.

State of New York

MARIO M. CUOMO
Governor

Department of Transportation
JAMES L LAROCCA
Commissioner

f
NEW YORK STATE RAIL PRESERVATION PROGRAM ANNUAL REPORT

NOVEMBER, 1983

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NEW YORK STATE

DEPARTMENT

OF TRANSPORTATION

RAIL DIVISION

.'

NE\ol

YORK STATE

RAIL PRESERVATION PROGRAM

ANNUAL REPORT NOVEMBER, 1983

PREPARED IN CONFORMANCE WITH CHAPTER 257, SECt~ON 8, OF THE LAws OF 1975, AS AMENDED ANDCliApTER 369, SECTION 2, OF THE LAWS OF 1979

New York State .Department of Transportation Rail Planning & Marketing Bureau

Henry L. Pey rebrune'. __ Assistant Commissioner for Public Transportation

Louis Rossi Director, Rail Division

THIS PAGE LEFT INTENTIONALLY BLANK

TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGE

ITEN
LIST OF FIGURES INTRODUCTION CHAPTER 1: PROGRAN OVERVIEW

IV.
V.
1. 1. 2.

The Impact and Effectiveness of the State's Program Guidelines and Standards for Evaluating and Receiving Rail Service Assistance The Potential for Private Enterprise Solutions for Rail Services Program Administration CHAPTER 2: CHAPTER 3: PROGRAN ELEHENTS AND FUNDING LEVELS RAIL FREIGHT SERVICE

2.

6. 9. 13.

New York City-Long Island Full-Freight Access Program Upstate Freight Program Program of Upstate Freight Projects Undertaken With Bond Issue Funds Program of New York City-Long Island Freight Projects Undertaken With Bond Issue Funds CHAPTER 4: INTERCITY PASSENGER SERVICE

14.
17. 21.

30.

33. 34. 38.

High Speed Rail Program Very High Speed Service Feasibility Planning Program of Upstate Intercity Passenger Projects Undertaken With Bond Issue Funds CHAPTER 5: RAIL SAFETY PROGRAM

39.
43.

Safety Inspectiori Results At-Grade Crossing Improvement Program Grade Crossing Elimination Program Grade Separation Structure Reconstruction Program

44. 46.
48.

49.

LIST OF FIGURES

FIGURE
1

TITLE New York's Rail Volume Trends by Carrier

PAGE
13.
14. 15.
16.

2.
3.

Rail Traffic NYSDOT Traffic Freight

'74 - '82 Access Program

Full Freight

4.

Trends for "Road Railer" Service

5.

Ridership Comparison New York Services vs. Amtrak System Intercity Tiines Passenger Schedule

33.

6.

34.

7.

'Croton to Hoffmans 1975 vs . 1983 Ridership Generated

Track Conditions

35.

8.

at New Stations Passenger

36. 37.

9.

Sta:t-e-Sponsored Intercity Se-rvi ces 1977 - 1982

INTRODUCTION

Under the Laws of 1~76 and the Laws of 1979, the New York State Legislature directed the Commissioner of Transport at ion to prepare and submit to the Governor, as part of his annual budget request, a report which makes findings and recommendations with respect to the State's intercity rail passenger service, rail service preservation and rail service energy conservation programs. In addition to any other information the Commissioner determines appropriate, this report is to include the following: (a) the impact and effectiveness of the State's programs to continue and preserve rail passenger and rail freight services, including federal and state operating subsidy payments actually made and projected to be made; (b) the development of operating, pricing and fare guidelines, standards of service and equipment, and facility mainten~nce standards that may be applied in evaluating the cost and quality of service on those rail lines receiving state and/or federal operating and/or capital assistance; and, (c) an analysis which evaluates the potential for a permanent, long-range, privately financed solution to the deterioration of r.ail services for all rail lines receiving state and/or federal operating andlor capital assistance. this mandate is contained in legislation which initiated both the "Rail Preservation Bond Act of 1974" and the "1979 Energy Conservation Through Improved Transportation Bond Act". In compliance with this requirement, this New York,State Rail Preservation Program Annual Report is duly submitted to the New York State Legislature and to the citizens of New York State. In November, 1983, New York voters approved the "Rebuild New York" Bond Program. This bond program ~s expected to have a large, positive impact on the State's rail system. Over $238 million has been directly appropriated through this program for specific rail project~, and, as a result of potential federal matching funds and more detailed project identification, it is possible that up to $890 million over the next five years may be made available for rail related improvements. Initiation of the "Rebuild New York" program starts the State's Rail Program in a new direction. Funds made available from the 1974 and 1979 bond issues served their purposes well in stabilizing rail service and improving the State's physical rail network. The one component of the State's railroad system which could not be addressed in the past, however, was to decrease the inherent dangers which exist at interfaces between the railroads and the general public. . These interfaces, grade crossings, highway bridges over railroad rights of way, etc. are the focal point of the "Rebuild New York" bond program with regard to the Rail Program. Given this shift i~ direction, together with the fact that funds from both the 1974 and 1979 bond programs have or will be totally obligated within the next year, the Department intends to modify the structure of this report to address these matters. Future reports, will emphasize the status of the rail program in general and reflect the issues that most impact the State's rail service. It is felt that this change will enhance the usefullness of the report while still fulfilling its legislative mandate.

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This

report>

therefore>

wi 11

complete

the

past

practice

of

emphasizing

specific projects funded through previous bond programs.

,.

vi

CHAPTER 1
PROGRMI OVERVIE\v

This chapter fulfills the Legislature's mandate to report on: 1) the impact and effectiveness of the program; 2) guidelines used for evaluating and receiving assistance through the program; and, 3) a status report on the present potential for solving rail service problems through private enterprise. A. The Impact and Effectiveness of the State's Program The objective of the State's Rail Program continues to be the development and maintenance of a safe, economical, and energy-efficient rail transportation system to serve its people, businesses and industry. In recent years, work has focused primarily on the physical preservation and improvement of the existing rail system. A significant portion of the available funds has been invested in the preservation or improvement of competitive mainline freight service. Mainline facilities form the backbone of the State's rail system and are critical to maintaining truly competitive freight service. Preserving competitive service translates directly into economic savings for rail users and, ultimately, the consumer. This program ~f mainline/competitive service investments has resulted in a number of different types of economic benefits. For example, over 30,000 permanent industrial jobs have been - or will be - protected over the life of the program; the potential for the cleation of nearly 3,000 new jobs has. been developed; 33.7 person-years of direct and indirect construction employment are being generated for each million dollars of investment; a tOtal program well in excess of $1 billion has been put together, when funds from all sources are considered; and collateral economic activity of some $5 billion will be generated over the life of the program. Such results have made a significant contribution to the State's on-goi~g economic development activities, and will continue to do so for the fores~eable future. The physical comfort and safety aspects of the rail program are equally important. Rail-highway crossing projects are being implemented in priority order, in accordance with their accident history and/or potential. Similarly, projects which entail equipment acquisition, track rehabilitation and signal improvements have been undertaken to improve passenger comfort, reduce travel time and increase safety, in order to make rail intercity passenger and commuter travel more efficient and attractive. By improving rail service, we are also encouraging a shift from personal auto travel and truck transportation to rail, a mode which has been proven to contribute significantly less air and noise pollution to the environment. Finally, the issue of making available alternative, energy efficient modes of transportation remains important. The energy problems encountered by our nation during the past several years are harbingers of a

long-term trend, a trend with major implications for the future of our

transportation system. One implication is the Lnc reas Ing iwg.9;r,tance at conservation. Rail intercity passenger and commuter service are among the foremost energy conservation measures available to the traveling public. The Rail Preservation Bond Issue of 1974 and Energy Conservat Ior; r~rough Improved Transportation Bond Issue of 1979, as we17 ~~ legisl,tive appropriations, have allowed New York State to.gy1:; importa,nt headstart in revitalizing the rail mode and in ipcreq.sing both the capacity and efficiency of our rail passenger and freight syslems. This will result in significant energy savings.

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Though many of these comfort, safety and conservation benefits are considered subjective, in that a "price t ag" cannot be pli3.c~4 anthem, they enhance the physical well-being of New York's citizyns aIl4 c~rtq.iIlJy thiS is an aelded plus amid the more obvious and mor~ ti3.ngibl ~~qnRmiG benefits. B. Guidelines and Standards . Assistance c, for Evaluatin~ anel Receiving Rail Servic~

ci~d~ only

SeI ec t i on of a proposed improvement to be added to the Rap- Pr ogr am is after carefully e~aluating the specific problem ~nd altyinatiye means to address that problem. The selection of theqltHnqtiyg, if any, I's made only after an analysis of associated benefits and c?J?ts. Tlt~ concept of economic evaluation of proposed capital expend Lt ur es i? IlRt new to New York State's Rail Program. The experience ga,ineqt1ms fen: .i'nd ca t es that i quantitative Berie f i t y Cost techniques may be applied to most ~roject proposals. The usefulness of this technique, however, depel1ds' 'upon the amount and quality of information available; these vary c6ri~iderably from projLct to project. The technique i~ used, therefore, within tbeframework of the overall program objectives and priorities set by the Legis lature. It is a method to aid in selecting solutions to individual problems; it is not the ~ole basis for programming decisions. At the time a proposal is selected for implementation, its final parameters (size, scope and purpose) are documented in a grant agreement between the State and the Grantee. This agreement is a binding, contractural guarantee protecting the public investment. In all instances, the Department requires the improvements to be maintained, that the useable life of the improvements conform with the requirements attending bonded indebtedness, and that State funds are not substituted for private investment.

