DRPT Draft Rail Plan 2c

Virginia Statewide Rail Plan - DRAFT Planning Context and Considerations 5

Successful planning cannot occur in a vacuum.Planning must take into consideration pastaccomplishments, current conditions and

anticipated trends. For the Virginia Statewide RailPlan, several demographic and societal trendsimpacting its rail system are noteworthy:

:: By 2030, the population of the United States isexpected to grow by 5 percent. In that sameperiod, Virginia’s population is expected toincrease 30 percent, from the current 7.5 millionto 9.8 million.

:: Much of that growth will take place in Virginia’smajor metropolitan areas, which are growingfaster than the rest of the state. Two of everythree Virginians now live in Northern Virginia,Richmond or the Hampton Roads metropolitanareas.

:: Virginia’s transportation system, responsible formoving people and goods into, out of, withinand through the state via roadways, air, waterand rail, is over-crowded. Its major transportationcorridors – already experiencing congestion-related travel delays – will see even more demand.This could jeopardize the Commonwealth’s abilityto maintain a business environment that hasearned it the title of best state in the country forbusiness.

:: The Port of Virginia’s growth in containerizedcargo is expected to increase by 350 percentbetween 2005 and 2035. By 2011 it will be atfull capacity of existing terminal infrastructure.

:: Cargo in the nation is expected to double from15 billion tons in 2005 to approximately 30billion tons in 2035. Although this predictionshows the vast majority of freight being handledby trucks, highway congestion and the increasingcost of fuel make an increase in the percentage ofcargo carried by rail a necessity. Virginia’sstatewide long-range multimodal plan(VTrans2025) has recommended moving morecargo by alternatives other than trucks.

:: There is global competition for finite resources ofoil and coal, causing the price of a barrel of oil tonearly double in the last year alone. The pressureis on to find ways to become more energyefficient and reduce greenhouse gases.

Chapter 2Planning Context and Considerations

Richmond’s newly renovated Main Street Station brings together the

best of today’s rail travel for passengers in and around Virginia.

6 Planning Context and Considerations Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation

:: Railroads are typically three or more times morefuel efficient than trucks. Every ton-mile of freightthat moves by rail instead of truck reducesgreenhouse emission by 67 percent or more.

:: After a period of relatively low coal exports,increased global demand for coal has caused arapid growth in coal exports. In the first quarter of2008, for example, there was a 62 percent increaseover the same period in 2007. Coal is the largestfreight commodity in Virginia, comprising 59percent of tonnage. All coal from the Appalachiancoalfields to the Ports of Hampton Roads is carriedby trains (none by long haul trucks).

:: Various DRPT and Commonwealth transportationcorridor studies have identified the need forimproved and increased passenger rail services inVirginia (both by VRE and by Amtrak) to meet theincreased demands that population growth willput on the transportation infrastructure ofVirginia’s metropolitan areas.

:: Capacity is a significant concern for bothpassenger and freight rail. The U.S. Department ofTransportation is predicting that freight railroaddemand will increase by 88 percent between 2002and 2035. VRE ridership is expected to double inthe next 20 years.

These trends have been factored into thedevelopment of the Statewide Rail Plan. They aredescribed in more detail in this chapter.

Past AccomplishmentsIn the past six years, Virginia has worked toincorporate rail planning and improvements into anintegrated multimodal transportation corridornetwork. Significant legislative accomplishmentsinclude the creation of the Rail Enhancement Fund(REF) and Rail Advisory Board in 2005 and theaddition of general funds added to the REF programto address critical needs in Virginia’s I-95 and I-81transportation corridors.

Virginia has been one of the leading states inimplementing rail improvements to support rail accessfor businesses and assuring shortline railroad viability.Investments to alleviate congestion, increase on-dockrail movements from the Ports of Hampton Roads andto advance higher-speed rail in the Commonwealthtop the list of rail priorities. To make headway in thesecrucial areas, the Commonwealth has:

:: Developed the first dedicated source of fundingfor passenger and freight rail improvements inVirginia’s history. Initiated in 2005, the REFsupports improvements for passenger and freightrail transportation that deliver public benefitthrough public private partnerships, such as:

> Improving the movement of freight fromthe Ports of Hampton Roads through apublic private effort involving NorfolkSouthern and several states to construct adouble-stack container train corridorbetween the Ports of Hampton Roads andColumbus, OH. In Virginia, the projectincludes raising tunnels to accommodatethe taller trains and constructing newintermodal terminal facilities in theRoanoke region.

