S7(, the (rench national railroad, and ;echtel, an international engineer and
constr%ction fir, to p%rs%e a design, &%ild, operate and aintain contract for the proposed, &%t now
halted Brlando-to-Tapa high-speed rail proect) Atra$ plans to participate in other oint efforts with
private copanies to p%rs%e high-speed rail proects elsewhere)2@
!tra% Pioneer Ser(i"e
In accordance with the PRIIA, Atra$ eval%ated the possi&ilit' of restoring the Pioneer service in
Bcto&er 200!) The Pioneer first operated fro Salt Ea$e it' and Bgden to Seattle) Idaho stops
incl%ded ;oise and Pocatello) In 18!3, the Pioneer was rero%ted over the +enver and Rio 9rande
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Fiure 1$#. Pioneer Route ptions
Source: A#trak io&eer Route a""e&ger Rail Stud+
Since the trac$ east of the ;oise depot is o%t of service, trains will have to &'pass ;oise, perhaps
stopping at 7apa and contin%ing on the present freight-onl' &'pass)
(or each of the fo%r options, the report ass%es that the reintrod%ced Pioneer will operate dail', and is
coprised of a locootive and fo%r S%perliner cars) The st%d' fo%nd that all the Pioneer options will
d t A t $ id hi i f & t !2 000 d 111 000 ll ith
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The reintrod%ction of the Pioneer will re*%ire significant capital4o&iliation e5pendit%res for
infrastr%ct%re iproveents, new e*%ipent, station restoration, and eplo'ee training and
*%alif'ing) Table 1-) provides a s%ar' of the financial costs and perforance eleents for
restoration of the Pioneer service)2!
Table (-). 2ioneer ey ,inancial and 2erformance 3etrics
2ro4ected 2erformance
5dollar fires inmillions7
O'tion1
59alt !ake /ity to9eattle7
O'tion (
5:en%er to9eattle7
O'tion )
59alt !ake /ity to2ortland7
O'tion
5:en%er to2ortland7
apital4Ipleentation
osts
F3=3)8 F/?8)! F3=0)@ F/!/)!
Ann%al Passenger
Reven%e
F11)? F13)1 F=)? F8)2
+irect osts F3?)? F/?)2 F3@)8 F//)=
+irect Bperating
ontri&%tion4Eoss
"F2@)0# "F33)1# "F2!)3# "F3@)@#
(are&o5 Recover' 31)=> 2!)/> 21)2> 20)?>
Total Ann%al Ridership 102,000 111,000 !2,000 8@,000
Passenger Ciles4Train
Cile
131 100 103 ==
Source: A#trak io&eer Route a""e&ger Rail Stud+
An initial anal'sis identified F200 illion in proposed infrastr%ct%re investents if Pioneer service is
restored &etween Salt Ea$e it' and Portland, and a total of F308 illion in investents if the Pioneer
were to operate via the Bverland Ro%te &etween +enver and Portland) If a decision is ade to
reinstit%te the Pioneer, Atra$ and PRR will need to cond%ct f%rther anal'ses, incl%ding capacit'
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%stified to s%pport an increase in p%&lic &enefit) If the anal'sis shows s%ch a %stification, Atra$ will
need additional f%nding to provide the re*%ired levels of capital and operating f%nding that will restore
the service) This can &e in the for of p%&lic f%nds or thro%gh p%&lic-private partnerships)
Reintrod%ction of service will re*%ire appro5iatel' fo%r 'ears fro the date which f%nding is ade
availa&le)31
#igh S)eed Rail
In 188=, the (ederal Railroad Adinistration iss%ed a report, ODigh Speed 9ro%nd Transportation forAerica,O that defines high-speed rail as follows:
ODigh-speed gro%nd transportation "DS9T# is self-g%ided intercit' passenger gro%nd
transportation &' steel-wheel railroad or agnetic levitation that is tie-copetitive with
air and4or a%to for travel ar$ets in the appro5iate range of 100 to @00 iles)32
This is a ar$et-driven, perforance-&ased definition of DS9T) It recognies that total trip tie
"incl%ding access to and fro stations#, rather than speed, infl%ences passengersG choices aong
transport options in a given ar$et) It also recognies that travelers eval%ate each ode not in
isolation, &%t in relation to the perforance of the other availa&le choices)
Digh Speed Rail networ$s in the (ederal Digh-Speed Intercit' Passenger Rail Progra incl%de the top /=
etropolitan areas of the nited States) The )S) Digh-Speed Rail Association "S DSR# networ$
incl%des ore cities in all &%t ! of the @0 states) The S DSR is an independent, nonprofit @01"c#"?#
trade association chartered to organie and o&ilie the ind%str' with a shared vision for a 21st cent%r',1=,000 ile national high speed rail s'ste &%ilt in phases for copletion &' 2030) 33 The Association is
coprised of &oth p%&lic and private transportation ind%str' leaders who are foc%sed on the
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Fiure 1$*. .S. +ih Speed Rail 'ssociation :etwor) 2&1#$2&3&
Source: Le.i&"o&, 2010
Treasure Valley #igh Ca)a"ity Transit Study
http://www.compassidaho.org/prodserv/specialprojects-tvhcts.htm -
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downtown circ%lator was envisioned to iprove o&ilit' aong priar' destinations within and
adacent to downtown ;oise) The st%d' also incl%des a plan for high-capacit' transit service "passenger
rail# for locations along I-!/ within Ada and an'on co%nties) The st%d' &egan anal'sis of potential
corridors and potential odes in 2008 to narrow down options to ove forward for a ore in-depth
alternatives anal'sis)
The st%d' initiall' considered a range of potential Digh apacit' Transit "DT# alignents to serve the
corridor fro hinden ;o%levard on the north to ictor' Road on the so%th) The st%d' incl%ded an earl'screening step which deterined that the following alignents &est addressed the st%d's p%rpose and
need)
Q (airview Aven%e4herr' Eane
Q ;oise %toff Rail
Q (ran$lin Road
Q I-!/
Q Bverland Road
The arterial alignents %sed aldwell-7apa ;o%levard for the connection &etween the cities of
aldwell and 7apa)
The Phase 1 Alternatives Anal'sis process was copleted Bcto&er 2008) The st%d' recoends the
following DT alternatives &e considered for the detailed anal'sis in the ne5t phase of the alternatives
anal'sis)
Q ;oise %toff Eight Rail "Recoended &' St%d' tea#
Q ;oise %toff ;RT 5cl%sive "Recoended &' St%d' tea#
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Q 5aination of the potential for phased ipleentation of DT iproveents)
Valley Regional Transit Rail Corridor E(aluation Study
This Rail orridor val%ation St%d' was cond%cted in 2003 for alle'Ride in cooperation with Ada and
an'on o%nties, Ada o%nt' Dighwa' +istrict, the cities of ;oise, Ceridian, 7apa and aldwell,
