nymtc regional freight plan - New York Metropolitan Transportation ...

A Freight Plan for the NYMTC Region
5.3.1 Strategy 3.A – Reduce Physical Barriers to East-of-Hudson Rail
Service
Action 1 – Provide a Minimum of 17’ 9” Trailer-on-Flatcar Clearance on the Eastof-Hudson
Rail Network and Reduce Other Physical Barriers 1
Description
Providing 17’ 9” trailer-on-flatcar (TOFC) service to the entire East-of-Hudson freight rail
network, and eliminating weight and clearance restrictions for plate F cars (17-foot) and
tri-level auto rack cars will enable the region to accommodate most modern rail
equipment, including bulk and single-stack container-on-flatcar (COFC) cars. This could
be a possible step toward eventually providing double-stack clearance to a minimum of
20’ 8” or a maximum of the newest national standard 23 feet, although no formal plans
beyond TOFC clearance have been advanced or funded by the operators and owners of
the affected railways.
The initial steps, as shown in Figure 5.5, would include the following five railroad segments:
• CSX Selkirk Yard (near Albany) via the CSX/MNR Hudson Line and the Oak Point
link to Harlem River Yard in the Bronx. Rail traffic entering the region today from
West-of-Hudson origins must cross the Hudson at Selkirk because, with the exception
of limited carfloat service, cross-harbor connections are lacking. The MNR Hudson
Line is the only route into the region. Although a temporary fix to achieve TOFC
clearances on one track was achieved in summer 2003, as of December 2003 TOFC traffic
had still not moved on the line due to institutional issues regarding the drayage of
trailers between Harlem River Yard and Hunts Point. A contract has been let by
NYSDOT and MNR to achieve a permanent fix at the Sugarhouse utility in Yonkers.
PANYNJ funding has been identified for additional work to achieve TOFC clearance
on two tracks for the entire route, but no contract has yet been let.
• Access to Hunts Point Market in the Bronx from Harlem River Yard. Rail access to
this major freight hub is constrained by two overhead bridges at East 149 th Street and
at Legget Avenue near Oak Point Yard. PANYNJ funding has been identified to
remove these constraints. The route between Oak Point yard and Hunts Point Market
is grade-separated where it crosses Amtrak’s Metropolitan Division. As such, there
are no vertical clearance issues with Amtrak’s overhead electrification. In addition,
the Bruckner-Sheridan Project EIS is evaluating alternatives to access Hunts Point
Market from the Harlem River Yard. These alternatives do not impact the existing
bridge at East 149 th Street and Legget Avenue. Once of these modified alternatives
(3B) calls for new railroad tracks, another (3A) for an exclusive truck route, and a third
(3C) is for mixed traffic via Port Morris.
1
Canada Pacific trains require 18-foot clearances.
Cambridge Systematics, Inc. 5-25