>Improving the movement of double-stackfreight to/from the Ports of Hampton Roadsthrough public private partnership effortswith CSX to remove vertical obstructions onthe CSX National Gateway system whichextends from Atlanta, GA to the Northeast.

>Doubling the on-dock rail yard to transfercontainers to/from rail at the new MaerskAPM Terminal marine facility at the Ports ofHampton Roads, a project utilizing sharedpublic private funding.

>Relocating approximately 4.5 miles ofexisting rail lines owned by theCommonwealth Railway shortline fromurban neighborhoods in Portsmouth andChesapeake to the rail-ready highwaymedians of Route 164 and I-664, a project due to be completed by late

Freight rail helps connect domestic and international goods shipped

to and from the Port of Virginia to markets nationwide.


2009. This corridor will be used to serveboth the planned Craney Island MarineTerminal and the recently completed MaerskAPM Terminal.

:: Strengthened the shortline railroad industry inVirginia through the Rail Preservation Fund. Majorprojects recently completed include improvementson portions of the Buckingham Branch railroadthat handles Amtrak intercity passengers trainsand improvements on the Commonwealth Railwayto provide Norfolk Southern and CSX access tomajor intermodal facilities at the new MaerskAPM Terminal and the future Craney IslandMarine Terminal.

:: Supported Commonwealth economicdevelopment through the Rail Industrial AccessFund since 1986, providing rail access tobusinesses in Virginia that generated 25,000 newjobs and approximately 181,000 railcars — theequivalent of taking 634,000 trucks per year offof the highway system.

:: Provided essential rail congestion relief includingbuilding the new railroad bridge over QuanticoCreek on I-95 to remove the last single-track sectionof the Washington, D.C. to Richmond corridor.

Population and Growth TrendsTransportation, including passenger rail and freight,is driven by a number of key factors. The primaryfactors are population density and growth trends forthe future. The U.S. population, currentlyapproximately 300 million, is expected to grow by

21 percent to 378 million by 2035. For Virginia, theprojections are even greater. According to theVirginia Employment Commission, between 2007and 2030, Virginia’s current population of 7.5million will increase to approximately 9.8 million – a30 percent increase (Figure 2-1). TheCommonwealth’s population growth rates farexceeds the 5 percent rate of the U.S. as a whole.

Most of the growth is due to people relocating tothe Commonwealth. They are drawn to Virginia’seconomic opportunities in its urban areas. As aresult, Virginia’s major metropolitan areas aregrowing faster than the rest of the state. Two ofevery three Virginians now live in Northern Virginia,Richmond or the Hampton Roads metropolitanareas. And one of every three lives in the NorthernVirginia area. For the rest of the state, 70 percent of

all localities have gained population while only 20percent have lost population.

Economic Development and Port-RailModal InterfaceAlmost 11,000 high-tech companies and 30 Fortune1,000 firms are located in the state, contributing toVirginia’s economy. Rail transportation improvementsprovide direct economic benefits by reducing thecosts of transportation; expanding the accessibilityof businesses to suppliers, labor and consumermarkets; and attracting new entrepreneurialopportunities to a community or region. An efficienttransportation network with rail access to majorshipping and travel destinations in Virginia andnationwide is a powerful combination for potentialeconomic development. The Virginia Port Authorityestimates that over 60 million square feet ofadditional distribution center space will be neededover the next 25 years to keep pace withcontainerized exports and imports in Virginia. TheCommonwealth’s rail and highway transportationsystem allows companies to locate these distributioncenters throughout the state – often in rural areaswhere land costs are less expensive and an availableworkforce is nearby.

Business climate is influenced by a number offactors, including the cost of labor, transportationand energy; tax and regulatory burdens placed onbusinesses; and quality of life. Centrally located onthe U.S. East Coast, Virginia’s integratedtransportation system of highways, railroads,airports and seaports ensures that businesses canreach all global markets and get shipments from1990 2000 2010 2020 2030

6,21

6,88

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7,10

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0,34

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8,91

7,57

5

9,82

5,28

8

+14.27%

+12.76%+11.33%

+10.18%

Figure 2-1POPULATION CHANGE PROJECTIONS FOR VIRGINIA

Source: Virginia Employment Commission


suppliers more efficiently. Highlights of Virginia’stransportation system include:

:: Twelve freight railroads and two passengerrailroads operate on more than 3,400 miles ofrailway in Virginia, of which more than 3,200 milesare Class I railroads (the largest railroads in theU.S.). Two of the nation’s largest railroads operatein Virginia: CSX Corporation and Norfolk SouthernCorporation, which is headquartered in Norfolk.