o%nit' Planning Association of So%thwest Idaho "BCPASS#, and IT+) The priar' p%rpose of the
st%d' was to provide inforation and the &ac$gro%nd necessar' for the sponsoring agencies to a$e an
infored decision regarding the potential for a p%&lic ac*%isition of certain rail corridors within Ada andan'on o%nties)3? The potential ipacts of introd%cing a co%ter operation in the corridor on traffic
and %tilities were addressed)
alle'Ride, along with partner %risdictions, have initiated disc%ssions foc%sed on negotiating an
ac*%isition of the reaining portions of the ;oise %t-Bff) Sec%ring p%&lic control of the proposed rail
passenger corridor is the preferred long-ter sol%tion)
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residents want the valle' to loo$ li$e in the 'ear 20/0, ta$ing into acco%nt practical trade-offs and
priorities) The plan is sched%led to &e coplete &' 201@)
BSF.s /reat orthern Corridor *ultistate Planning and De(elo)!ent Study
The Contana +epartent of Transportation, on &ehalf of a coalition of corridor sta$eholders, s%&itted
a grant application to the )S) +BT to f%nd the /reat Nort(er& %orridor ulti"tate la&&i&g a&d
De.elo#e&t Stud+) The St%d' received f%ll f%nding fro the C%ltistate orridor Bperations and
Canageent Progra and is e5pected to $ic$-off id- 2013)
The st%d' will incl%de a transportation needs and opport%nities anal'sis to enhance the corridor &'
addressing topics s%ch as safet', perforance, connectivit', and econoic opport%nit') The st%d' will
engage sta$eholders to find the ost cost-effective and environentall' s%staina&le sol%tions to
develop the 9reat 7orthern orridor into a sealess %ltistate freight rail corridor to proote
econoic growth for neigh&oring co%nities and to accoodate the deand for efficient and
environentall'-so%nd transportation services)
Sta$eholders s%pporting this %nderta$ing incl%de: transportation departents fro the states of Idaho,
Cinnesota, Contana, Bregon, 7orth +a$ota,
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needs identified incl%ded f%nds to aintain and %pgrade deteriorating e5isting short line rail
infrastr%ct%re, additional for rail cars to address the rail car shortage, capacit' enhanceents, and new
interodal facilities to consolidate and ove shipents &etween tr%c$ and rail) (acilities identified
incl%ded grain aggregation facilities in eastern Bregon or h%& facilities for short-ha%l &%l$ and
interodal ar$ets along the I-@ corridor)
In 2011, B+BT fored the Bregon Rail (%nding Tas$ (orce to identif' a long-ter s%staina&le f%nding
so%rce for passenger and freight rail) In +ece&er of 2011, the Tas$ (orce iss%ed its (inalRecoendations, which incl%ded the foration of a special district to f%nd passenger rail service
&etween %gene and Portland. lotter' proceeds to f%nd freight rail needs. railroad propert' ta5 re-
allocation. a telephone access fee. a rail ta5 credit)
These planning efforts were %nderta$en as fo%ndational to the developent of an %pdated Bregon Rail
Plan) /1
e(ada
7evada adopted its c%rrent Statewide Rail Plan in Septe&er of 2012) 7evada ephasies the fact that
Atra$ and private operators, nota&l' nion Pacific Railroad, rather than 7+BT, provide and f%nd
passenger and freight rail services availa&le in 7evada) Th%s, 7evada identifies its role as one of
s%pporting, coordinating, and enhancing the services these third-part' owner4operators provide, rather
than ta$ing on the role of owning and operating its own rail facilities and services)
The recoended proects incl%ded in the 7evada state rail plan involve a co&ination of private and
p%&lic-sector conventional and high speed passenger rail, freight rail, e5c%rsion rail, and rail-highwa'
grade crossing iproveents to &e ade in the short- id- and long-ter Bne proect with potential
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2tah
tahs nified Transportation Plan, 2011-20/0, onl' lists highwa' and transit proects, and a$es no
ention of rail proects)/2 tah does not have an adopted State Rail Plan &%t is planning to initiate a rail
plan effort in 2013)
0yo!ing
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3N9, Railway. conoic Ipact) Bnline "Accessed Ca', 2012#)
/,ederal 0i&hway dministration .Freig(t A&al+"i" Fra#e*ork) Bnline" Accessed (e&r%ar' 2=, 2012#)
@9#rface Trans'ortation oard. 3a+bill Sur.e+ Data) 2010) (%ll version " Accessed Ca' 1, 2012#)
? 9#rface Trans'ortation oard. 3a+bill A&&ual Reort) 2010) (%ll version " Accessed Ca' 1, 2012#)
=,R) Rail4li&e""() . IT+) Ida(oRail"() ORN!) *c15."()
!,R) Rail4li&e""() . IT+) Ida(oRail"() ORN!) *c15."()
8mtrak) A#trak Ida(o State Fact S(eet" 2010 a&d 2011) Atra$ 9overnent Affairs) 2010, 2011)
Bn-line"Accessed April 12, 2012#)
10En%ironmental 9ystems Research Instit#te 5E9RI7) ario%s topographic and planietric data)
6ariou") Bnline via SRI ArcCap we& services %sing interactive apping application "Accessed: Ca'
1/, 2012#)
11) ,ederal Railroad dministration 5,R7$
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20mtrak) Nort( %oa"t )ia*at(a Stud+ la&)
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33!e%inson$ :. Eco&o#ic De.elo#e&t I#act" o )ig(8Seed Rail) 7o 0000=2:
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Section 2 Idahos Rail System
2.1 Freight RailRail transportation is vital to the growth of important sectors of the Idahos economy. Two of Idahos
most important industries remain agribusiness and the extraction of raw materials which rely on rail
service. The two sectors are still vastly important, as approximately 60 of all freight rail tonnage
generated within Idaho are related to agricultural or food products, while at least !! pertain to raw
materials." #ccording to the $nion %acific Railroad &ompany '$%RR(, the top five commodities by
volume both shipped and received on their Idaho trains were either related to agricultural products or
raw materials.! The geography and profile of the states rail networ), which began to ta)e shape in the
"*+0s, during a territorial farming and mining boom, reflects this legacy. ocal rail lines were
established in areas of high agricultural or mineral yield with the design to get Idahos resources to the
transcontinental rail networ) and into the mar)et.