C.

The Potential

for Private

Enterprise

Solutions

for Rail

Services

The objectives of the State's Rail Program cannot be attained in the absence of a "private enterprise solution". The State has long recognized this fact and, in recent years, this fact has also been recognized by the Federal Government and the Congress. During the last two years a number of actions have had a s i.gni f i cant impact on the State's rail system. The continuing movement {oward deregulation, increased ratesetting freedoms, expedited abanqpnment procedures, the transfer of Conrail into the private sector~b.d similar actions will inevitably result in a restructuring of the'State's rail system and changes in the services provided to businesses and localities.

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The following sections discuss a number of the more important issues regarding rail service in this State. wh i ch the Department feels be ar directly on funding solutions through private initiative. 1. Conrail Conrail -the dominant carrier in New York State - was created as a for-profit corporation to operate the restructured rail systems of the former Penn Central, Er i e+La ck awanna , Lehigh Valley and other bankrupt railroads in the Northeast. The new system was created as a result of the United States Railway Association's Final System Plan, and began operations in early 1976. The USRA's expectations of profitability for Conrail, expectations upon which the Final System Plan and Conrail were based, were not met. After considering several studies and debating the Conrail problem, Congress ~assed legislation - the Northeast Rail Service Act of 1981 (NERSA) - that is designed either to assist Conrail in reaching financial self-sufficiency or lead to the dissolution of Conrail as an entity. NERSA makes one thing certain: Conrail will - in whol~ or in part - be transferred into the private sector in the foreseeable future. This will have a profound impact upon railroading in the Northeast. New York - State is not concerned that Conrail is required to demonstrate financial self -sufficiency. Economic viability for Conrail has always been our goal. Our concern is how this will be accomplished and the implications it has for the public investments in the State's rail freight and passenger systems. The Department is concerned with the potential impact of NERSA on both t.he Water Level and Southern Tier mainlines. New York State considers the preservation of mainline services on the routes, and on the D&H's link to the Albany area, essential to the State's economy. Preliminary studies into the potential impacts of the sale of Conrail show that the Water Level route would be attractive to any potential pur chas er . -The Southern Tier route, however, has historically attracted less attention as a strategic mainline route. To demonstrate the importance the State attaches to this route, it has funded a major rehabilitation program on the Southern Tier line. This has been complemented by a significant Conrail investment in the route. This investment program was intended to prevent the line from being downgraded-and to guarantee competitive mainline service across the entire Southern Tier, from New York to Buffalo and to the Pennsylvania border. Combined with an additional State investment in the D&H for mainline and feeder line rehabilitation, this strengthening of freight service was to assure customers of quality service on both the D&H's and Conrail's mainlines, and to customers on connecting branchlines. Finally, - there is the issue of the impending Conrail "transfer" itself. -How the transfer process will be implemented, the criteria that will be imposed upon it, the timing and the system and services involved are all issues of great importance to the State. The
,0..

')

Department has participated with the New Jersey Depa~tment of Transportation and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey to develop a report on "Contingency ~1arketing Strategies For Sale of Conrail II which addresses these issues and ensures that the public interests represented by these agencies are recognized and accommodated by the federal agencies charged with effecting Conrail's transfer to private ownership. The Statewide Task Force on the Transfer of Conr a i l , comprised of representatives of the State's rail-dependent shippers and communities, was formed in early 1983 to assist the New York State Department of Transportation in its efforts to evaluate the progress and potential impacts of the transfer of Conrail into the private sector. The purpose of this Task Force is to formulate a unified State position on issues raised by such a transfer. The Task Force's objectives are summarized as follows: to preserve competition within the rail industry in this State; to strengthen the existing rail system; and, to protect the public interest. These objectives have been expanded upon in a detailed Statement of Objectives adopted by the Task Force in September, 1983. Pz e s errt Ly , the Conrail transfer is still subject to unc ar t a.irrt y , NEB,SArequires that Conrail be sold by the Federal Governmer,lt eithel; as an entity or in parts. NERSArequired the USRABoard of Directors to determine whether or not, as of June 1, 1983, Conrail was profitab l e. \JSRA did find CR to be profitable. A second determination must be 'made after November 1 as to whether or not Conrail is profitab l e during the period June t.h ro igh October,1983. If Conrail's profitability is confirmed, USDOT is mandated to sell Conrail as an entity until June 1, 1984. Following this date, Conra iI may be sold either as an entity or in segments. 2. Delaware and Hudson

The D&H finished 1982 with a net loss of $20 million, a considerable worsening of its poor financial performance in 1981, when it posted a net loss of $15 million. This pattern has carried over into 1983 (as of the end of June, the net loss was nearly $10 million) and is likely to continue into the near future. On July 23, 1982, the Interstate Commerce Commission approved the acquisition of the D&Hby Guilford Transportation, Industries (GTl), which already owns the Maine Central Railroad Company and the Boston & Naine Railroad. This action cleared the way for GTI to acquire the D&H pending conclusion of negotiations between GTI and the Norfolk Southern Corp., the D&H' parent s company. When an agreement is reached, GTI will be in a position to coordinate the operations of a new Northeast rail system extending from Delson, Canada and Maine on the north, to Buffalo in the w~st and Washington, DC, to the south. This system will entail a total of nearly 4,000 route miles.

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This consolidation will enhance the D&H's viability allowing it and the other GTI system carriers to compete more effectively for rail freight traffit in the Northeast. The Department has worked v i gorous ly to help the D&H solve its problems. NYSDOT also intends to work closely with GTI following consolidation, to preserve and enhance the essential rail services necessary to New York's btisinesscs and localities. It is understood by all parties involved that GTI is assuming control of the D&H under adverse circumstances but that the only other alternative is to see the D&H declare bankruptcy. Bankruptcy is not desirable because of the immediate severe economic dislocations it would cause in the region served by the D&H. It would also serve to open the way for Conrail to become the sole mainline operator in all but the westernmost portion of the State. This would destroy any hope of fostering competitive rate-making in the State and jeopardize essential services in certain regions; especially on the Southern Tier. The Department must be realistic, however, because even though the D&H will be saved from bankruptcy through GTI's takeover, not every current job will be preserved nor will every trade-off work to the State s benefit. Within this framework, however, .NYSDOT will do everything in its power to alleviate these hardships.
I

A $20 million capital program of projects is being developed for the D&H System. This fully commits all funds appropriated in the Upstate Freight component of the 1979 Bond Program. 3. Long Is13nd Rail Road (LIRR) Freight Service The Goverrtor's message accJmpanying the SFY 1980-81 Executive Budget included a call for the measured withdrawal of State subsidies for L1RR freight services. Since 1970, these subsidies have totalled over $250 million. The objective was to find a private enterprise solution t'othe LIRR S freight problem, not only to preserve this essential service, but to strengthen it. A private enterprise solution !would also eliminate the uncertainties surrounding the provision of annual subsidies.
I

Since early 1981, the New York State Department of Transportation has worked closely with the LIRR to establish a basis for a profitable operation. This mutual effort has resulted in a number of changes in LIRR freight accounting procedures, service patterns, use of human resources, .and management practices. As a result, the financial performance of L1RR's freight service has improved significantly. In 1980, LIRR freight service registered a net operating loss of $18.5 million. Losses have been steadily reduced and are expected to be between $5.0 and $6.0 million for 1983. Eliminating this remaining annual loss poses a more difficult problem and requ i res a major re-evaluation of how the L1RR provides rail freight service. But, one thing is clear: the cost of providing freight service 01'\ Long Island must be reduced to a level more characteristic of a' rail-terminal or shortline operation. In

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response to this challenge, LIRR has undertaken technical studies to determine what specific steps it can take to further reduce the operating losses. If, at the conclusion of this effort, the LIRR is unable to establish a viable operation on its own, the Department intends to solicit proposals from private operators to provide over LIRR's freight service on a contract basis. 4. Intercity Passenger Service The Department has sought to initiate the constructio:a efforts necessary to provide high speed intercity passenger service west of Hoffmans to Buffalo. A maj or institutional obstacle h aa emerged, however. Conrail, the owner of the line, is unwilling to pursue upgrading of its existing track system to higher speeds claiming increased interference and reduced capacity for its reigh,t trains. Thus, extending high speed passenger service to the west ffililY require constructing a new third track which would be dedicated to passenger service. The Department has initiated a special track capaqity study which would examine existing conditions and track capacity and identify the operating implications associated with the establishment of high speed rail service. Administration

D.

