Tower 55 Rail Reliever Study

Early Improvement Alternatives

Public Meeting

November 13, 2007

UPRRBNSF

JointDART or FW&WRR

UPRR DuncanBNSF Ft. WorthBNSF Wichita Falls UPRR Choctaw

UPRR Ft. Worth

UPRR Dallas Sub East – West Traffic

UPRR NW & SW Wye Traffic

Tower 55

Tower 60

To Dallas

To SaginawFWWR Jct.

To Temple

To Waco

Tower 55 AreaBase Schematic

Track Layout

Base Schematic Track Layout

ITC StationT&P Station

How the Problem is Being Approached

8 Improvement Alternatives being considered– Third N-S track at–grade (3) – N-S trench (2)– E-W flyover (1)– FWWR bypass (2)

A Progression of Improvements

Immediate Improvements– Operating Protocols– Re-routing Trains– Dispatch Procedures– Operating & Switching Equipment

Short Term Improvements– A system of at-grade solutions– Commuter Rail Opportunities

Mid-Term Improvements– Grade Separated Solution– Trench, Fly-Over, or FWWT By-pass– Commuter Rail Opportunities

Long term Improvement– Outer-Loop bypass (not part of this

environmental process)

At – Grade Alternatives

Concept to direct traffic to routes that have multiple existing tracks and to establish directional routes– Crossovers for route usage– Grade crossing closures/separations

increase meet-pass locations

Third N-S track for capacity at Tower 55

Two NW quadrant connecting track configurations– Intersects N-S routes at grade – Separated from N-S routes

Tower 60

? XX

Alternative 1aThird N-S Main Track

Tower 55

To Dallas

To Saginaw

FWWR Jct,

To Temple

To Waco

ITC StationT&P Station

? ??

??

Alternative 1aThird N-S Main

Track

X X

X X X

Proposed Grade Separation of

Sylvania (DART Track)

FWWR

DART/UP

BNSF

To FWWR Jct.To Tower 60

ToSaginaw

Blu

e M

ou

nd

Sylva

nia

X Closed? Possible Closure Grade Separation

Sylva

nia

Beach

Old

De

nto

n

To Tower 60

DART/UP

E. Long

To

Ro

an

oke

To Tower 55

FWWR JCT.

8,200’ siding

9,600’ siding, 5,800’ storage

Proposed Grade Separation of

Sylvania (Choctaw Sub)

X Closed? Possible Closure Grade Separation

Cold Springs

Peach

1st St.

Ham

pton

BNSF

UP

BNSF

UP Shown with Alternative

1a Improvements

MP 347.8

?

?

??

??

Prospective Grade Crossing Closures

and Separations

X Closed? Possible Closure New Roadway Connection

X X Live Oak

4th St.

Jennings

Hemphill

Page

Caps

Lipscomb

Bowie

Biddison

BIRDS

BNSF

UP

UP

Rosedale

Tower 55

Shown with Alternatives 1a, b, c

Magnolia

MP 344.1

MP 344.2

X X

X Closed? Possible Closure Grade Separation

Prospective Grade Crossing Closures

X

To Dallas

To Davidson

To Waco/MidlothianTo Temple

BNSF FtW

UP Duncan

UP Choctaw

BNSF W. Falls or Choctaw 1

Amtrak

Alternative 1aThird N-S Main

Track

??

? ? XX

??

Tower 55

Tower 60

To Dallas

To Saginaw

FWWR Jct,

To Temple

To Waco

Alternative 1bThird N-S Main Track

Alternative 1bThird N-S Main

Track

ITC StationT&P Station

X X

X X X

To Dallas

To Davidson

To Waco/MidlothianTo Temple

BNSF FtW

UP Duncan

UP Choctaw

BNSF W. Falls or Choctaw 1

Amtrak

Alternative 1bThird N-S Main

Track

??

? ? XX

??

Tower 55

Tower 60

To Dallas

To Saginaw

FWWR Jct,

To Temple

To Waco

Alternative 1c3rd N-S Main Track

Parallel TRE Approach

Alternative 1c 3rd Track At-Grade,

Parallel TRE Approach

ITC StationT&P Station

X X

X X X

To T&P

BNSF

BNSF

UPU

P

To Tower 60 To Tower 60

To Hodge

To Dallas

TRE ITC Station

To Tower 55

12

Alternative 1c 3rd Track At-Grade,

Parallel TRE Approach

To Davidson Yard

TRE T&P Station

To Tower 55

BNSF

UP Dallas Sub

Alternative 1c 3rd Track At-Grade,

Parallel TRE Approach

To Dallas

To Davidson

To Waco/MidlothianTo Temple

To Tower 60To Tower 60 To Hodge

Used for Peach – Davidson trains and backup only

Alternative 1c 3rd Track At-Grade,

Parallel TRE Approach

Feasibility of Commuter Rail Initiatives

Two initiatives, with multiple possible route alternatives

Southwest to Northeast Initiative– Access to DFW via DART (ex –

Cotton Belt)

Ft. Worth to Arlington/Dallas– Access via UPRR Dallas Sub

??