:: Fourteen commercial airports serve Virginia,including two of the nation’s busiest: WashingtonDulles International and Ronald ReaganWashington National.

:: The Port of Virginia offers world-class shippingfacilities and a schedule of approximately 3,000sailings annually to over 250 ports in 100 foreigncountries. The Port, offering one of the largestintermodal networks on the East Coast, handled2.12 million 20-foot equivalent units (TEUs) in2007 and moved more than 28 percent of itstotal business by rail. The new Maersk APMTerminal, the first private terminal in the U.S., atPortsmouth opened in 2007 and will be a majorcontainer terminal on the East Coast.

:: The Virginia Inland Port in Front Royal serves as aregional intermodal facility and acts as acollection point for containers from West Virginia,Ohio, Pennsylvania, Northern Virginia andelsewhere (Figure 2-2).

Figure 2-2ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT NEAR THE VIRGINIA INLAND PORT

Source: Virginia Port Authority


:: The Port of Richmond is a multimodal freight anddistribution center located on the James River,adjacent to I-95, offering service to northern Europe,the United Kingdom, Iceland, the Mediterranean,Canada, South America, Mexico and the Caribbean.

:: Virginia’s highway system features more than70,000 miles of interstate, primary and secondaryroads, including eight major interstate routes: I-95, I-85, I-81, I-77, I-66, I-64, I-495 and I-395.

Virginia offers six foreign trade zones designed toencourage businesses to participate in internationaltrade by effectively eliminating or reducing customsduties. Numerous subzones are also provided andadditional ones can be designated to enhance thetrade capabilities of specific companies.

Virginia’s economic future depends on its ability toattract jobs, people and businesses. The state mustcompete to draw top companies, grow the jobmarket and offer an exceptional quality of life thatmakes people want to call Virginia home. That iswhy the Commonwealth has identified strategiesacross all transportation modes to ensure peopleand goods can move freely throughout the stateand continue to feed the economy.

Transportation System ConsiderationsVirginia’s freight and passenger rail networks arepart of a statewide transportation system thatmoves people and goods into, out of, within andthrough the state via highways, water, air and rail.Planning for rail cannot be divorced fromconsideration of these other modes.

Highways. Virginia’s major highway transportationcorridors are heavily used by passengers and freight,both for local and long distance travel. Figure 2-3shows the average annual daily trips and percentageof truck traffic on Virginia’s major routes. The singleoccupant vehicle is the predominant mode of choicefor daily commuting (76 percent), followed bycarpool (13 percent), public transportation (fourpercent, including bus and rail) and other (sevenpercent). This leaves the Northern Virginia,Richmond and Hampton Roads regions strugglingwith traffic congestion that creates headaches for

commuters and negatively impacts the delivery ofgoods and services. The vast majority of freight(74.2 percent) is moved by truck, followed by rail(19.9 percent), with air and water cargo making upthe rest.

:: I-95, the major north-south interstate serving theeast coast, slices through Virginia fromWashington, D.C. to the North Carolina border.Today the highway is significantly congested inthe segment between Washington, DC and theRichmond area.

Figure 2-3AVERAGE TOTAL AADT AND TRUCK PERCENTAGES ALL COUNT SEGMENTS — TOP 30 ROUTES (2005)


:: The I-81 corridor, in the western half of the state,runs through the mountains from West Virginia,south to Tennessee. Regularly listed as one of theeight top trucking routes in the U.S., I-81 carriestourists, through travelers, a growing number ofcommuters and more than a third of all collegeand university students in Virginia. The entirecorridor will be experiencing significant increasesin congestion over the next 20 years.

:: I-64 traverses the state from east to west, linkingHampton Roads to the western part of the stateand on to West Virginia. It is significantlycongested today in the segment betweenRichmond and Hampton Roads.

:: Route 460 parallels I-64 and serves more of thelocal communities. However, to avoid thecongestion on I-64, more vehicles are using Route460, especially to access areas of the state southof Richmond.