The importance of the agribusiness and raw materials processing sectors can be seen in the dispersal of
the states rail networ), especially in southern Idaho where the agriculturally productive lands of the
-na)e River %lain, agic /alley, and Treasure /alley are found. ne of $%RRs transcontinental railways
travels across the state from the foot of the 1rand Tetons to northwest of 2oise. #cross the -na)e River
%lain, several feeder lines extend off the main $%RR line into dairy, wheat and potato producing areas.
In the Treasure /alley, feeder lines peel away from the $%RR main to serve the areas onion growing
regions, as well as other industries including manufacturing. 3ey mining concerns also have rail service
in this part of the state. # cluster of phosphate mines north of -oda -prings, for example, are served by
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and from barges and can effectuate railtowater transfers of containers with its crane.
7arther north, one of the transcontinental lines for the 25-7 Railway &ompany '25-7( railroad crosses
the states panhandle, the 1reat 5orthern &orridor. 8istorically, 25-7s 1reat 5orthern &orridor is oneof the more important rail lines in the country.6 The line provides a direct lin) to %uget -ound and
&hicago from northern Idaho, although less than * of all freight on the 25-7 1reat 5orthern &orridor
either originates or terminates in Idaho.+ ost freight trains on this line represent through traffic which
originated, and is destined for, points outside of the state. #lso located in northern Idaho are the
remnants of the countrys first northern transcontinental railroad, which was built by the 5orthern
%acific Railroad '5%(. The 1reat 5orthern &orridor sits in the 5%s old alignment southwest of
-andpoint. The ontana Rail in) uses the 5% route along the &lar) 7or) River east of -andpoint intoontana. The impetus for both transcontinental lines was not to bring rail service to Idaho, but to
connect the 9est &oast with the idwest. The local economies have benefitted from the lines
proximity by connecting to the system via short line operations serving farming and mining industries.
%ublic documents and available data were used to assign rail ownership and trac)age rights across the
networ) for analysis. In some cases, trac) ownership is difficult to determine, and official filings with the
7R# and documents from the railroad companies were examined to understand the relationship
between railroad operators and the existence of often contradictory information. 7or example, to
closely examine the available records to discern the fate of two former $%RR lines in the Treasure /alley
? the 9ilder 2ranch line and the 2oise &utff ? the =! " miles of trac) from these lines in the heart of
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Figure 2-1. Idaho Rail Network by Track Ownership
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Figure 2-2. Abandoned Rail ines
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Table 2-1. Idaho Railroad Mileage and Trackage Rights 11
Trackage Owned (mi.) Trackage Rights (mi.)
BNSF Railway Company 118.4 457.9
BNSF sub tot. Transcontinental 101.1 101.1
Union aci!ic Railroad (URR) 877.4 1,520.4
UPRR sub tot. Transcontinental 438 438
Class I sub tot. Transcontinental 53.! 53.!
Class " Total ##$.% &'#%.
*ontana Rail +ink (*R+) 33.5 82Class "" Total .$ %,
Bo-nti!-l rain and Craig *o-ntain Railroad (BC*) 126.6 128.2
St. *aries Ri/er Railroad (ST*0) 72.3 72.3
Class III sub tot. S"itc#in$%Ter&inal Railroa's 18. (00.5
Boise 1alley Railroad (B1RR) 42.1 60.6
2astern "daho Railroad (2"RR) 264.5 266.1
reat Northwest Railroad (NRR) 4.3 4.3
"daho Northern and aci!ic Railroad ("NR) 101.3 157.8end Oreille 1alley Railroad (O10) 25.7 28.7
United States o/ernment (US) 24.3 24.3
3ashington 4 "daho Railway (3"R) 19.1 19.1
Class III sub tot. )ocal Railroa's 481.3 5!0.
Class """ Total 5%6., 761.4
Total "daho Track &'6#.$
Class I Railroads
The maAority of the ",+0@.> miles of active trac) in Idaho are owned by maAor $.-. railroad operators, or
&lass I railroads These $ - railroads are defined by their transcontinental scope and more specifically
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$%RR operates one of the states two transcontinental rail lines, the 5orthwest &orridor. The lineconnects the %ort of %ortland and western 9ashington %orts, via the &olumbia River 1orge, to &hicago.
#s a result, the $%RR 5orthwest &orridor is a vitally important line for the nations rail networ) and for
Idahos economy.
The 5orthwest &orridor enters the western portion of the state near 9eiser and roughly follows the
-na)e River across the state into the 2ear River /alley southeast of %ocatello, then follows the 2ear
River = %lans to lengthen some sidings have been proposed, along with corridorwide improvements,
such as a second main line on the %ocatello -ubdivision at Topa;."6,"+ Traffic on the 5orthwest &orridor
is challenged with navigating grade changes and tight canyon lands in the southeast corner of the state,
including a tight switchbac) at ava 8ot -prings.
The 5orthwest &orridor carries doublestac) containers, many destined for 9est &oast ports and foreignmar)ets or toward &hicago and domestic distribution, but none are loaded or unloaded on $%RRs
system in Idaho."* #ccording to $%RR, the three lines see an average of seven intermodal trains per day
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its routes funnels into the $%RR ontana -ubdivision. -outh of %ocatello, the $%RR gden -ubdivisioncarries mostly manifest mixedorder trains between the -alt a)e /alley in $tah and Idaho. # summary
of $%RRs networ) in Idaho is provided in Table 2-2.
Table 2-2. !nion "aci#ic Railroad $o%pany Network21
URRS-7di/ision
*i. in "8 Termin-s Termin-s Snapshot
07erdeen 28.3 Aberdeen Rockford Agricultural product
Cache 1alley 8.3 !reton "#$%& 'order Agricultural product
Coe-r d90lene"nd-strial
2.3 (oeur d)Alene*unction
+eele -pur Abandoned ot of line in 2008/ nocutoer
8ry 1alley 26.5 -oda -pring #r alle !opate
:-ntington 71.7 "#$R -tate ine apa ortet (orridor trancon/&reaure alle indutrie andagribuine
"daho Northern"nd-strial +ead 5.8 apa iddleton -erice (al!ortland (o. read iconcrete facilit
*alad 14.1 alad (it "#$%& 'order bargoed/ not counted in actierail line total
*ontana 131.6 "#$& -tate ine !ocatello $- route, ued b local agconcern
Nampa 238.6 apa !ocatello ortet (orridor trancon.Ogden 48.9 c(aon "#$%& -tate ine $- route, connect to -alt ake
(itocatello 124.3 !ocatello "#$:; -tate ine ortet (orridor trancon.
Sco/ille 31.3 'lackfoot " "dao ational ab.