? ? XX

??

ITC StationT&P Station

Tower 55

Tower 60

To Dallas

To Saginaw

FWWR Jct,

To Temple

To Waco

SE to NW Commuter Initiative – Routing to ITC

SE to NW Commuter Initiative –

Routing to ITC

X X

X X X

UPBNSF

JointDART or FWWR

Conceptual Duncan to Choctaw, connect to DART at FWWR Jct.

Conceptual Duncan to DARTat Tower 60

Tower 60

Tower 55

ITC StationT&P Station

Conceptual Duncan to Rio, to DART

Conceptual new connection from TRE to Choctaw along alternative route

New Connection

New Trinity Bridge

SW to NE Commuter Initiative – ITC to Grapevine

SW to NE Commuter Initiative –

ITC to Grapevine

UPBNSF

JointDART or FWWR

Tower 60

ITC StationT&P Station

Conceptual new connection from TRE to Dallas Sub along alternative route

XX X

Crosses I-30

Tower 55 at-grade route likely to be unacceptable to RRs

Conceptual grade separation over I-35, I-30 to UPRR Dallas Sub

FTW/Arlington Commuter Initiative – ITC to Arlington

FTW/Arlington Commuter Initiative –

ITC to Arlington

Grade Separated Alternatives

N-S trench via BNSF approach to Tower 55

N-S trench via UPRR Choctaw approach to Tower 55– Three tracks through both trenches– Some at grade improvements

become sunk costs

E-W Flyover– At grade improvements incremental

step with flyover

XX

??

Tower 55

Tower 60

To Dallas

To Saginaw

FWWR Jct,

To Temple

To Waco

Alternative 2aBNSF Approach Trench

Alternative 2aBNSF Approach

Trench

ITC StationT&P Station

X X

To

Ho

dg

e

To Waco/MidlothianTo Temple

To Dallas

To Davidson

Amtrak

Alternative 2aBNSF Approach

Trench

XX

??

Tower 55

Tower 60

To Dallas

To Saginaw

FWWR Jct,

To Temple

To Waco

Alternative 2bUP Approach Trench

Alternative 2bUP Approach

Trench

ITC StationT&P Station

X X

To Dallas

To Davidson

To Waco/MidlothianTo Temple

BNSF FtW

UP Duncan

UP Choctaw

BNSF W. Falls or Choctaw 1

Amtrak

Alternative 2bUP Approach

Trench

??

? ? XX

??

Berry

Park Place

Vickery

White Settlement

FWWR to Cresson

Belt Jct.

Henderson

Tower 55

Tower 60

To Dallas

To Saginaw

FWWR Jct,

To Temple

To Waco

Alternative 3aE – W Flyover

Alternative 3aE – W Flyover

UP E – W Dallas Sub Traffic

ITC StationT&P Station

X X

X X X

??

? ? XX

??

Berry

Park Place

Vickery

White Settlement

FWWR to Cresson

Belt Jct.

Henderson

Tower 55

Tower 60

To Dallas

To Saginaw

FWWR Jct,

To Temple

To Waco

Alternative 4aFWWR Single Track Bypass

Alternative 4aFWWR Bypass

Possible Construction Bypass Option

ITC StationT&P Station

X X

X X X

??

? ? XX

??

FWWR to Cresson

Belt Jct. Birds

McCart

Benbrook

Berry

Vickery

White Settlement

Henderson

BNSF North and SouthboundUP Choctaw & Duncan North & Southbound

Tower 55

Tower 60

To Dallas

To Saginaw

FWWR Jct,

To Temple

To Waco

UP Choctaw & Duncan NW Wye

Alternative 4bFWWR Double Track Bypass

Alternative 4bFWWR Bypass

ITC StationT&P Station

X X

X X X

Additional Concepts

• Relocating Amtrak.

• Eliminating at-grade railroad crossings.

• Increasing fencing and sound barriers.

• Installing quiet zones.

• Expanding freight rail capacity nearby.

• Moving the Duncan Subdivision to public ownership.

• Adjusting track connections and dispatch authority.

• Investing in new signal and electronic switching/safety technologies.

• Relocating Davidson Yard.

• Establishing Tower 55 institutional and financial structures.

• Utilizing low-emission locomotive technology.

Additional Concepts

• No Build Scenario and other options will be considered during the federal environmental study process.

• NCTCOG staff is using $300 million as the best available estimate.