SRC submits train report
Published 12:04 am Wednesday, July 19, 2017
CSX writes letter saying service isn’t workable
The Gulf Coast Working Group (GCWG) submitted its final report by the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) to Congress on Monday.
The report is an endorsement for the Southern Rail Commission’s (SRC) recommendation that passenger rail service be restored across the Gulf Coast, and was submitted four days after a high-ranking CSX official wrote a letter saying that the return of passenger rail service isn’t workable.
Details from the GCWG’s report include anticipated capital costs of less than $112 million, plus an estimated $5 million for project development and planning, according to the SRC.
The report is a culmination of more than 18 months of work on the part of the GWCG’s appointees, including Amtrak, CSX, FRA, the SRC and more than 30 regional stakeholders.
The working group was created by Congress to study the feasibility of the rail service. If the service were to return, Atmore would be one of the train stops.
“We are encouraged that the FRA has found that rail service can begin quickly and at a reasonable cost. The SRC is grateful for the unified political and grassroots support the restoration of Gulf Coast passenger rail service has received from mayors to governors to the gulf south’s Congressional delegation,” said Greg White, chairman of the SRC. “Since 2012, the base of this support has consistently expressed that daily passenger service is essential for the economic resiliency of America’s gulf coast.”
David Dech, assistant vice president for passenger operations for CSX, wrote in the letter that an important safety rule, introduced in 2008, requires rail lines used for regular passenger service to be equipped with a Positive Train Control (PTC) safety system, and that no plan proposed by the GCWG would come close to the 80 percent on-time performance requirement. The on-time requirement was enacted in 2016, and his letter stated that prior to Hurricane Katrina, the train service had a 7 percent on-time performance.
According to the SRC, the report recommends and gives support for safety for all passenger rail users, including the PTC and other recommended safety measures; and outlines a number of capital improvements and operating costs associated with the launch of the services and some of this funding could be acquired through new federal rail programs such as the Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements (CRISI) program for capital expenses and from the Restoration and Enhancement Grant (REG) Program for operating support.
The GCWG recommended two preferred service options: daily long-distance train service between Orlando and New Orleans with estimated annual operating need of $5.48 million, and a daily regional train between New Orleans to Mobile with an estimated annual operating need of $4 million.
Additionally, the SRC submitted a letter to the FRA in May expressing its frustration with CSX for going back to its initial demand of $2.3 billion in infrastructure costs for the desired services.
The report recommends continued coordination and collaboration among Working Group partners.
“Congress has identified this route as being of high importance and interest for the public,” White said. “Continued investments in our national passenger rail system are vital as our society becomes increasingly mobile and we look for ways to improve access to skilled workers, jobs and new opportunities for economic development. The SRC is committed to ensuring the Gulf Coast region of our country is not left out.”