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border facilitate the interchange between the $%RR system and the &anadian %acific Railroads '&%(3ingsgate -ubdivision. #pproximately => miles northeast, the &% line lin)s to &anadas original
transcontinental line at &ranbroo), with connections at /ancouver, 2& and east at the -t. awrence
-eaway. The $%RR -po)ane -ubdivision averages eight trains per day, the fourth busiest $%RR line in
Idaho. 8alf of the daily trains are manifest trains, while three trains carry bul) materials, and one
handles local traffic. %ortions of the subdivision consist of a single trac) main line with a nonsignal
based traffic control system, both factors that reduce operational capacity. Recogni;ing this, $%RR
spent an estimated B"0.@ million on trac) improvements for the -po)ane -ubdivision, specifically from#thol to Eastport during the summer !0"!. The proAect will replace aging ties, install more ballast for
trac) stability, and resurface do;ens of atgrade crossings.!!
$%RR also operates on an additional seven active short lines and one embargoed line. 5one of these
lines, with the exception of the 4ry /alley line in southeast Idaho, carry more than one train per day and
all are singletrac)ed and operating under nonsignali;ed traffic control. The 4ry /alley -ubdivision
travels into the mountains northeast of -oda -prings to service phosphate mining sites and mills. therlines include the &ache /alley -ubdivision, which terminates in %reston. The line proceeds south into
$tah, through the city of ogan, and connects to the $%RR gden -ubdivision at &ache, following the
2ear River around the northern promontory of the 9asatch ountains. # parallel line on the west side
of the $%RR gden -ubdivision ? the alad -ubdivision ? lin)s the farming community of alad to the
$%RR main line farther south at 2righam &ity. This line is embargoed due to weight restrictions.
The $%RR -coville -ubdivision serves the Idaho 5ational aboratory 'I5(, a government research center
northwest of Idaho 7alls. The trac)s entering the I5 facility are owned by the federal government but
$%RR has trac)age rights. # feeder line for the -coville -ubdivision is the $%RR #berdeen -ubdivision,
which serves the agribusiness concerns on the northeastern shore of the #merican 7alls Reservoir The
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5orthern &orridor in the %anhandle of northern Idaho presently carries little local freight, its presenceprovides potential access for 5orth Idaho industries to mar)ets anywhere in the world.
Table 2-&. 'N(F Railway $o%pany Network2)
The 25-7 1reat 5orthern &orridor runs in the alignment of the 5orthern %acific Railroad
transcontinental railroad. 5orth of -andpoint, the alignment is that of the former 1reat 5orthernRailways transcontinental railroad. 25-7 has also constructed a double trac) main over nearly half of
the subdivisions Idaho extent, plus seven passing sidings. 25-7s improvements have driven the lines
trac) rating to &lass =!6for much of its length, which means that freight trains can travel at a maximum
speed of 60 mph, while #mtra) passenger trains can travel a maximum speed of +@ mph. There are
several gradeseparated crossings including two on the $%RRs -po)ane -ubdivision. The line also
includes centrali;ed traffic control '&T&( signali;ation. The rail lines infrastructure and geography allow
25-7 to run an average of =* trains per day over the 1reat 5orthern &orridor southwest of -andpoint. !+
The 1reat 5orthern &orridor line northeast of -andpoint is not certified by the railway to handle large
BNSF Corridors *i. in "8 Termin-s Termin-s Snapshot
Coe-r d90leneS-7di/ision
12.7 >auer ;ard (oeur d)Alene e tan one dail train to?fro(oeur d)Alene/ eigt retricted
reat NorthernCorridor
101.1 -tate ine "#$& 'order @ootenai -pokane -ubdiiion/ork in concert it te R.
NewportS-7di/ision
4.5 -andpoint *ct. #oer (onnect it %!RR, R, !A
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4ivision with office head:uarters in -eattle.Class II Railroads
&lass II Railroads, often referred to as regional railroads, are those with operating revenue of B
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including dairy industry feedsHproducts and growers and pac)agers of sugar beets, potatoes, andbeans.".< miles of trac) in a spider web
of lines serving the agricultural interests of the agic /alley, including the city of Twin 7alls, and the
regional towns of Ferome, 2urley, 2uhl, and 9endell. These lines funnel into a connection with the
$%RR 5ampa -ubdivision at inidon)a. EIRR has trac)age rights for part of the distance between the
two networ)s, between inidon)a and %ocatello.
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Idaho &orthern and aci!ic Railroadperating "0".< miles of trac) on old $%RR line in Idaho along the %ayette River, the Idaho 5orthern and
%acific Railroad 'I5%R( serves timber industries north of the Treasure /alley region. Its single Idaho rail
line, called the &ascade 2ranch, connects to the $%RR 8untington -ubdivision at %ayette on the regon
border and terminates in the -awtooth Range at &ascade. The movement of timber goods and most
train traffic has been curtailed largely due to the closure of the 2oise &ascade sawmill in &ascade in
!00", concluding a series of timber facilities along the route.=> The I5%R now operates a tourist train
called the Thunder ountain ine on the route=6
and some freight trains, moving !,+0* carloads on theline in !0"".=+
The railroad is a subsidiary of the Rio 1rande %acific &orporation but has its local operations based out
of Emmitt.=* The railroad operations additional freight lines in regon but recently relin:uished its lease
on $%RR branch lines in the Treasure /alley. The 2/RR now operates those lines.
St. Maries Ri,er Railroad
The -t. aries River Railroad '-T#( is classified as a &lass III switching and terminal railroad.
#pproximately miles north of the 21&, the +!.0
The -T# includes a "@mile main line between -t. aries and %lummer, on the &oeur d#leneReservation, and a >
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and &ottonwood partially along apwai &ree), and a +>.>mile line at water grade along the &learwaterRiver from 3oos)ia toward ewiston.>= %rospects for resumption of service to &ottonwood were dimmed
when a wooden trestle north of 9inchester was destroyed by a brush fire in !0"".
end reille +alley Railroad
The %end reille /alley Railroad '%/#( originally did not serve Idaho. The original line from etaline to
5ewport, along the %end reille River, served timber and raw material processors in 9ashington and
was operated by the ilwau)ee Road. 9hen the ilwau)ee Road filed to abandon the line in "@+@, the
citi;ens of %end reille &ounty decided to save the railroad ? and the local businesses dependent upon
its service ? by forming a port authority to continue operations.>>
The %ort of %end reille still owns the line but was forced to expand into Idaho as a hedge against a
faltering local economy. Through a series of leases and trac)age rights exchanges with 25-7, the
railroad now stretches to 4over over the old 1reat 5orthern Railroad transcontinental alignment. 5ear
-andpoint, the line terminates at the core routes of three maAor railroad companies ? the 25-7s 1reat
5orthern &orridor, the $%RRs -po)ane -ubdivision, and the ontana Rail in)s 7ourth -ubdivision.
