nymtc regional freight plan - New York Metropolitan Transportation ...
nymtc regional freight plan - New York Metropolitan Transportation ...
nymtc regional freight plan - New York Metropolitan Transportation ...
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A Freight Plan for the NYMTC Region<br />
Responsible Organizations/Action Plans<br />
1. NYSDOT/MNR/PANYNJ – Complete contract to remove clearance constraints at the<br />
Sugarhouse bridge; initiate work to achieve full TOFC clearance on two tracks on the<br />
Hudson Line.<br />
2. NYSDOT – Complete “Hudson Line Railroad Corridor <strong>Transportation</strong> Plan,” implement<br />
findings, and monitor impacts on <strong>freight</strong> tonnage on the Hudson Line.<br />
3. NYSDOT and PANYNJ – Use the $40 million Rail Capital Improvement Program to<br />
support implementation.<br />
4. PANYNJ – Complete “East-of-Hudson Rail Freight Study.”<br />
5. NYSDOT – Conduct Pilgrim EIS.<br />
6. NYCEDC – Complete Cross Harbor EIS.<br />
Action 2 – Reduce Operational Conflicts Between Passenger and Freight Services<br />
on the Region’s Railroads<br />
Description<br />
Freight access to the region from west-of-Hudson locations today is seriously constrained<br />
by the heavy volume of passenger trains, particularly on the Hudson Line and LIRR<br />
mainline. Freight service is generally limited to nighttime operations. This is a barrier to<br />
the growth in rail volume, in particular time-sensitive intermodal shipments. With the<br />
exception of cross-harbor floats, the Hudson Line is the only route by which rail service<br />
can enter the region today. The MTA and MNR (the owner of the Hudson Line south of<br />
Poughkeepsie) and CSX Railroad (the owner of the northern half of the line) currently are<br />
working with other users of the Hudson Line and NYSDOT to develop an improvement<br />
<strong>plan</strong>. The LIRR mainline issue will be addressed as part of the Pilgrim intermodal yard<br />
EIS.<br />
<strong>Transportation</strong> Impacts<br />
The “Hudson Line Railroad <strong>Transportation</strong> Plan” for the rail segments between Albany<br />
and the Bronx is developing infrastructure requirements to satisfy the operational needs<br />
of all users of the line, including MNR, Amtrak, CSX, and CP through 2020. The capacity<br />
goals include substantial increases in the capacity for <strong>freight</strong> operations providing sufficient<br />
line capacity for <strong>freight</strong> operation to increase from its current three percent of all<br />
weekday trains to as much as 10 percent of all weekday trains. The <strong>plan</strong> also calls for<br />
lifting the current restrictions on daylight operation of <strong>freight</strong> trains. Forecasts have not<br />
yet been developed on the volume of <strong>freight</strong> which could be moved under this operating<br />
scenario.<br />
Earlier work conducted as part of the Cross Harbor Freight Movement EIS indicated that<br />
one additional daily <strong>freight</strong> train could be accommodated on the Hudson Line with minor<br />
infrastructure upgrades such as signal improvements. This would result in an increase in<br />
Cambridge Systematics, Inc. 5-28