Program

It is frequent ly, but incorrect Ly , thought that the Rail Division s responsibility is limited to development of intercity passenger and freight capital projects under the 1974 and 1979 Bond Acts and the various direct legislative appropriations. While these are the most visible element of the rail program, they account for approximately only one-fifth of the rail prograffiworkload. Other work responsibilities of the Rail Division include: Nanagement program. of the State's rail/highway grade crossing elimination

Planning, management, design, bility for the grade crossing 80 projects annually C$8N).

and construction monitoring responsiprotection program which now averages

Safety inspection of all rail trackage and rolling with the exception of the ~!TA/LIRR system.

stock

in the State

Hon.i o ri.ng and enforcement t of the rail bond contracts to safeguard the maintenance and service conditions of State agreements under most elements of the bond programs. Participation in several Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC) merger cases and other requests by railroads for actions which could impact rail service in New York State. Current cases being reviewed by the Department include: Conrail's proposed sale of the Canada Southern Railroad; the Pittsburg & Lake Erie t s petition for trackage rights over the Norfolk & Western Railway to Buffalo; and establishment o! the Somerset Railroad.

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Affirmative action programs focusing on the development enterprise in the rail program.

of minority

Participation in federal rule-making proceedings defining the regulations under which rail carriers in the State operate, and under which public llssistllnce programs I1re funded llnd managed. Supervising construction financed rail projects; agreements and billings. of Department-let or railroad-let publicly this also entai Is the process ing of all

Implementing the State-supported was initiated in 1982.

branchline

assistance

program, which

All of these responsibilities, most of which pre-date the State's first involvement in an actual rail capital assistance program, extend beyond the rail program's unique and nationally significant program to modernize the intercity rail passenger and freight facilities in the State. Responsibili ty for the Rail Program activities was consolidated in the Rail Division in March, 1978. At that time, we emphasized the need for clearer delineation between the State and federal programs. The federal program is narrow in scope and fixed in time; the State program is continuous and broader in scope. It is essential to recognize the limits of the non-federal program areas (such as passenger service, review of rate structures, improvement or retention of mainlines, etc.) and their continuing importance to New York. The current climate at the federal level bears this out. Both deregulation and the proposed breakup and sale of Conrail will place severe burdens on the Rail Divison staff. This comes at a time when no federal funds for staff will be available. Since the factors leading to the creation of the State and federal programs were interrelated, and the programs emerged at roughly the same time, there is the impression that the goals, methodology, activities, etc. of the two programs are more closely related than actually is the case. As a result of a fortunate ballooning in federal aid to New York State, between 1976 arid 1978, the State was able to shift many positions that had been created for State Purposes to temporary service, federal certificate positions. This permitted dramatic savings in the State operating budget during those years. But, as was expected, the ability to charge State Purposes expenses to a federal budget is ending and it is essential that the 23 existing temporary service positions in the Rail Division be made a part of the regular state operating budget. In the 1982-83 State Fiscal Year,ten of the Rail Division temporary positions were converted into regular State Purposes items. Funds to complete this process in 1983-84 fiscal year were requested but denied. Funds are again requested in the 1984-85 budget. .

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THIS PAGE LEFT INTENTIONALLY BLANK

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CHAPTER PROGRAN ELHIENTS

2 LEVELS

AND FUNDING

This

chapter presents a summary of the six major funding elements that support the Department's Rail Preservation Program and the program areas that each of these elements is intended to address. While certain aspects of the rail program have been a part of the Department I s capital program for a number of years (e.g., the reconstruction of rail-highway grade separation structures), the rail program, in fact, began with the passage of the Rail Preservation Bond Act of 1974, which provided a State appropriation of $250 million for rail program purposes. Since that time, the program has grown substantially and now totals nearly $1.7 billion from all sources. Following is a brief description Rail Preservation Program: A. $250 Million Rail Preservation of the six major elements that make up the

Bond

Issue

The Rail Preservation Bond Act of 1974 established a rail program to ensure the preservation of essential rail services and the eligibility of the State for federal financial assistance. It authorized creation of a State debt of $250 million to preserve, restore, and improve rail transportation capital facilities and equipment. The authorizing act (Chapter 118) was passed by the Legis lature and signed by the Governor on April 1, 1974. On November 5, 1974, the voters of New York State approved t he proposed $250 million bond program. On June 24, 1975, the Governor signed Chapter 257 into law. This act. which made the appropriations available, specified the four major program categories shown below: 1974 RAIL BOND FUND APPROPRIATIONS CATEGORY Intercity Rail Passenger Service Commuter Rail Service New York City-Long Island Freight Upstate Freight Service BY CATEGORY STATUS Obligated Obligated Obligated Obligated

Service

APPROPRIATION $ 49,500,000 93,000,000 45,000,000 62,500,000 $250,000,000

Fully Fully Fully Fully

All bond projects. B. $30 Million

funds

thus

made

available

have

been

committed

to

specific

Essential

Rail Services

Appropriation

As part of the Rail Preservation Bond Act of 1974, the Legis lature appropriated a sum of $30 million to be immediately available to further the most urgent. aspects of the Rail Preservation Program) such as the reinstitution of discontinued passenger services and the rehabilitation of track and equipment on high priority lines. All funds made available through this appropriation have been committed to specific projects.

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C.

~soo
Issue

~1illion Energy

Conservation

Through

Improved

Transportation

Bond

The Energy Conservation Through Improved TransportatiOh Bond Act of 1979 authorized the creation of a State debt of $500 million for t he purpos e of ensuring a program of energy conservation by preserving and improving rapid transit, commuter, intercity rail passenger and tail freight capital facilities and equipment, as well as local streets and highways. This program was endorsed by the voters of New York State on November 6, 1979. From this program, a total of $400 million was appropriated to assist in the improvement of urban, commuter, intercity rail pass.n8~tl r~~id transit system, and rail freight capital facilities, as shown be1Bw: 1979 RAIL RELATED BOND FUND APPROPRIATIONS BY CATEGORY STATUS ObligatiBn Pending Fully Obligated Fully dbligated Fully dbligated

CATEGORY Intercity Rail Passenger Service Commuter Rail Service New York City-Long Island Freight Upstate Freight Service

Service

APPROPRIATION $ 26,000,000 270,000,000 34,000,000 70,000,000 $400,000,000

D.

$10 Million

Early

Implementation

Appropriation

As part of the 1979 Energy Conservation Through Improved Transportati6rt Bond Act, the Legislature app=opriated $10 million from the capital construction fund for commencement of rail and rapid transit projects prior to enactment of the Bond Act itself; of this amount, $5 million was provided to this Department and $5 million to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority. All funds made available through this appropriation have been committed to specific projects. E. Local Rail Service Assistance Program

This federally sponsored branch line assistance program was established by Congress as part of the Regional Rail Reorganization Act of 1973 (3R Act). It was designed to ease the impact of large sc a l.e abandonments resulting from the reogranization of bankrupt railroads and the formation of Conrail in the 17 state northeast/midwest reg i.on . The Railroad Revitalization and Regulatory Reform Act of 1976 (4R Act) created a national branchline assistance program. As an amendement to the 4R Act, the Local Rail Service Assistance Act of 1978 served to liberalize th~ criteria required for branchlines to become eligible for assistance under this program. Sinc.e 1976, New York State has been allocated nearly $41 million in branchline assistance funding. The program's size and the amount allocated to this state - has diminished markedly over the last several years and is now a minor share of the overall program. It is expected

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that this fed~~al program will be discontinued when current authorization expires next year -- indeed funding has already been reduced to trans!" tional levels. F. State Funded Local Rail Service Assistance Program

Because the Federal Local Rail Service Assistance Program is coming to an end, and also because Conrail is likely to continue abandoning various branch lines the Legislature appropriated $19.4 million for fiscal years 1981 - 83 to initiate New York's own Local Rail Service Assistance program. The State's "self-help" program was the primary reason NYSDOT has been successful in preserving rail service on 75% of those lines Conrail targeted for abandonment. The Local Assistance Program will require a permanent appropriation of $S million annually. G. Rail Safety Program

This program consists of three separate project areas: at-grade crossing elimination projects; grade crossing separation reconstruction projects; and, at-grade crossing improvement projects. Grade Crossing Elimination Program

The purpose of this program is to eliminate specific rail-highway atgrade crossings. This program is subject to regulatory action by NYSDOT, upon petition by the muncipality having jurisdiction over the involved highway. The program is financed with State funds (less any federal funds received), and is subject to annual legislative appropriations. Through the "Rebuild New York" Bond Program alone, seven grade separation projects will be initiated. The largest of these, in the Village of Mineola on Long Island will eliminate six at-grade crossings alone. Other proj ects will eliminate all public) at-grade crossings in Amtrak I s high-speed territory and at many locations with high volumes of train and auto traffic along the Empire Corridor. Railroad Law Bridge Reconst~uction