The %/# operates !>.+ miles of trac) in Idaho between -andpoint Function and the 9ashington state
line, including service to %riest River, I4. -even regular shippers are listed on %/#s website and the
port operates a tourist train.>6
United States *o,ernmentThe federal government owns !=.< miles of trac) on government property inside the boundaries of two
highsecurity facilities in southern Idaho ? the Idaho 5ational aboratory 'I5( northwest of Idaho 7alls
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Figre 2-0. Idaho Short line Rail &et'ork
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Figure 2-*+ Idaho Rail Inter%odal,Transload Network
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Total TrainsThe average number of daily trains on each &lass I line was analy;ed based on information from 25-7
and $%RR. Train volume values for the &lass II and &lass III lines were generated by using a combination
of railroad company data, &lass I company data, federal and local data, and railroad crossing data from
the 7ederal Railroad #dministration. #s Figure 2-) illustrates, the busiest corridor in the state is in
northern Idaho, where the 25-7 1reat 5orthern &orridor handles transcontinental traffic between the
9est &oast and &hicago. The corridor also contains the ontana Rail in)s 7ourth -ubdivision, which
wor)s in concert with the 25-7 1reat 5orthern &orridor, and the $%RRs international service to &anadavia the -po)ane -ubdivision.
The $%RR 5orthwest &orridor operates a large number of trains, as does its northsouth core service in
the state on the $%RR gden and ontana -ubdivisions. # maAority of the short lines see less than a
few daily trains, with the exception of portions the EIRR lines from Rupert to inidon)a and in central
Idaho 7alls, the 2/RR, and %end reille /alley line west of -andpoint.
oble Stacking and imensional Shi"mentsThe double stac)ing of containers on trains is an ability to stac) an intermodal container atop another to
provide a rail operator more efficiency, better car ride :uality, and greater cargo capacity. # variety of
doublestac)ed cars and dimensional cargo shipments 'such as heavy e:uipment, certain wind turbine
components, etc( exist but not every )ind of doublestac)ed intermodal car and dimensional cargo can
be accommodated on every line due to hori;ontal, vertical, or weight restrictions. These restrictions are
most li)ely found on older rail lines or railroads which travel through mountainous terrain or have
tunnels.66
Each line was examined to determine its ability to accommodate different doublestac)ed containeri;ed
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Figre 2-4. Idaho Rail &et'ork +olme3 5,erage Trains "er ay
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Figure 2-. Idaho Rail Network /ouble-(tack Inter%odal $apability by ine
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operations, &lass I railroads began purchasing the new cars. The trend toward heavier rolling stoc)accelerated in the "@@0s when the &lass I railroads began ordering almost exclusively !*6,000 pound
cars, which were almost !0,000 pounds heavier than most of the existing stoc).
In addition to the capital outlay for the new cars, rail infrastructure needed to be upgraded to
accommodate the added, constant weight. 2ridges, culverts, rails, ties, ballast, and switches on some
lines re:uired retrofitting. $nable to upgrade their system to meet the need for !*6,000 pound cars,
some short lines began to restrict the cars from their networ)s for safety concerns until improvements
could be made. i)ewise, &lass I railroads had to bar the heavyaxle rails cars from certain feeder lines
and then plan to upgrade their trac). This pattern has persisted through the current push toward
,000 pound rail cars could hurtthe bottom line over time if a short line extracts fees from the connecting &lass I railroad based on car
delivery, not tonnage. Thus, having a rail networ) capable of handling cars with the maximum gross
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Sa!etyRailroad accident data are collected by state departments of transportation, the 7ederal Railroad
#dministration '7R#(, and the #merican #ssociation of Railroads. %roblematic railhighway grade
crossings and accidentprone rail lines were identified. utofdate, in some instances decades old, data
made analysis difficult, but crossings where the accident prediction formula had been recalculated
within the last two years were targeted for analysis.iv This database subset was used to identify the !>
most problematic railhighway crossings in Idaho, all of which had a predicted annual crash fre:uency of
roughly 0.0> yearly crashes or greater, which is well above the standard deviation.+>
#dditionally,analysts identified from the 7R# database the six crossings that experienced multiple accidents since
!00*. -ee Table 2-)for a list of these crossings. It should be noted that, because of the low number of
annual trainvehicle accidents occurring, the accident prediction formula typically rates those crossings
with a high rating resulting in a changing in high ratings each year.
Table 2-). Rail-6ighway $rossings with ultiple Accidents (ince 2778
City Road Railroad =ears 3ith0ccidents
redicted0ccidents>=ear
Comments
arwood (ilco Rd %!RR-pokane
2008, 2009 0.13 (roing ?ort containentarea beteen to road
*inidonka 600 at Rd %!RR apa 2009, 2011 0.09 Agricultural area
Nampa 11t Ae.
ort t.
'RR 'oie
(ut$ff
2009, 2010 0.04 o$angle croing it
ultiple pur track
ost Falls >aden Ae %!RR-pokane
2008
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Figre 2-6. Idaho Rail &et'ork3 Rail Sa!ety
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trainvehicle accidents at the ",!@+ public railhighway grade crossings in the past several years. #maAority of the trainvehicle accidents resulted only in property damage. -ome trainvehicle accidents
occurred at crossing with active warning devices such as bells, lights, and gates.
Rail Tra!!ic ro!iles
The emphasis of Idahos railroad operations is twofold "( the transcontinental system moving mostly
containeri;ed goods or singleunit trains through the stateD and !( the feeder lines for that system,
which connects Idahos agricultural products and raw materials to the transcontinental system for
delivery anywhere in the world. The profile of Idahos freight rail traffic confirms the networ) analysis.
ost of Idahos freight rail traffic consists of through movements. #ccording to !0"0 &arload 9aybill
-ample '92( data from the -urface Transportation 2oard '-T2(, *+ of all Idaho freight tonnage moving
through the state neither originates nor terminates in Idaho.+* This amounts to "0",000 )ilotons of
freight in !0"0 and, as described in Tables 2-and 2-0, *< of the states @= daily trains. Traffic which
either originates or terminates in Idaho each encompass roughly > of all freight tonnage, with intra
local traffic comprising !, reflecting the poor rail connectivity between northern Idaho and thesouthern valleys. This means that @* of all freight traveling via rail in Idaho is moving either through,
into, or out of the state.+@
Carload ,s. Intermodal Tra!!ic
In addition to the origins and destinations of Idaho rail freight, the 92 provides a glimpse of the types of
freight service railroads provide. 4etermining the service type can help to distinguish bul) from
intermodal rail traffic, information which gives rail planners powerful tools. The four service type
categories include
#uto -ervice. The delivery of automobiles via speciali;ed intermodal auto rail cars called auto
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f the "=,*"> )ilotons of goods not classified as through freight, general merchandise accounted for"",>6! )ilotons of nonthrough freight in !0"0, or about +*. -even of nine nonthrough trains involve
the shipment of general merchandise.