:: The I-66 corridor runs from Northern Virginiawest to I-81, allowing access to suburban andrural areas west of Washington, DC. Most of thiscorridor is significantly congested.

Figure 2-4 shows the significant increase in highwaymiles in Virginia over 77 years while rail miles haveactually decreased in that same period.

Figure 2-4VIRGINIA HIGHWAY AND RAIL MILES

Pittsburgh

New York City

Richmond

Lynchburg

Charlotte

Washington, DC

Newport News

Richmond to Pittsburgh to DC$441; 5 hours, 7 minutes(vs. Amtrak RIC to DC$27; 2 hours, 15 minutes

Newport News toNew York to DC$388; 6 hours, 55 Minutes(vs. Amtrak NPN to DC$40; 4 hours, 15 minutes)

Lynchburg toCharlotte to DC$467; 3 hours, 25 Minutes(vs. Amtrak LYN to DC$74; 4 hours, 3 minutes)

Figure 2-5SAMPLE TIME AND COSTS FOR AIRLINE TRIPS TO WASHINGTON, DC AND RICHMOND FROMSELECTED VIRGINIA CITIES (JUNE 2008)


Aviation. The aviation industry as it relates topassenger travel in the United States is strugglingand there is no doubt that fundamental changes areunderway that will impact future travel in all modes.In addition to the negative impact that the events ofSeptember 11, 2001 had on the airlines,competition and significantly rising fuel costs areforcing them to look for new revenue sources(adding baggage handling charges, for example) inorder to keep up with costs. Historically, fuelrepresented approximately 25 percent of the airlineindustry costs; today it represents 30-50 percent.Since 2007, the cost of a gallon of airline fuel hasincreased by approximately 73 percent. In the lasttwo years, 10 airlines have filed for bankruptcy andseven have gone out of business.

Given these issues, it is clear that there will bereduced frequencies of service, increased travel timesand increased fares; in some instances air service incertain markets will be eliminated. Enhancedpassenger rail service for short- to medium-distancetrips of 100 to 500 miles may prove advantageousto air travel moving forward. Amtrak’s intercityservices — particularly in large markets for tripsbetween major destinations such as Los Angeles toSan Diego, Washington, DC to Philadelphia andNew York to Philadelphia — already enjoy an air-railmarket share greater than 90 percent. Selectedcorridors within the Commonwealth may prove tobe viable markets for air-to-rail diversions, assuminginvestments are made to improve travel time andreliability. Figure 2-5 shows some of the aviationroutes along with their travel time and cost versusthe same trip via Amtrak passenger rail service.

Other than some selected cities, there are few directflights, so airline travelers must first fly to a hubairport in another state and then return to Virginiaby connecting flight.

Ports. The Port of Virginia is the second largest porton the East Coast. The Port has three general cargomarine terminals: Norfolk International Terminal,Portsmouth Marine Terminal and Newport NewsMarine Terminal. In 2007, the Port handled 2.1million (five percent) of the nation’s 45 million 20-foot equivalent units (TEUs), the standard measureof container terminal capacity.

Since its introduction in 1956, loading cargo intostandardized boxes – known as containerized cargo

– has revolutionized global shipping and economicdevelopment by reducing the cost of transportationbetween countries of the world. The evolution oftransporting containerized cargo into larger andlarger specialty containerships has broughteconomies of scale and the ability of “just-in-time”shipment of goods to companies in the U.S. andaround the world.

The new generation of container ships can carry8,000 to 10,000 TEUs per vessel but are so largethat they can only be accommodated by portfacilities with deepwater (50-55 foot deep channels)and large specialized container cranes to rapidlyload and unload the vessel. Virginia is fortunate withits easy access to the Atlantic sea lanes, deepwater

NorthAtlantic

SouthAtlantic

Pacific

Ports ofHamptonRoads

Figure 2-6GLOBAL SHIPPING ROUTES WITH THE PORTS OF HAMPTON ROADS



channels and world class terminals at NorfolkInternational Terminals operated by the Virginia PortAuthority and the recently opened private MaerskAPM Terminal in Hampton Roads. Global traderoutes for the Ports of Hampton are shown inFigure 2-6.