This program provides for the rehabilitation, alteration or replacement of existing rail/highway grade separation structures on non-state highways. This program is also subject to regulatory action by NYSDOT, upon petition by the muncipality having jurisdiction over the highway. This program is financed with State funds (less any federal funds received) and is also the subject of annual legislative appropriations. Funds for these programs tend to fluctuate from year to year and reflect the general fiscal status of the State as a whole. While the federal funds available are significant, the bulk of the funds in the past years have been provided by the State. Rail-Highway Crossing Improvement

The purpose of this program is to eliminate hazards at grade crossings either on or off the federal-aid highway system. At least fifty percent

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of the apportioned funds must be used to Lnst a l l qr impro,y~ o/amip,~ devices at rail/highway crossings. Remaining funds may p~ l1r:;~.qfqr a variety of other improvements, ~uch as surface treatment, ~rld~ !ep4fation, relocation, and so on. Ninety percent of t hi.s pr9~Hm ~~ fl!!1q~4 from federal sources. In add i t Ion to the major fund sources discussed above, t.he PePirn:qJent has been active in exploring the use of funds from otper ~Ql!rces. Fq+ exa~ple, advantage pas peen taken of the expanded Highwqy Bridge Repl,+s:'~ment\ and Rehab i Lit a t Lon progrCim authorized under the (federal) Sur face TfeH;;;PQftation Ass i s t anc e Act of 1978 to advance several rail-highway. ?r4d~ ~~R~ration reconstr~c~ion projects. Th~ Depa~tment.will continue ~o 1~lt~~stvil~ ~~f~~e such add i t i.ona I funds for r a i l projects an the future, III 9:r4H tq ffi81l,nt th~ most comprehensive program of improvements possible. .'

-12

CHAPTER

RAIL FREIGIIT SERVICE

Despite continuing dominance of motor carriers, railroading in New York State plays an important role in moving cqu tpmcn t and raw materials to industry, feed and fertilizer to farmers, and manufactured goods and produce to consumer markets. Conrail is the dominant rail service supplier in the State, with the Delaware and Hudson in the eastern portions and the Chessie System (B&O) in western counties ilso contributing significant shares to the total. FIGURE
I

NEW YORK S RAIL VOLmlE BY CARRIER Carrier Tonnage (Thousands) 27,334 3,696 2,723 1,660 991 2,903 39,307 Sample. Share %

Conrail Delaware & Hudson Baltimore & Ohio Long Island Norfolk & Western All Others TOTAL SOURCE:

70% 9 7 4 3 7 -100%

1980 ICC 1% Waybill

The figures shown above reflect only each carrier's local pickup and delivery of traffic: traffic that the carrier either originates or terminates in New York State. Conrail', even as large as it is, still relies upon other carriers to move two-thirds of its carloads for some portion of every trip. All short line and terminal carriers rely on other railroads for every route they offer. Thus, the ability of the carriers in New York State to provide viable services is largely reflective of the health and vitality of the rail system as a whole. Nationwide, the volume of revenue freight originated on lines of Class I carriers during 1982-- some 1,453 million tons -- was down about 2.6 percent from the 1981 total. The annual tonnage value has remained relatively constant for the last several years and, allowing for the temporary fluctuations caused by changing economic conditions, is likely to remain so for the foreseeable future. A more useful measure of rail traffic trends is the "revenue ton-mile". Figure 2 provides selected data for this statistic for Class I carriers for the United States as a whole and for the Eastern District. The difference between the tonnage and ton-mile trends is primarily a reflection of significantly longer hauls in recent years due, in part, to an increase in coal and intermodal traffic and to a decline in shorter distance general merchandi~emovements.

- l3 -

FIGURE 2 RAIL TRAFFIC TRENDS 1974 - 1982(1) YEAR REVENUE TON -HILES United States (Billions) 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 851.0 754.3 794.1 826.3 858.1 913.7 918.6 910.2 797.8 Eastern District (Billions) 248.4 217.9 216.6 211. 3 197.6 214.1 202.0 196.3 176.1 Association Eastern Distri~t ~hare of Uni tedStates

(%)
29.2 28.9 27.3 25.6 23.0 23.4 22.0 21.6
22 .1

(1) Yearbook of Railroad Facts: Washington, bc, September, 1983

of American

Railroads (AAR) ,

Recently, the recessionary economy has had a negative Impact; upon t he rail industry. This impact began to be felt in late 1981 and continued through 1982. National year-to-date ton-miles for 1983 are down 0.6% compared to those for 1982. It is uncertain if the traffic decline has reache I bottom but it is encouraging that an economic growth trend has begun. Taking advantage of this upturn in the economy, however, will continue to be a difficult task. For more than a decade now, New York State has been in th~ unfortunate position of having almost all its rail freight service operated by financially unstable railroads. While Conrail's positive financial performance during the last two years and the pending incorporation of the Delaware & Hudson into an expanded GTI system are hopeful signs, the negative effects of the earlier trend will remain for some time to come. Thus, we intend to continue working closely with affected shippers and communities, and with the carriers themselves, to satisfactorily address our common problems. Some 6f the efforts are described below. A. New York City - Long Island Full-Freight Access Program

Rail Freight service to lower Westchester County, New York City and Long Island had become increasingly less economical due to restrictive clearances that have made it impossible for the newer, larger cars in the rail fleet to reach shippers in the area. Similarly, it was impossible to exploit the rapidly growing intermodal (TOFC) markets. Prior to the State's program to improve clearances, the direct rail route to New York City via the Hudson Line had a 15'3" vertical clearance limit, prohibit . ing more than 17 percent of the Nation's rail car fleet at that time, and all TOFC traffic, from accessing New York City and Long Island shippers. As the fleet is upgraded, this percentage grows, aggravating the area's

- 14 -

~IGURE 3 17'-6" MINI~ SelkirkCLEAHANCE PROGPA11

~

Highbridge

Modify 18 Bridges south of Irvington to obtain clearance - Complete

Highbridge -'Oak.Point Construct New Rail Link - Under Construction

(2) Oak
f-" V1

Point - Fresh Pond

Minor obstructions

~. Fresh

Pond - Hicksville

Modify structure o~ lower track for 7 bridges between Fresh Pond and Hicksville - Under Construction ~ Bay Ridge Line Track lowering under 24 st.ruc ures t Under Cons t.ruct on L ~ West Side Line No obstructions
Terminal Location Intermodal Terminal
(j)
3

*
**

Interim Terminal - Final Terminal locations are being evaluated,

Extracted
fl:'ODl

Oak Point

Link Study

AlII

econom.i c relocated While fiscal in8ful

disadvantage. outside the

This is also New York City/Long

one reason why' industries Island area.

have

this situation had been recognized for some t.Lme, w i t hout; ade quat.e resources and a coordinated approach to the problem, no meanimprovement could be made. With the advent of the Department's Rail Program, however, these two obstacles were overcome . The Full Freight Access Program has now been developed to correct these freight system deficiencies in a coordinted manner. Part of the program is a $20 million project under the 1974 Rail Bond Issue to eliminate overhead clearance restrictions between the Selkirk Yard and Highbridge in the Bronx. All restrictions under 17'6" have been corrected to provide a m i n imum clearance of 18' 0" (Figure 3). Completion of this Ln i t La I part or the program allowed intermodal service to HighbridgeYard i~ the Bronx to b~gin in E82. Below Highbridge, car heights are still limited to 15'6" into Oak Point Yard by other clearance obstructions thi~ will be e'orrected by t he South Bronx-Oak Point Link project ,which is now under cbnstruetion and will be open in 1985.

Tiakingadvantage of the new accessibility to imtermodal se.rv i.c e , the Dep ar tment.Ls negotiations with Conrail and the BiModal 'Corporation led, in the Fall of 1982, to the initiation of a new form of "TOFC" service be tween Buffalo, Rochester, 'and New York City (Highbridge)calledtne "tmpi're St at'e : Xpress" . This service is noteworthy because it us-es new, i'ftate-6'f -t'lre-ilrt equipment supplied by private investment. This new equ ipmerrt ves'serrt La l l y consists of truck trailers spe c i a l Iy -equs.pped xci.t.h rail 'W'fleels so that the trailers can be made up as a train without having 't6be'placed on flat can" as is typical in TOFe operations. It provides 'New Yd'rkshippers with lower rate; and more fuel-efficiEmt shipping. The r a t'e vof 'increase -for this service is shown in Figure 4 below.