The methodology used to calculate daily trains involves using two sources The number of cars or
intermodal units by train service typeD and carloads from the 92 were divided by these factors to get
number of loaded trains annually. In order to account for empty trains, analysts multiplied by an empty
load factor from the $R&- for !00@ wor)tables, this generated a factor of ".*"*"+ for total freight
traffic. 7inally, analysts multiplied the loaded train numbers with this factor, and then divided by
days to come up with daily trains. The results are depicted in Table 2-, which shows rail traffic in
)ilotons, and Table 2-0, which shows rail traffic in daily trains.
Table 2-. Rail Tra##ic by (er9ice Type by o9e%ent 2717 Tons :777;so Thr-
Cereal rains (incl-ding seed) 1,409 54 1,231 24,161 26,855 23C 18C
Coal 502 15,781 16,283 14C 3C
Other 0gric-lt-ral rod-cts' e;cept!or 0nimal Feed
272 465 15,431 16,168 14C 5C
*i;ed Freight 03 02 12,008 12,012 10C 0C
3ood rod-cts 76 46 932 5,102 6,156 5C 7C
0nimal Feed and rod-cts o! 0nimalOrigin' n.e.c.
730 160 4,997 5,887 5C 6C
Basic Chemicals 920 12 167 3,809 4,909 4C 7C
FertiliAers 416 12 755 3,427 4,610 4C 8C
Other repared Foodst-!!s' and Fatsand Oils
214 66 1,085 2,392 3,757 3C 9C
Non*etallic *inerals' n.e.c. 221 2,140 67 900 3,329 3C 16C
-lp Newsprint aper and 273 196 1 712 2 181 2C 3C
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2.2 Passenger Rail
Historical Context for Passenger Rail in Idaho
Railroads were vital to the economy and development of settlements in Idaho during the late
nineteenth century. The first transcontinental railroad was completed in 1869, and bypassed southern
Idaho altogether and instead ran through yoming, !tah, and "evada. #uring the 18$%s, the state&s
closest freight depot was in 'elton, !tah, and the road to 'elton was well traveled by freight wagonsand stage coaches for several years.
hen !nion (acific completed its )regon *hort +ine through Idaho in 188, -oise was ecluded from
the route. -ecause -oise lay in a valley creating operating problems for trains, the tiny town of 'una
was the nearest connection point for visitors to -oise. /ventually, Idaho 0entral Railroad built a branch
line to connect 0aldwell and "ampa with -oise, reuiring trains to bac2 up the entire 3% miles from
"ampa.
In 1934, the first passenger train arrived in -oise. In 198, si passenger trains stopped each day at the
-oise #epot. 5ollowing completion of the interstate highway system in the 196%s, train ridership
nationwide steadily declined. -oise&s mtra2 service was discontinued in 199$ when mtra2 ended the
(ioneer service.
Railroads that have served the *tate of Idaho with passenger rail service since the mid718%%&s are
described below and illustrated in Figure 2-9.
Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad
The ilwau2ee Road officially the 0hicago ilwau2ee *t (aul and (acific Railroad 0*t(:( RR;
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ontana, to @a2ima, ashington, via (asco, ashington. The division encompassed 1,13> route milesA66 in main line trac2s, and 64$ in branch line trac2s.
The "orth 0oast +imitedwas operated by the "orthern (acific Railway between 0hicago and *eattle. It
commenced service on pril 39, 19%%, and ceased operation the day before mtra2 began service in
pril 19$1.84
Figure 2-9. History of Railroad in Idaho
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yakima,_Washingtonhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pasco,_Washingtonhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Coast_Limitedhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Coast_Limitedhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pasco,_Washingtonhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yakima,_Washington -
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reat Northern RailwayThe =reat "orthern Railway began in *eptember 1889, and ran from +a2e *uperior at #uluth and
inneapolisB*t. (aul west through "orth #a2ota, ontana, and "orthern Idaho to ashington *tate,
on to /verett and *eattle, . The /mpire -uilder, the top transcontinental passenger train of the line,
began operating daily service between 0hicago and the (acific coast in 1939. The /mpire -uilder set an
all7time record passenger ridership in 194, with over 1.> million passenger miles.8$
Idaho Interur!an and Streetcar Railroads
*ince the early 19%%s, Idaho has been home to about 1>> miles of interurbans and four systems that
served the state directlyC the -oise Dalley Traction 0ompanyA *andpoint : Interurban RailwayA +ewiston7
0lar2ston Transit 0ompanyA and the 0aldwell7Traction 0ompany. Idaho was also served by the *po2ane,
0oeur d?lene : (alouse that etended from eastern ashington to western Idaho. The state&s first
system did not open until 19%9.88 Interurban and streetcar railroads that have operated in Idaho from
the early 19%%&s are described below.
"oise Interur!an Railway
The -oise Interurban Railway was part of >47mile system which served -oise, 0aldwell, "ampa, ilder
and c"eil. The Railway was the northern etension of a loop system connecting the towns along the
-oise River, while the -oise Dalley Railway completed the southern section. -oth systems became part
of the Idaho Railway +ight : (ower 0ompany in 1913, and in 1914, became 2nown as -oise Dalley
Traction 0ompany. The Railway was abandoned 1938.89
"oise #alley $raction Co%&anyThe -oise Dalley Traction 0ompany was the successor to the -oise Interurban Railway, and consisted of
two lines etending from -oise on each side of the -oise River. northern line served 0aldwell, and a
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Sand&oint ' Interur!an RailwayThe *andpoint : Interurban Railway began operation in 19%9, and eventually built a 47mile system
connecting *andpoint and 'ootenai. It was abandoned in 191$.91
Source: City of Sandpoint
Caldwell $raction Co%&any
The 0aldwell Traction 0ompany began in 191>, and served areas west of 0aldwell including c"eil, +a2e
+owell, and ilder. The operation included both freight and passenger service. It was abandoned in
193.93
History of (%trak Ser)ice in Idaho
http://www.sandpoint.com/Community/images/history/streetcar2a.jpghttp://www.aar.org/PubCommon/Documents/AboutTheIndustry/RRState_ID.pdf -
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PioneerThe (ioneer began service in Fune 19$$, initially operating as a *eattle to *alt +a2e 0ity train. This
restored passenger service to southern Idaho.9 In 1991, mtra2 shifted the (ioneer?s routing in order
to restore service to yoming. The train ran as a section of the 0alifornia Hephyr only between 0hicago
and #enver. In #enver, the westbound (ioneer train split off from the Hephyr and ran north to
yoming, then west to )gden, then along its established route north through Idaho and west to
(ortland and *eattle.94 In 199>, mtra2 reduced the (ioneer to three days per wee2 service in Idaho
and all other points west of #enver. The service changes led to a significant drop in ridership. The routewas discontinued in 199$.96
Figure 1-10. History of Amtrak Servie - Idaho
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*%&ire "uilderThe /mpire -uilder service began in 1939, and ran between the (acific "orthwest and *t. (aul,
innesota on the =reat "orthern. The new train was named in honor of railroad tycoon Fames F. Gill,
2nown during his life as 1, the
/mpire -uilder was rerouted, and given a faster running time of 46748 hours. In 19$, the train had a 4
hour schedule between 0hicago and *eattle.