According to the Virginia Port Authority, TEU growthin containerized cargo is expected to increase by350 percent between 2005 and 2035 (Figure 2-7). During the last 10 years (1998-2007), the totalvolume of container traffic through the Port ofVirginia marine terminals has increased at an averageannual rate of 5.74 percent. With the scheduledopening of the Heartland Corridor in early 2010, therecent clearance of the CSX double-stack (standardizedcargo container boxes stacked two high on rail cars)rail route to Atlanta, GA and the planned additionof a third series of locks in the Panama Canal by2015, growth is expected to continue.

The use of rail is a significant part of the Port ofVirginia’s plan to enhance the efficiency and costeffectiveness of shipping. In fact, the Port alreadymoves a higher percentage of containers by rail thanany other East Coast port. Rail volume in 2007increased 20 percent and remains the fastestgrowing sector of the Port’s growth.

FreightFreight transportation has grown dramatically,fueled by the growth and spread of population andeconomic activity within the U.S. and the increasinginterdependence of economies across the globebrought about by foreign trade. A significant impact

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02005 2007 2009 2011 2013 2015 2017 2019 2021 2023 2025 2027 2029 2031 2033 2035

Net Tons ( in B i l l ions )

TruckRailWaterOtherAir

Figure 2-8U.S. FREIGHT TONNAGE BY MODE 2005 – 2035

Source: Cambridge Systematics

2000 2003 2006 2009 2012 2015 2018 2021 2024 2027 2030 2033 2036 2039

Maersk APM Terminal Craney Island Marine Terminal

12.0

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Planned Capacity

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Figure 2-7INCREASE OF CONTAINERIZED CARGO (TEUS) AT VIRGINIA PORTS



Intermodal trains have specially designed railcars that enable containers to be loaded directly from ship to rail.


on transportation patterns and economicdevelopment has been brought about by the globaluse of containerized cargo for the shipment ofgoods by trucks, rail and large specialty containerships calling at major ports. Figure 2-8 shows theprojected growth in cargo by transport modes.

Cargo in the nation is expected to double from 15billion tons in 2005 to approximately 30 billion tons

in 2035. Although the prediction shows the vastmajority of freight being handled by trucks, highwaycongestion and the increasing cost of fuel make anincrease in the percentage of modal shift betweenthe truck and rail a neccesity. Figure 2-9 indicatesthe projected growth patterns in truck flowsbetween 2005 and 2035 and Figure 2-10 indicatesthe projected growth patterns in rail flows in thesame period. As seen in Figure 2-9, the I-95, I-81

and I-64 highways between Richmond andHampton Roads will carry an increasing number oftrucks in future years.

Figures 2-11 and 2-12 show the current andprojected 2035 rail volumes compared to current railcapacity. Note that the statewide multimodal freightstudy indicated that the I-95 corridor is expected tobe significantly impacted. Therefore, the CSXNational Gateway project incorporated in thestatewide rail plan projects a greater modal shiftfrom highway to rail, reflecting the goals of this railplan.

A detailed evaluation of freight movements inVirginia was recently completed as part of theVTrans2035 plan currently being developed.According to this study, the movement of freight –raw materials, intermediate products and finishedgoods – currently supports over $350 billion ofVirginia’s Gross State Product annually. Toaccommodate the movement of freight, Virginiahosts one of the nation’s leading seaports, twonational freight railroads, numerous local andregional railroads, four major cargo airports andsome of the nation’s most heavily used truckcorridors.

Over the next two decades, the forecast is forsignificant growth in the demand for freightmovement into, out of, within and through Virginia.Some of the Commonwealth’s freight infrastructureis well positioned to accommodate this growth. Butmuch of its infrastructure will be challenged – fromnormal wear and tear; from growth in the amount,

Figure 2-9U.S. TRUCK FREIGHT FLOWS 2005 – 2035



type and location of freight movement; fromincreased passenger traffic over shared highway andrail corridors; and from environmental pressuresassociated with higher freight volumes and/ordenser settlement patterns in and around majorfreight facilities and corridors. Almost 80 percent ofVirginia’s freight tonnage has an origin or adestination in another state – including 40 percentwhich is simply passing through Virginia on its wayto and from other states – so growth and freightimprovements in other states, or the lack thereof,

could significantly affect conditions in Virginia.Today, approximately 50 percent of Virginia’s totaloutput, 28 percent of its gross state product and 34percent of its employment are from freight-relatedindustries that depend heavily on the movement ofraw materials, intermediate goods and/or finishedproducts. The movement of existing freight tonnageby mode and direction is shown in Figure 2-13. Aprojection of the increase in tonnage associatedwith each mode to 2035 is shown in Figure 2-14.