I I
I

II
I
FIGURE 4

I I

TRAFFIC TRENDSFOR "ROADRAILER"FREIGlIT SERVICE

Average Nonth November 1982 February 1983 March 1983 (NYC/Rochester October 1983 (Service Began) Per

# Dar10ads
Per Day

II
II

Week

41 117 133 269

9.6 23.5 32.1 54.0

Service

Began)

I~
I
I

I I
I

1 6 -

Subsequent phases of the Full Freight Access Program are being advanced under the 1979 Rail Bond Issue. Projects already wlderway will eliminate clearance restrictions on the Bay Ridge line to Bush Terminal, and on the LIRR by the time the Oak Point Link is ready for use. Completion of these phases of the program w i II result in full intermodal services to ~ New York City and Long Island. Event.ually this will create a need for permanent facilities in order to provide adequate access to the users of these services throughout the area. The present plan calls for building a major new TOFC/COFC facility in the Bronx at the site of the Harlem River Yard on property now owned by the State. components of the Full Freight Access Figure 3 details the project The costs Program. All proj ects are scheduled to be complete by 1985. of these projects are: A. Clearances to Highbridge B. South Bronx Oak Point Link C. & E. Oak Point-Bay Ridge D. LIRR Clearances Harlem River Yard (Phase 1) $20 70 6 5 10 million million million million million

B.

Upstate

Freight

Program

Main Line

Imptovem~nts

As noted in earlier reports in this series, New York State has continued to make investments in its mainline rail freight system in order to sec He reliable cost-competitive services for ies rail dependent businesses and localities. The joint, Conrail/NYSDOT $15 million project to improve the Syracuse . Massena Line has been complet~d. The benefit of this improvement is already evident as Conrail now offers an efficient, reliable and timely service between Canada and Selkirk which benefits all rail customers along this route. The Southern Tier program of improvements is also complete. The State investment of approximately $27 million in this $]0 million program has made possible improvements to the Graham Line Ln vOr ange County. Subsequently all rail service has been transferred from the old Main Line to the Graham Line the new Main Line of 'the Southern Tier. Improvements at Wellsville and Olean have been completed and placed in operation. These, and other investments in the Southern Tier, have preserved mainline services which are vital to shippers across the region. As the inclusion of the Delaware and Hudson into the Guilford Transportation System draws near, discussions have begun regarding the needs of the new GTl system. Projects now planned include improving the Binghamton to Rouses Point mainline and several yard programs. The yards will be discussed under the Yards, Shops and Equipment section of the Program Report. These improvements are very important to GTl as the D&H system will be called on to carry a greater volume of traffic once the proposed system is complete. Although no specific improvements have been identified it is expected the improvements to D&H system will cost about $20 million.

- 17 -

Branchlines The State I s basic approach to the branchline problem is to retain those rail services deemed essential to meet the transportation needs of the agricultural and industrial sectors and the consumers in general at aconom ic a l rates. The branchline program or i g i.na l Iy arose(i)ut of the r a i l reorganization efforts that preceded Conrail. At that time, the State was faced with massive abandonments that threatened ,tite State's industrial base. The first phase of the program was successful and is clemonstrated by the fact that no firm has left New York State because of loss of rail service despite the elimination of nearly 1,000 miles in its branchline system. In late 1981, another major restructuring of the rail system in New York State began, this time in response to the Northeast Rail Service Act of 1981 (NERSA). This Act set a single goal for Conrail: profitability. NERSA gave that carrier a number of new prerogatives to exercise in pur su ing profits. One of these prerogatives -- the l1expedited abandon~entll process -- allows Conrail to abandon virtually any line it chooses t.o, upon short notice, without having to demonstrate the "public convenience and necessity" of such actions. The "expedited abandonment" freedoms under NERSAremain available to Conrail until October 31, 1985. Despite the short (90 days) prior notification requirement, NYSDOT has dealt successfully with virtually all the immediate problems caused by these abandonments. The State-funded Local Rail Service Assistance Pr og r am has made it possible to deal in an orderly manner with the pptentially chaotic branchline situation created by Conrail's abandonments. Continuation of t.h i s program at a level of $5 million per year, is necessary so the State can be in a position to mitigate any adverse economic impacts anticipated as a result of branchlin~ rationalization, not only by Conrail, but also by other major carriers in the State. In May, 1983, Conrail filed a Notice of Insufficient Revenue, which is a preliminary abandonment notice, on Brooklyn's Bay Ridge Line, which extends from Fresh Pond Jct. on the north, (the interchange point with the Long Is land Rail Road), to Bay Ridge on the Brooklyn Waterfront. This filing raises the most serious economic issues, to date, in the second phase of Conrail's expedited abandonments. There are several industries on this line which are dependent on rail service and it is economically urgent that direct service be continued. The State has made substantial investments to improve rail facilities on the Brooklyn Waterfront. A project now under construction will not only rehabilitate the Bay Ridge Line but also extend, to the Waterfront area, clearance improvements made under the Full Freight Access Clearance Improvement project. The Department anticipated this proposed abandonment. and requested the Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) to study the feasibility of assuming control of operations on this line. The Study found that a LIRR operation would likely be viable and the LIRR has initiated purchase negotiations with Conrail. The Department w i 11 work closely with LIRR to achieve an equitable solution for continuation of rail service.

II
I

I
I

I
I

I
i

II I,
I

- 18 -

Service to the Brooklyn Waterfront was further threatened when New York Dock Ra i lwuy (NYD) and Brooklyn l.ns rn District t.c Te nn inal Railroad (BEDT), which is controlled by NYD, applied to the Ice in May, 1983, for authority to abandon operations at Bush, Atlantic and Kent Terminals in Brooklyn, and at the Conrail car f loa t interchange in Greenville, N.J. NYSDOT also anticipated this abandonment and requested further studies by LIRR which f ound the LIRR capable of profitably operating Bush and Atlantic Terminals. The feasibility study thus provided a contingency plan in the even~ othei proposals for private operation of these properties were not successful. On June 3, 1983, the New York Cross Harbor Terminal Rail Road (NYCH), a new company formed when NYD and BEDT announced their intention to abandon operations, applied to the ICC for authority to operate the car float service and NYD' s terminal operations at Bush and Atlantic Terminals. In early July, the ICC approved the abandonment of BEDT operations at Kent Terminal. The ICC exempted the transaction between NYD and NYCH from provisions of the Interstate Commerce Act and dismissed NYD's abandonment application. NYCH assumed control of the operation in mid-August, 1~83 and the transition was accomplished without interrupting service to rail customers. The Department will enter into an agreement with NYCH for service and maintenance of the improvements already made on the Brooklyn Waterfront facilities; improvements sponsored and owned by the State. NYD's residual liabilities are being explored. Shortlines Independently operated short lines have always been an importaLt element in rail freight operations in the State, providing essential services 0:1 lines considered marginal or unprofitable by Class I carriers. These operations are generally lightly capitalized, producing profit levels inadequate to generate funds for capital investments. Assistance is usually required to reverse years of physical and marketing neglect on the part of the former opera~ors. The 1982 report described four new or expanded shortline operations in the State which resulted from Conrail's first round of expedited abandonments. In late 1982, another new shortline, the Tonawanda Island Railroad Corp. (TIRC) purchased the Tonawanda Is land Industrial Track in North Tonawanda. The Lndus t r ial track was abandoned by Con~ail through the expedited proceeding. TIRC offers rail users connections with both the D&H and Conrail. The State is providing financial assistance to this operation in the form of start-up costs and emergency rehabilitation. TIRC has purchased the former EL Dock Line in North Tonawanda, (also abandoned by Conrail), and the State will assist in track rehabilitation and fund a connection to the Tonawnda Industrial Track to allow access to Conrail's Niagara Branch; a connection essential to the success of the operation. To the extent possible with available funds, the Department will continue the assistance necessary to establish and support shortline operations; operations which are necessary for maintaining essential rail services.

- 19 -

Y.ards,Shops and Equipment 1he 1'f79 Bond Issue made available some $12.9 million to coirt Lnue the "yards, shops and equipment" portion of the program. Thl:!se Funds lh-e ~xpected to generate sufficient, additional money to en~bl~ th~ b!pstt~ ~ent to ~ount a major effort in this vital area. As m~htiohdd ~arl1~tl th~ Department has been discussing with GTI the antic!pat~d n~~d~ of the new system. Under discussion for this program af~ ma j or improvement e f fort s at Hechanicville (consolidation of the B&M and D&H nkilities), East Binghamton (construction of a locomotive f ac i li t y ) , and Buffalo (rehabiltatioh of Conrail's former JX Yard for the D&H). A program to make major improvements in the Buffalo Termihai laeiiities is hO~ in the agteement stage. Thi~ $4.7 millioh program ~ili ~atibhai~ lze the re~ioritsroute structure, aliow the removal of cledt~h~@ t~sttictions and eiimihate redundant yard and terminal facilities in the. area. These improvements will result in th~ consolidation 6f lirt~ana terfuirial 6~erdtiorisl ~hd make local service more efficient. Additiohal eielhents of the yard program will include itnprovingInte rmeda I t.emInals 1ihd rail support facilities in the State. (e. g., at Albany, r BUlfalo, Elmira, Syracuse, Utica, and Binghamton).