In 1966, the /mpire -uilder was slowed between *t. (aul and (ortland to match the slower running time
of the "orth 0oast +imited service. In 19$9, freuency of the /mpire -uilder was further reduced to
three days per wee2. In 1983, The /mpire -uilder began a seasonal daily operation.98
In 1994, mtra2 reduced the freuency of the /mpire -uilder to four times per wee2 west of *t. (aul.
)n the days that the /mpire -uilder did not operate, the (ioneer service ran on a tri7wee2ly schedule
via )maha, #enver, +aramie, and -oise. In 199$, the /mpire -uilder began operating on a daily
schedule between 0hicago and *eattle via northern Idaho with a stop in *andpoint. 99 The /mpire-uilder celebrated its $4th nniversary, Fune 11, 3%%.
*xisting Ser)ices
(%trak in the +.S.
mtra2 operates a nationwide rail networ2, serving more than 4%% destinations in 6 states and three
0anadian provinces on more than 31,1%% miles of routes, with more than 3%,%%% employees see Figure
2-11;.
igure 2- *xisting (%trak Syste%
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mtra2 operates 14 long distance trains on a national networ2 of routes ranging in length from $6 to3,>8 miles. It is the nation?s only high speed intercity passenger rail provider, operating nearly 4% of
its trains at top speeds in ecess of 9% mph.1%%
*ince 3%%%, ridership on mtra2 has grown by >6. mtra2 has also wor2ed to improve mericans with
#isabilities ct #; compliance at over 1%% stations. In 5@ 3%1%, mtra2 earned approimately J3.41
billion in revenue and incurred approimately J>.$ billion in epense. In 3%%9, mtra2&s farebo
recovery percentage of operating costs covered by revenues generated by passenger fares; was the
highest reported for any !.*. passenger railroad.1%1
Ridership
*ince 3%%%, mtra2 ridership is up nearly percent. In 3%1%, mtra2 carried nearly 39 million riders
all7 time record; across the country using 1,418 passenger cars and 49 locomotives. In 3%11, 36 of
mtra2 services set all7time ridership recordsA and seven mtra2 routes carried more than one million
passengers, up from five routes in 3%1%. )verall ridership in 3%11 was 4.1 percent better than fiscal
year 3%1%.1%3 s shown in Figure 2-12!ridership has been increasing, from 3%.9 million in 3%%% to >%.3million in 3%11.1%>
Financial Performance
#espite records in both revenue and ridership, mtra2&s operating loss for fiscal year 3%11 was J>$.6
million 9.% percent; greater than its operating loss for fiscal year 3%1%. The actual operating loss that
resulted was J1%. million 18.6 percent; less than proKected. The year7over7year increase in operating
loss was due primarily to increased ependitures on salaries, wages, and benefits, while the less7than7budgeted operating loss was due mostly to greater7than7epected tic2et revenue.1%
R f fi l 3%11 t t l d J3 $ billi J199 1 illi b tt th f 3%1% Th
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one percent. In fiscal year 3%14, mtra2 proKects that improvement initiatives will increase their costrecovery ratio by approimately a one7third of one percent.1%$
(%trak in Idaho
In Idaho, the only current passenger rail service is mtra2&s /mpire -uilder. It operates on the -"*5
Railway on the =reat "orthern main line, entering Idaho near oyie *prings, stopping in *andpoint, and
continuing southwest to *po2ane see Figure 2-12;. *ervice is available twice daily, with the westbound
train departing *andpoint at 11C9 p.m., and the eastbound train departing at 3C>4 a.m.1%8 )n7time
performance for the /mpire -uilder is $6.3 over the past twelve months. (rimary causes of delays
include trac2 and signals >1.6;, train interference >1.3;, and operational issues 3%.>;.1%9
Figure 2-12. Amtrak Ridershi" F# 2000-2011
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The /mpire -uilder operates over -"*5&s =reat "orthern 0orridor while in Idaho and mtra2 hastrac2age rights for all of the line&s 1%1.6 Idaho miles. This constitutes all of mtra2&s presence in Idaho,
although proposals have been made to develop new mtra2 services for southern Idaho. /ast7west
service proposals include lin2ing -oise with (ortland, (ocatello with (ortland, or @ellowstone "ational
(ar2 with (ortland. "orth7south service ideas include connecting *alt +a2e 0ity with (ocatello or
@ellowstone via (ocatello and Idaho 5alls.111
Figure 2-1$. %m"ire &uilder Route
Source: Amtra
(%trak "oardings and (lightings
f l 2 d b d d l h b d d l b d d
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Figure 2-1$. Idaho Amtrak Servie
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*andpoint&s station was built in 1916. It is the oldest former "orthern (acific Railway "(; depot inIdaho, and the only passenger depot still in active use in the stateLand one of only a few nationwide
that remains in operation. The station was listed on the "ational Register of Gistoric (laces in 19$>.
0ontinued deterioration of the building led to the closure of the waiting room in Fune 3%%9. s a result,
passengers can only use an adKacent platform.
In the early 3%%%s, the building&s future was uncertain as planning progressed for a reroute of Interstate
94 that was to move the highway out of the congested downtown and onto the peninsula between +a2e
(end )reille and *and 0ree2 where the depot is located. The *and 0ree2 -yway bridge structure has
been constructed, with the grand opening planned for the summer of 3%13. 11 In the fall of 3%11,
mtra2, the 0ity of *andpoint, and -"*5 agreed to 2eep the stop at its current location. The structure is
planned to be rehabilitated using the funds that the IT# originally gave to -"*5. The waiting room will
reopen to passengers, and a portion of the interior could be rented for commercial or office use.
mtra2 also plans to build an #7compliant concrete platform with tactile edging.