Figure 2-10U.S. RAIL FREIGHT FLOWS 2005 – 2035


Containers at the Port of Virginia are sorted and classified for shipment.


CoalRail is the major mode of transportation for themovement of coal from mines to domestic industriesor for export. After a period of relatively low coalexports, recent years have seen a rapid growth in coalexports due to increased global demand for coal forelectricity generation, spurred by soaring petroleumcosts. Historical coal movements through HamptonRoads terminals are shown in Figure 2-15. The firstquarter of 2008 saw a 62 percent increase over thesame period in 2007. This increased demand requires

a corresponding increase in the number of freighttrains needed to transfer the cargo.

According to the most recent data from theAssociation of American Railroads (2005), the largestcommodity carried by tonnage was coal (59 percent).A significant portion of the freight tonnage impactingthe state rail system is coal from the Appalachiancoalfields in Southwest Virginia to Norfolk Southernand CSX marine terminals in Hampton Roads forexport.

Passenger RailFor nearly two centuries, railroads have been part ofthis country’s heritage and history. Trains enabled thedevelopment of our major inland cities, thesettlement of our rural areas and the opening of theWest for expansion. However, trains are not just partof our past, they are a significant part of our presentand a critical part of our future for effective passengerand freight rail movements, particularly as energycosts and fuel prices continue to rise.

:: On a local level, passenger rail is a proven engineof economic development and growth. Studiesshow that when passenger rail service is introducedinto a community, retail establishments flourish,commercial and residential property values increaseand people enjoy the transportation choices theyare able to make in their daily lives.

:: On a regional level, passenger trains can providecost-effective and convenient intermodalconnections between communities and othermodal choices, such as bus, trolley, light rail,bicycle, airport and park-and-ride facilities andexpand economic development opportunities.

:: On a national level, passenger trains provide aneconomic means of expanding capacity,transportation options and connectivity, mobilityfor underserved populations, congestion mitigation,local air quality attainment improvements andjobs — not just in the railroad industry but also insecondary support industries — which enableand stimulate economic development activity.

Figure 2-11RAIL CURRENT VOLUMES COMPARED TO CURRENT CAPACITY

Source: AASHTO


:: On a global level, passenger rail conserves energy,helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions, reducesairborne particulate and toxic emissions andprovides an environmentally benign land usealternative to the impermeable asphalt surfacesthat contribute to the pollution of our waterways.

There are currently two passenger railroads operatingin Virginia on approximately 616 miles of trackowned primarily by Norfolk Southern and CSX.

Collectively, these two passenger railroads, Amtrakand VRE, carried nearly 5.4 million passengers in andthrough Virginia during 2007. Since 2003, there hasbeen a steady increase in Amtrak Virginia ridership,averaging about five percent per year. VRE (Figure 2-16), which provides service to Washington, DCfrom the Northern Virginia suburbs, has experiencedexplosive growth. Ridership increases have averaged16 percent per year and are expected to double in thenext 20 years. Both VRE and Amtrak have been and

will be challenged by capacity constraints as a resultof increased freight rail operations and other capitalneeds related to equipment and station facilities.

Metrorail and light rail are not considered to be partof the rail system since they rarely operate in railroadright-of-way and these modes are under thejurisdiction of the Federal Transit Administration.

Rail19.9%

Air0.1%

Domestic Water2.1%

Truck74.2%

International Water3.7%

Through41%

Inbound21%

Outbound17%

Internal21%

Figure 2-13VIRGINIA FREIGHT TONNAGE BY MODE AND DIRECTION


Figure 2-12RAIL FUTURE VOLUMES IN 2035 COMPARED TO UNIMPROVED CAPACITY

Source: AASHTO

Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation

Land Use, Natural Resources andEnvironmental InfluencesThe nation is in the early stages of a major changein transportation, the economy and, ultimately,quality of life. There is global competition for finiteresources of oil and coal. Crude oil prices averaged$72.00 per barrel in 2007. In late June 2008, theprice for crude oil rose to approximately $135.00per barrel – an increase of 88 percent. China andIndia are making significant investments ininfrastructure and are emerging as strongcompetitors in the global economy. India’s middleclass population alone is equal to the totalpopulation of the United States. It has becomeimperative to become a more energy efficient nationand reduce greenhouse gases.