- 20 -

PROGRAM OF UPSTATE FREIGHT PROJECTS UNDERTAKEN WITH 1974 BOND ISSUE FUNDS PROJECT Rehabilitation Mainline of D&H DESCRIPTION Track rehabilitation to D&H mainline including work on the Coolidge, Lake George. S. Glens Falls Branches. Rehabilitation of 28 D&H locomotives. In-depth consultant study to determine market impacts, profitability and costs to the D&H. Rehabilitation of the entire 19.6 miles Fonda. Johnstown and Gloversville RR. Yard Work to improve efficiencies of freight movement and track work on Fitchburg Mainline. Rehabilitation of 8.4 miles of track serving port industries. Rehabilitation to FRA Class 3 standards Rehabilitation of track along the Greenwich and Johnsonville RR. 796,000 STATE FUNDING $13.105.000 TOTAL COST $32.213.000 STATUS Complete

Rehabilitation Loc:omotives

of D&H

3.410.000

4.015.000

Complete

D&H Market Study

144.000

144.000

Complete

Track Improvements on FJ&G

1.705.000

1,655.000

Complete

Rehabilitation of B&M Mechanicville Yard

1,902.000

2.213 ,000

Complete

Rehabilitation of Albany Port RR. Rehabilitation of West Shore Secondary Track Improvements on G&J

2.180.000

2,600.000

Complete Complete

2.084.000 796.000

Complete

PROGRAMOF'UPS''rATEFREIGI;lT,PJWJECTS UNDERTAl(ENMI'TH.1974 BOND ISSUE FUNDS (Ieo;nt inue.d) PROJECT Rehabilitation Locomotive of OBPA DESCRIPTION Rebuilding of locomotive serving Ogdensburg Bridge and Port Authority. Construction of Radisson Yard to improve service in Syracuse area. Track rehabilitation between Utica and Lyons Falls. Track rehabilitation on Central New York RR from Richfield Jct. to Richfield Springs. Rehabilitation of 27 mile Phoenix Branch between Syracuse and Oswego and five miles of Massena Branch. Track rebab i Lt.t.at ton-between Syracuse and Geneva. TOTAL COST
$ 101.000

STATE FUNDING
$ 91,000

STATUS Complete

Yard Construction at Lysander Track Improvements on Lyons,al1s Branch

t<) N

2,700,000

2,700,000

Complete

5,753,000

5,753,000

Complete Complete

Track Improvements on CNY Rehabilitation Branch of Phoenix

766,000

766,000

3,615.000

3,615,000

Complete

'. Rehabilitation Branch

of Auburn

#,;1)00,.000

7,364.,000

.,

PROGRAM OF UPSTATE FREIGHT PROJECTS UNDERTAKEN WITH 1974 BOND ISSUE FUNDS (continued) TOTAL COST $ 280,000 STATUS Complete

PROJECT Track Connection at Batavia '

DESCRIPTION Construction of connection between Caledonia Branch ~nd Fo;mer LV Mainline. Track rehabilitation of 44 mile terminal railroad. Installation of new welded rail, ties. and ballast on old PC Mainline between Buffalo and Niagara Falls. Construction of Flexi Flo Boiler required to provide Steam for goods transfer. Construction of a Rail/Truck interface facility near Buffalo. Construction of rail/truck interface facility at Fair Oaks.

STATE FUNDING

Track Improvements on Niagara Jct. RR. Track Improvements on Niagara Branch

578,000 6,058,000

$ 1,156,000

Complete Complete

6,058,000

Construction of Boiler Facility in Buffalo

220,000

Complete

Construction of Transloading Facility at Clarence Construction of Transloading Facility at Fair Oaks

23,000

Complete

15,000

Complete

PROGRAM OF' UFSl'AtE:; F~EIGHT PROJE'C-rS. UNDERTAKEN..wiIr'.tH< 1974 BOND ISSW FtmlJS'
.' " -., ~ "',','"." .' _ .' ,-,-' " ..,-,-,','.' <" . '. " -. .'.'.'.'.' .' .'

PROJECT Construction of Industrial Park in Rochester Track Improvements Ontario Secondary and Sodus Bay Branches Track Cbnrrec Lon At t Wallltfrg.teriL

DESCRIPTION New trak to provide service to Outer Loop Industrial Park. Rehabilitation of segments between Wallington to Webster and Newark to Sodus Point. Construction of connection between Ontario and Sodus Bay Branches. Construction of connection between CR Mainline and Marion Branch. Construction of connections between Former LV Mainline" and Auburn Branch. Construction of. connection between Penn Yan and Sodusv. Bay Branches.
$

TOTAiL" COST' 402,000 $ 402,000

STATUS Complete

1,785,000

Complete

351,000

Complete

Track Connection at Newark Track Connections at Victor and Shortsville Track Connection at Penn Yan

352,000

Complete

700,000

PROGRAM OF UPSTATE FREIGHT PROJECTS UNDERTAKEN WITH 1974 BOND ISSUE FUNDS (continued) PROJECT Improvements on Southern Tier Mainline DESCRIPTION Track and signal improvements between Suffern and Jamestown, reconstruction ~f CR Olean Yard and of Graham Line. Track rehabilitation between Owego and Harford Mills. Rehabilitation of 16 mile Cooperstown and Charlotte Valley RR. Rehabilitation of D&H's main classification yard. Correction of immediate track/roadbed deficiencies. Accelerated Maintenance projects on various branchlines subsidized with Federal funds. $78,277 ,00 STATE FUNDING $26,900,000 TOTAL COST $ 70,700,000 STATUS Underway

Rehabilitation of Freeville Secondary Rehabilitation

N \.Jl

1,171 ,000 578,000

1,875,000 578,000

Complete Complete

of C&GV

Rehabilitation of Oneonta Yard Track Improvements on D&H Adirondack Branch Accelerated Maintenance Projects Statewide

193,000 630,000

193,000 870,000

Complete Complete

3,271,600

Complete

$155,542,600

PROGRAM OF UPSTATE FREIGHT PROJECTS UNDERTAKEN WITH 1979S0ND ISSUE FUNDS PROJECT Improvements to Southern Tier Mainline Improve Washington and Salem Branch Remsen - Lake Placid DESCRIPTION Continued track, signal, and yard work including Middletown Track Relocation. Rehabilitation of track between Eagle Bridge - Salem and Greenwich. Settlement of acquisition from Penn Central. Rehabilitation of entire Branch nver a three-year period (1980, 1981, 1982). Track improvements between Binghamton-Albany-Rouses Point. Equipment rehabilitation and acquisition; and yard improvements at Mechanicville E. Binghamton, and JX (Buffalo). Rehabilitation of Rail Freight Terminals in the BuffaloNiagara Falls area. Intermodal track. signal and yard improvements in Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse, Ut Lea and Albany. STATE FUNDING
$ 3.200 ,0,00

TOTAL COST
$11 ,'600 ,000

STATUS Underway

1,700.000

1,700,000

Complete

5,000,000

5,000,000

Complete Complete

Improv~p1eJil:ts D&H to Adirm,nda:ekBranch GTI Capital Improvements; D&H Mainline, Selected Yards and Shops

7,800,000

7,800,000

20,000,000

24,000,000

Under Development

Terminal Improvements in Buffalo-Niagara Falls lntermodal Improvements

4,700,000

12,000,000

Underway

9,000,000

27,000,0-00

Uooe'r developmen:t'; Roche$;te:r

p roj.ecc

in de.sign

-------.------.---~--------------------.

- - --------:.---"-------------------

PROGRAM OF UPSTATE FREIGHT PROJECTS UNDERTAKEN WITH 1979 BOND ISSUE FUNDS (continued) TOTAL COST $ 15,000,000 STATUS Complete

PROJECT Improvements on Massena Branch Improvements on Phoenix Branch Short-Term Actions on Freight Lines

DESCRIPTION Track improvements along this Syracuse-Watertown-Massena Line. Track improvements and bridge elimination on this SyracuseFulton-Oswego Line. Necessary projects such as rehabilitation of connections, shortlines, crossings, acquisitions, and freight service demonstrations. Purchase from D&H and rebuilding of 165 Boxcars. In depth consultant study to analyze & propose methods for raising Water Level Route clearance to 19'6" North of Tarrytown.

