NTRAC Final Study - Nebraska Department of Roads - State of ...

CHAPTER 5 – COMMUTER RAIL PLAN
for special event trains. Components of these costs appear in table 5-5 below. Costs are rounded
to the nearest $1,000. The detailed cost estimates appear in Appendix Table B-1.
Table 5-5: Summary of Operating Costs
Estimate Percent
Transportation and Maintenance $1,170,000 24%
Payments to BNSF 675,000 14%
Fuel 187,000 4%
Service Facility Expenses 121,000 2%
Station Services 400,000 8%
Insurance 2,050,000 41%
General and Administrative 356,000 7%
Total $4,958,000 100%
Source: Wilbur Smith Associates
Given 123,041 estimated train miles (weekdays plus special events), the cost per train mile is
$40.30 per train mile.
Transportation
These are costs for train crews, supervision of the crews, maintenance of equipment, and overall
management of the forces required to provide train service. The analysis assumes that these
costs will be provided by under contract by Amtrak or another entity currently involved in the
commuter rail market, e.g. Herzog Transit Services. Alternatively, the DMU manufacturer, e.g.
Colorado Rail Car, could provide the maintenance services. Trains will be operated by oneperson
crews. Fare inspection will be handled through a separate contract with law enforcement
agencies, obviating this traditional role of a conductor.
Payments to BNSF
These include payments to the railroad for dispatching services and for access. BNSF will
dispatch the commuter trains through its Centralized Traffic Control (CTC) system, by which
trains are directed across the line by a dispatcher in a remote location. The greater part of the
payments to the railroad is for running passenger trains on the freight railroad’s track. Access
charges typically represent what the railroad feels is proper compensation for providing its track
to a passenger rail agency; it also reflects the incremental cost of maintaining the track for the
agency’s use.
This analysis assumes a charge of $5 per train mile, which is about two-thirds of what the
Metrolink commuter rail service in Los Angeles is paying BNSF today. However, compared to
Metrolink, this service would run fewer, shorter, and lighter trains over just the peak period, so it
is reasonable to expect that access charges would be less.
Fuel
Diesel fuel typically is a minor fraction of a commuter rail service’s operating costs. With the
Diesel Multiple Units assumed here, as opposed to conventional diesel locomotive hauled train
sets, the fuel share of total costs is even smaller. Fuel purchases are assumed to be tax exempt.
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NEBRASKA TRANSIT CORRIDORS STUDY
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WILBUR SMITH ASSOCIATES