According to the Association of American Railroads,greater use of freight and passenger rail offers a

simple and relatively immediate way to reducegreenhouse gas emissions without adverse impactson the economy. As Figure 2-17 shows, the fuelefficiency of commuter rail is 27 percent greater thanthe automobile for passenger travel and Class Irailroads are 90 percent more efficient than truck forfreight movement. Railroads are typically three ormore times more fuel efficient than trucks andrailroads and have a smaller carbon footprint. Everyton-mile of freight that moves by rail instead of truckreduces greenhouse emissions by at least 67 percent.Based on Federal Environmental Protection Agency(EPA) data, freight railroads account for 2.6 percentof the nation’s greenhouse gas emissions fromtransportation sources and just 0.7 percent from allsources. Based on data from the AmericanAssociation of State Highway and TransportationOfficials (AASHTO), diverting to rail just one percentof long-haul freight that currently moves by truck

would result in annual fuel savings of 110 milliongallons and annual greenhouse gas emissions wouldfall by approximately 1.2 million tons.

18 Planning Context and Considerations

Figure 2-15COAL SHIPMENTS 1995 - 2008

60,000,000

50,000,000

40,000,000

30,000,000

20,000,000

10,000,000

01995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008

Projected Growth

Source: Virginia Maritime Association

Figure 2-14VIRGINIA FREIGHT PROJECTIONS BY MODE (2035)

0

50

100

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Truck Rail Domestic International International Air Total Container Container Non-Container

115% 102% 102%

225%

100%

210%

113%


Virginia Statewide Rail Plan - DRAFTPlanning Context and Considerations 19

Railroads are the most fuel efficient mode of groundtransportation. In 2007, freight railroads moved aton of cargo an average of 436 miles per gallon offuel. According to the Association of AmericanRailroads, railroad fuel efficiency has risen 85 percentbetween 1980 and 2007, due to new locomotivetechnologies, advanced research and developmentinnovative operating practices, employee training anddiligence in complying with environmental laws andregulations. In 2007, Class I railroads used 3.5 billionfewer gallons of fuel and emitted 39 million fewertons of carbon dioxide than they would have if theirfuel efficiency and operating procedures hadremained at 1980 levels.

Along with the environmental impact, transportationplanning must consider land use and naturalresources. While the purpose of Virginia’stransportation system is to link regions and servicecommunities by moving people and goods

Figure 2-16VRE SYSTEM MAP

Source: VRE

Train travel is 17 percent more energy efficient than domestic airline

travel and 21 percent more efficient than traveling by car.


throughout the state, infrastructure constructionmust not come at the expense of Virginia’s vastnatural and cultural resources. Virginians havecommunicated that they do not want to sacrificethe environment or quality of life for transportationimprovements. Virginia’s transportation agencies arededicated to designing and operating a system thatseamlessly integrates into communities whileprotecting the assets of every communitythroughout the Commonwealth. Passenger railstations and freight rail intermodal facilities serve asanchors for more dense development whichsupports more efficient travel and reduced land use.

Improvements in the rail system offer many benefits:

:: The diversion of auto and truck traffic to railcould improve public safety and air quality byreducing congestion and greenhouse emissions,which affect climate change and health.

:: The diversion of air travel passengers to passengerrail could reduce congestion occurring in thenation’s airport system and provide a cost-effective and timely alternative for intercitytravelers.

:: Improved passenger and freight rail service couldhelp reduce the negative impacts to individualsand the economy of short or prolonged energysupply disruptions and/or energy price increases.

:: Land use and travel pattern changes for bothpassenger and freight movements could improveair quality, water quality and aesthetic appeal.

:: Rail improvements could provide mobility andeconomic development opportunities to smallercommunities and rural areas with limited accessto passenger or freight transportation.

:: The availability of an improved rail system couldensure a redundant transportation mode for usein emergency situations involving naturaldisasters, terrorist attacks and military responseand readiness for war time situations.

:: Passenger rail could provide a mobility option forindividuals who cannot or choose not to drive or fly.

:: Freight rail could provide an option to companieswho cannot or choose not to use trucks and thehighway system for the transport of cargo.

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Figure 2-17FUEL EFFICIENCY IN TRANSPORTATION

Source: U.S. Department of Energy

Documents

DRPT Draft Rail Plan 2c