California State Rail Plan 2005-06 to 2015-16

Chapter XV – Major Freight Issues
Two segments are owned and dispatched by the BNSF:
• The Mojave Subdivision between Mojave and Barstow.
• The Cajon and Needles Subdivisions between San Bernardino and Daggett.
In some cases, the railroads share each other’s facilities to take advantage of more
direct routes. Such arrangements also allow track maintenance costs to be shared
as they are based on the number of each railroad’s trains using the facility.
However, the tenant railroad can be subject to delays caused by the railroad that
owns the infrastructure because the owner's trains will typically be given priority.
The problems of joint train operations are compounded when steep mountainous
grades and curves force trains to operate at reduced speeds. For trains running
over Tehachapi Pass, the operations are especially time consuming due to the fact
that it is a single track railroad with many sharp curves and the steepest grade in
the State.
This grade requires trains to operate additional locomotive units on trains traveling
over the pass. There are a number of passing sidings but a minimum of
20 minutes delay to the train being passed is not uncommon. The 28 to 30 trains
per day crossing over the Tehachapi Pass cause a major bottleneck in the rail
connection to California’s Central Valley. To double-track the Tehachapi Pass
route several new tunnels and bridges would have to be constructed at great cost.
Both UP and BNSF have established a joint dispatching center in San Bernardino
so that both railroads can be in direct contact with each other to help make these
joint train operations work as smoothly as possible.
FRESNO RAIL CONSOLIDATION
Currently, both UP and BNSF operate freight service through the City of Fresno.
There is considerable public support to consolidate both rail lines onto the UP rail
corridor to the west of downtown Fresno. Many important issues need to be
resolved including how to service existing freight customers, operational questions
and optimal track structure required to accommodate the increased traffic on the
UP. A study by the Fresno Council of Governments determined that consolidation
of the two lines is technically and operationally feasible but at a very high cost.
MAJOR ISSUES FOR CALIFORNIA RAIL SHIPPERS
The Department participated in a study entitled the Western Transportation Trade
Network (WTTN) which surveyed 53 shippers in 13 western states for their
perspectives on Class I railroad performance. 11 Two issues of primary concern to
the shippers were (1) reliable transit times and (2) car availability and condition.
11 Western Transportation Trade Network Study, Western Association of State Highway and Transportation
Officials, August 1999.
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