STATE FUNDING
$ .7,500,000

2,000,000

7,000,000

Complete

3,447,000

3,447,000

Under development

"I Love NY" Boxcars

4,400,000

6,000,000 550,000

Complete

Clearance Improvement
Study

275,000

Complete

PROGRAM OF UPSTATE FREIGHT PROJECTS UNDERTAKEN WITH 1979 BOND ISSUE FUNDS (CONTINUED)

PROJECT Improvements to Arcade 8,Attica Railroad Improve Livonia Avon & Lakeville Railroad Interchange Improvements

DESCRIPTION Rehabilitation of the Arcade & Attica Railroad Rehabilitation of the Livonia Avon & Lakeville Railroad Construction of an Interchange track at Dekalb Junction

STATE FUNDING
$

TOTAL COST
$

STATUS Complete

745,400

745,400

450,000

450,000

Complete

225,000

225,000

Complete

CadYI!.~.llTrack Imp ro;~gm~~1&

Construction of .a rail spur for Saratoga Industrial Development Agency Rehabilitation of track in the City of Lockport Construction of rail spur for Amsterdam IDA Improvements to Track .and Locomotive Equipment for Authority's Railroad Acquisition of Remsen-Lake Placid righ-of-way from Penn Central

220,000

220,000

Complete

Track Improvements in Lockport Amsterdam Spur

560,000

560,000

Under Development

257,000

257,000

.eomplete

Ogdensburg Bridge and Port Authority

1,600,000

1, nOD, oeo

Und~rw~y

Lake Placid ROW

5,000,000

5,000,000

Comp1ete

PROGRAM OF UPSTATE FREIGHT PROJECTS UNDERTAKEN WITH 1979 BOND ISSUE FUNDS CONTINUED PROJECT Utica Branch DESCRIPTION Improvements to Track between Binghamton and Utica over NYS&W STATE/FUNDING 3,000,000 TOTAL COST 3,000,000 STATUS Underway

$81,079,000

$133,154,000

PROGRAM OF' N,EW' YORK CITY- - LONG ISLAND FREIGHT PROJECTS UNDERTAKEN; WITH 1974 BOOl,Jj ISSUE' FUNDS PROJECT Brooklyn Waterfront Rail Improvements Removal of Clearance Restrictions DESCRIPTION Rehabilitation and construction of rail freight facilities on. the Brooklyn Waterfront. Removal of clearance restrictions on the Hudson Division to permit TOFC and oversized rail equipment a& far south as Highbridge. Replacement of 22 LIRR freight locomotives. Demonstration project to test fencing types at critical locations. Construction of a new rail spur to be constructed in the Staten Island Industrial Park. Lowering of the hump at LIRR's Holban Yard ;i.nQueens Construct1onof .anew rail sp.ur to the Howland Hook Cont a meepoe

STATE FUNDING $12,400,000

TOTAL COST $16,90D,000

STATUS Underway

20,000,000

20,000,000

Complete

Replacement of LIRR Locomotives

w o

8,600,000 350,000

8,600,000

Complete

Instal:hrt1i!cj-tr of Security Fencing

350,000

Complete

Construction of Staten Island Industrial Spurs Improvement to hump in . Holban Yard Construction of Howland Hook Spur.

600,000

600,000

Under Develop~ent
CompLete

70.000*

--....------~t.

2,,050,000

*funded through the federally sponsored Local Rail Service ASlS:is:.tance Pro-grant .

,.

-- --- --- -~-- ------

-----~ --

-""-

--------

-------

-~---.----------.-

,P'ROGRAM <NEW 'YORK CITY - LONG ISLAND FREIGHT 'OF 'PROJEOTSUNDER'l1AKEN WITH 1974 BOND ISSUE FUNDS ((cantinued) STATUS Complete Complete

PROJEOT

STATE FUNDING

TOTAL COST $ 2,500,000*

Const:t!ucti:on JL]}RR Car :of Repair :Pac:iU:it.y.. Track Improvements at Hunts Pod-nt'Market Improvements Navy Yard at Braoklyn

Constructianof a new freight car repair :faciEtyin Ho Iban , Realignment of lead curve and constructian df team tracks. Provision of new float bridges and related rail/marine equipment. Improvements to L1RR Freight yard and communications system at variaus locations. Provi-sion of a team track facili-ty in So. Bronx.
$ 538,000

1.540,000*

538.000

Cancelled

LIRR Yard andCommuni.catian Impravements.

1.455.000

1,455,000

'Underway.

So.. Branx Team Track 'Facility

375.000

375.000

Complete

$44.318.000

$54,978.000

'*-f:undec!l ::through ltlre ..f.ede:r:al:Ly

:sp;onsareu;llO'calRaf.l

$;exvd:c.-e Assistance

Program.

PROGRAM OF NEW YORK CITY - LONG ISLAND FREIGHT PROJECTS UNDERTAKEN WITH 1979 BOND ISSUE FUNDS

PROJECT Clearance Improvements (South Bronx-Oak Point Link) Improvements for Intermodel Yard Shops in NYC

DESCRIPTION Removal of clearance restrictions from S. Highbridge to Oak Point, Bronx. Harlem River Yard

STATE FUNDING $ 7,000,000**

TOTAL COST $70,000,000

STATUS Under Construction Harlem River Yard property purchased; work is in design phase. Under Construction Under Develop ment Under Construction Under Development

9,000,000**

10,000,000

Track Improvements to Bush Terminal

W
N

Clearance and track improvements on Bay Ridge Line to Bush Terminal, Brooklyn. Rehabilitation of Fulton, Red Hook and Atlantic Terminals. Clearance and track improvements on LIRR. Improvements to yards, shops, tracks and TOrC termiuals to be determined. Support of Intermodal Operations in NYC.

6,000.000

6,000,000

Rehabilitation to NYC Port Terminals Improvements on LIRR Lines

3,000,000 5,000,000

8,000,000 5,000,000 16,000,000

.Unspecified improvements to yards, shops,etc. on LIRR

4,000,000

Short-Term Actions on Freight Lines.

1,200,000* $35,200,000

5,500,000 $120,500,000

Funded through special legislative lIimmediate actionll appropriation. **Part vf the State funds used for Harlem River Yard Property is also app Lf.cab to the Oak Point Link project as the Link passes through Le the Yard property.

New RoadRailer Service Established Buff a Lo-Rochester-NYe

... ---

---- (-

-- -----.. -.--- -1--

CHAPTER 4 INTERCITY PASSENGER SERVICE

Amtrak, the nation's sixth largest carrier of intercity passengers, continued to make progress in 1982 achieving the goals and objectives set by Congress. Amtrak's overall financial performance, measured by the ratio of revenues to operating costs, reached its highest level ever and surpassed the level mandated by Congress three years earlier than required. Hore importantly, Amtrak required $88 million less in federal subsidies in 1982 than in the preceding year. Key to this success were a number of productivity improvements including favorable 1abor sett lements and. increased management efficiency. Revenue growth through higher fares was also a factor. Rising fares, coupled with the national recession and airline price wars, did take their toll on system ridership which dropped to 1978 levels. Ridership on Amtrak's New York State routes posted only a slight decrease in 1982 in contrast to major declines on other routes. Projections based on ridership to-date in 1983, however show that Amtrak's passenger levels in New York State will be the highest ever. Great progress in improving intercity passenger service continues to be made in New York State .. As Figure 5 demonstrates, rail ridership growth in New York is far outpacing national averages. The State's improvement efforts ~esc~ibed below ha~e been instrumental in achieving this success.

FIGURE 5
RIDERSHIP CONPARISO~:NEW YORK SERVICES VS. AHTRAK SY:;TEM

YEAR 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981

NEW YORK .SERVICES 788,044 1,011,966 968,245 981,016 1,133,719 1,144,885 1,206,811 1,183,496 +50.2%

MfTRAK SYSTEM (NILLIONS) 17.4 18.6 19.2 19.3 21. 6 21.3 20.3 18.9 +8.6%

N.Y.S. SHARE (PERCENT) 4.5 5.4 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.2 5.9 6.3 +40.0%

1982
Change

A.

High track

Speed

Rail

Program

Improvements

Through the State I s high speed rail effort, New York' s train schedu Les are now the shortest ever with speeds among the f as t es t ir the country (see Figure 6). Using a phased approach and fueled by rail bond funds, this effort has brought over 135 miles of the Empire. Corridor to speeds of up to 110 mph.

FIGURE 6

INTERCITY PASSENGERSCHEDULETIHES* (HRS: HINUTES)

Between Nyc and Albany NYC and Buffalo

1948
2:50 8:05

1977 3:00 8:40

1983 _._ _.
..

2:11 7:01

* based year

on the

shortest

scheduled

time

for

each

The first section of track to be placed in high speed operation was the segment between Hoffmans (west of Schenectady) and Albany-Rensselaer. The necessary upgrading efforts here were completed late in 1979 in a proj ect which also reopened passenger rail service to downtown Schenectady. Since then work has progressed southward from Albany with high speed operations on the Albany to Poughkeepsie po r t i on of the corridor authorized in the Fall of 1981. The rebuilding program south to Croton-Harmon was substantially completed in the Fall of 1982. As a result, Amtrak schedules were shortened by up to 17 ~inutes. The progress of this overall effort is readily apparent from Figure 7, which shows the number of miles of track between Croton and Hoffrnans posted at various speeds today compared to cond~tions in 1975,. before the State's construction projects were underway.