References
1Freight Railroads in Idaho. American Association of Railroads#ashington, #.0. pril 3%11.
3'nion (aifi in Idaho. 'nion Pacific Railroad Company#)maha, "ebras2a. arch 3%13.
>Five-#ear Strategi (lan. Port of eiston#+ewiston, Idaho, 3%%4. M)nlineN ccessedC ay 1, 3%13;.
)reat *orth+est Railroad. atco 0ompanies. M)nlineN ccessedC ay 1, 3%13;.
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Idaho Statewide Rail Plan Key No. 13334
11FRA. Rail*lines+s,p. A I,. da,oRail+s,p.A 4R*. c$4v+s,p.
13FRA. Rail*lines+s,p. A I,. da,oRail+s,p.A 4R*. c$4v+s,p.
1>FRA. Rail*lines+s,p. A I,. da,oRail+s,p.A 4R*. c$4v+s,p.
1'nion (aifi in Idaho. 'nion Pacific Railroad Company#)maha, "ebras2a.
14'( Information for Idaho Rail (lan. 'P da,o State Rail Plan Response (520$2)+pdf. ay 1, 3%13.
'nion Pacific Railroad Company#)maha, "ebras2a. M pdfN.
16Idaho State Rail (lan Union Pacific Capacity Development 2012+. 'nion Pacific Railroad Company#
)maha, "ebras2a. pril 1%, 3%11.
1$. 'nion (aifi Railroad Invests 62$.1 7illion for ,rak Im"rovements in Idaho. 'nion Pacific
Railroad Company#)maha, "ebras2a. M)nlineN Fune 3%, 3%11. ccessed ay 1, 3%13;.
18'( Information for Idaho Rail (lan. 'P da,o State Rail Plan Response (520$2)+pdf.
19'nion (aifi Average aily ,rains 8 2012 1. 'P da,o Avera.e 7aily rains ($ 20$2)+pdf. ay 1,
3%13. 'nion Pacific Railroad Company#)maha, "ebras2a. M0itedC ay 1, 3%13.N pdf file format.
3%'nion (aifi Average aily ,rains 8 2012 1. 'P da,o Avera.e 7aily rains ($ 20$2)+pdf.
31 'nion (aifi Average aily ,rains 8 2012 1. 'P da,o Avera.e 7aily rains ($ 20$2)+p9 FRA.
Rail*lines+s,p. A I,. da,oRail+s,p.A 4R*. c$4v+s,p.
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Idaho Statewide Rail Plan Key No. 13334
3$&*SF Rail+ay /om"any ,rains (er ay 8 7ain Routes! 2010 Su5division Average.
rain*Count*20$0+pdf. 5eburary 18, 3%11. &S1 Railay Company#5ort orth, Teas. ccessedC ay
1, 3%13;.
38&*SF Rail+ay /learane Restritions for Auto7a>! ou5le Stak ? Hi,rievel /ars.
7lSt*and*3evel+pdf. *eptember 3%%9. &S1 Railay Company#5ort orth, Teas. ccessedC ay
1, 3%13;.
39&*SF Rail+ay /om"any ,rains (er ay 8 7ain Routes! 2010 Su5division Average.
rain*Count*20$0+pdf.
>%AAR Railin %m5argo System 7a". American Association of Railroads#ashington, #.0. M)nlineN
ay, 3%13;A &*SF A5andonments in the State of Idaho! 1993 to ate. &S1 Railay Company#5ort
orth, Teas, 3%13 ccessedC ay 1, 3%13;A &*SF ,rain erails *ear @hitefish! /loses *orthern
Route. ;elena ndependentRecord# Gelena, ont+ M)nlineN ccessedC ay 1, 3%13;.
>1&*SF Rail+ay /om"any 4"erating ivision Alignment. 7ivision*Ali.nment*April20$$+pdf. pril 6,
3%11. &S1 Railay Company#5ort orth, Teas. ccessedC ay 1, 3%13;.
>3&*SF. /7mail from 0olleen eatherford to aureen =resham. Fanuary 11, 3%1>.
>>7R 7a" and Stations. -ontana Rail in, issoula, ontana. M)nlineN ccessedC ay 1, 3%13;.
>FRA. Rail*lines+s,p. A I,. da,oRail+s,p.A 4R*. c$4v+s,p.
>4&*SF Rail+ay /om"any ,rains (er ay 8 7ain Routes! 2010 Su5division Average.
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Idaho Statewide Rail Plan Key No. 13334
3&oise Balley Railroad &BRR 21. 'nion Pacific Railroad Company# )maha, "eb. M)nlineN ccessedC
ay 1, 3%13;.
>Idaho Short ine Bolumes. !( Idaho *hort +ine Dolumes. MpdfN.
&oise Balley Railroad. atco 0ompanies. M)nlineN ccessedC ay 1, 3%13;.
4
Idaho *orthern ? (aifi Railroad $$1. 'nion Pacific Railroad Company# )maha, "eb. M)nlineNccessedC ay 1, 3%13;A Re"ort to the Idaho State egislature 5y the Rail ,rans"ortation Advisory
)rou" in Res"onse to House /onurrent Resolution 1; of the 2001 Idaho egislature. da,o
7epartment of Commerce# Pro. M)nlineN
ccessedC ay 1, 3%13;.
$Idaho Short ine Bolumes. 'P da,o S,ort ine =olumes+pdf.
8Idaho *orthern and (aifi Railroad /om"any. Rio >rande Pacific Corporation, 5ort orth, Teas.
M)nlineN ccessedC ay 1, 3%13;.
9St. 7aries River Railroad 8 Servies. St+ -aries River Railroad# *t. aries, Idaho. M)nlineN ccessedC
ay 1, 3%13;A St. 7aries River Railroad /om"any S,7A C9=. 'nion Pacific Railroad Company#
)maha, "eb. M)nlineN ccesssedC ay 1, 3%13.;
4%
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Idaho Statewide Rail Plan Key No. 13334
4$FRA. Rail*lines+s,p. A I,. da,oRail+s,p.A 4R*. c$4v+s,p.
48@ashington ? Idaho Rail+ay! In. ashington : Idaho Railway, Inc., Rosalia, ash. M)nlineN
ccessedC ay 1, 3%13;A @ashington and Idaho Rail+ay @IR. &S1 Railay Company#5ort orth,
Teas. M)nlineN ccessedC ay 1, 3%13;.
49FRA. Rail*lines+s,p. A I,. da,oRail+s,p.A 4R*. c$4v+s,p.
6%@ashington State 2010-20$0 Freight Rail (lan. State1rei.,tRailPlan+pdf. #ecember 3%%9.
@as,in.ton State 7epartment of