- J4. -

In the wos t e rn half of the corridor, St.a t e financed projects have been dovo t.cd to eliminating speed -restl'icled ilrens and to reopening the Buffalo to Niagara Falls line for puss enge r service, During 1982) the Department and Conrail made a joint commitment to undertake a multimillion dollar program to further improve rail service in the Buffalo area, Once complete, these improvements will permit passenger train schedules to be shorted by an additional 10 minutes, FIGURE 7 TO HOFH1ANS TRACKCONDITIONS CROTON 1975 vs, 1983 Miles Track Class Class Class Class Class mph mph mph mph max) max) max) max ) of Track

1975 39,2 190,3 0 0

1983 41. 8 61. 3 74.1 65,6

Upon Completion

III (60 IV (80 (90 V VI (110

16,6 78.3 78.0 70,6

At the eastern end of the corridor, con s t ru ct Lon of the direct rail connection between the Empire and Northeast Corridors is now underway. In response to federal legislation, passed in early 1983, and authorizing Amtrak to spend $30 million on this proj ect, the Department and Amtrak produced a joint plan for the development of this project. Under this plan, by 1986, Amtrak trains serving Upstate New York, would ieave the Metro North commuter railroad's Hudson Line at Spuyten Duyvil in the Bronx, followCcnrail's former West Side freight line south into Manhattan, and terminate at Amtrak's Pennsylvania Station via a new track connection, This vital subterranean connection had been incorporated into the design of the Long Is land RR' s new car storage facility. Construction of this facility, located just west of Penn Station, began in 1982. Consolidating Amtrak operations at Pennsylvania Station will not only make direct connections between Amtrak's New York State and Northeast Corridor routes possible, but also provides connections to the Long Island Railroad's commuter rail services, thereby creating a direct rail link between Long Island and upstate New York. Access to the New York City subway system, PATH trains, and trains operated by New Jersey Transit will also be improved. The new routing will provide important financial benefits to Amtrak due both to the consolidation of services in New York City and increased access to additional markets. Station Improvements

Station and parking improvement efforts have been instrumental in eliminating the image of decay that once haunted rail passenger service in the State. Rail bond funds I combined with Amtrak and local contributions, have been used in constructing four new stations in the corridor, and substantially rehabilitating another four stations. Selected

- 35 -

improvements have been made to a number of other stations. Parking projects have been carried out at a total of 11 stations providing safe, expanded parking facilities for the thousands of new riders. These improvement the most striking efforts examples have attracted many new rail riders. are shown in the figure below: FIGURE RIDERSHIP GENERATED 8 AT NEW STATIONS After Construction 1980 Patronage 62,000 95,000 123,000 Some of

Schenectady Rochester Buffalo

Before Construction 1977 Patronage 38,000 61,000 93,000

% Increase

63%

+ 56% + 32%

Most recently parking facilities were expanded at the Rhinecliff Station. Plans to tenovate this station are now being progressed. Other current projects include large scale station and parking improvement projects at Syracuse and Hudson, and station improvements at Rhiriecliff. Also, the parking facilities at the Albany-Rensselaer station have been expanded. Service Improvements

The level of rail service itself is another factoi affecting ridership levels. This is an area with which the State has been especially concern.ed in order to create and enhance the operatipn of a modern rail p&,ss.ell,&e,r t e.m for its citizens. sys In the past,' New York State has par t Lc Lp.a ed in planning t and, in some cases, financing reinstituted serv i ces to such major cities as Chicago, Boston; Montreal, and most recently 1:oronto. These new services have made New York more accessible to neighboring states and two Canadian Provinces by train, and increased the availability and convenience of service within the State. F'i re 9 presents the gu ridership history for train services that are supported jointly by the State and Amtrak. Service has also been expanded by establishing direct service to downtown Schenectady, as well as to Niagara Falls where all trains previous ly terminated at Buffalo. Service frequencies at Schenectady and in western New York have subsequently been increased.

- 36 -

FIGURE 9

STATE SPONSORED INTERCITY PASSENGER SERVICES

1977-1982

r ,
Service Al bany-Nont r e a l 1977 1978 1979 1980
1981ic

Toeal Deficit (000)

NYS Subsidy (000)

Ridership (000)

Total Deficit Per Passenger

1982

$1,714 2,154 2,182 1,581 668 574

857 1,077 1,091 790 334 287

82.3 77 .1 87.1 88.3 76.7 75.6

$23.18 31.37 27.76 17.91 8.71 7.60

Syracuse-Niagara Falls 1981 $ 1982

=Rev i s ed

413 993

83 258

8.4 23.0

49.03 43.20

Public transportation as a whole can serve many door-to-door travel needs. However, the lack of widespread public information on specific local operation~is a real impediment to ridership growth, Therefore, a project was begun to provide basic information on local transportation services to intercity train travellers. The key product of this effort is a directory of public transportation services that exist in tte Empire Corridor. The pamphlet, You Can Get There From Here, is available upon request from NYSDOT and at all Amtrak stations in New York. Equipment As a result of Amtrak modernizing its equipment, upstate New York trains are now operated with the most advanced equipment in the country. The majority of trains are operated with Turboliner sets. This progress and modernization not withstanding, additional equipment is needed to alleviate existing "standee" problems on services operated south of Albany. It would also permit further expansion of service in the State, increase operating flexibility to permit improvements in time-of-day scheduling, and provide a better equipment maintenance schedule. Amtrak has recognized the need to provide additional equipment for its New York State routes and took an important step in 1983 by pledging additional turboliner trains to the Empire Corridor. The units to be assigned to New York were formerly operated on several Midwestern routes and need to be overhauled before they can be used here. Amtrak has also begun a program to renovate the existing turboliner fleet. This is only an interim step and does not provide adequate equipment for New York's
needs.

- 37 -

B.

V.ery

High Speed Rail

Service

Feasibility

Planning

Announcements of possible very high speed train systems throughout the country l including New York State, made headlines during 1983. Governor Cuomo announced New York's commitment to study the ma.rket d~r.land for very high speed train service between New York City and ~lontreal via Albany J.nd Burlington, Vt. A technical, pre-feasibility study, commissioned by the City of Nontreal, was completed in 1982 and found it was technically possible to establish rail service which could operate at speeds up to 185 mph with a schedule time of less than three hours hetwe~n Hont.r e a l and New York. City. The market study is a joint effort by the States of New York, Vermont and the Province of Quebec. It will he funded in part by a Federal Railroad Administration grant with aid from VermOl'I.'t, Quebec and France.

111 -

PROGRAM OF UPSTATE INTERCITY PASSENGER PROJECTS UNDERTAKEN WITH 1974 BO~~ ISSUE FUNDS (continued)

PROJECT Track Rehabilitation Albany to Buffalo Parking Improvements at Hudson Construction of Station at Schenectady Intercity Rail Passenger Service - Washington Irving Niagara Branch Rail Realignment Niagara Branch Track Improvements Station Reconstruction at Niagara Falls

DESCRIPTION Installation of high speed interlockings Repaving and expansion of lot.

STATE FUNDING $ 5.400.000 33.000 240.000

TOTAL COST $12,680,000

STATUS Completed Completed

158,000

Construction of new station and reinstitution of service to Schenectady. Additional round trip per day between NYC and Albany subsidized by State through 403(b) program. Realignment of track between Buffalo and Niagara Falls. Installation of welded rails, ties and ballast Conversion of existing facilities to new passenger station.

890,000

Completed

2,231,000

4,010,000

See Note (1)

2.253.000 1,058,000 330,001)

2,253,000

Completed

1,058,000

Completed

345',000

Completed

NOTE (1): Effective 7/1/80. Amtrak assumed complete responsibility for trains between Albany and New York City formerly supported jointly with the State.

PROGRAM< OF UPSTATE INTERCITY PASSENGER PROJECrB UNnERT~EN: WITH 1974 BOND ISSUE FUNDS
P~~J;.EC'F'

DESC.RiIPTTN

STATE FUNDING $33,000,000*

TOTAL COST $33,000,000*

STATUS Under Construction Complete

Track & Signal Imrlrovements - Croton t.O'oughkeepsie P Track & S'i.gna.L Improvements - Poughkeevsie to Sch'dy.

Rehabilitation of 42 miles of track and installation- of cab signals Rehabilitation of 94 miles of track and installation of cab signals. Realignment of two interlockings Resurfacing and addition of 15 spaces. Track improvements, rehabilitation of all stations, and rehabilitation of four locomotives and twelve passenger cars.

47,380,000

89,420,000

Rhinecliff-Barrytown Realignment

Track

215,000 21 ,000

215,000

Completed

Parking Improvements at Rhinecliff Track/Station/Equipment 'Rehabilitation - Albany to Rouses Point

156,000 5,450,000

Completed Completed

5,450,000

Includes $14 million in direct appropriation under 1979 Capital Construction Fund and $12 million from MTA.

PROGRAM OF UPSTATE INTERCITY PASSENGER PROJECTS UNDERTAKEN WITH 1974 BOND ISSUE FUNDS (continued) TOTAL COST $ 184,000 STATUS Completed Completed

PROJECT Static.n Reconstruction at Buffalo Construction of new station at Cheektowaga Construction of new station at Rochester Acquisition of ROW RemsenLake Placid Rehabilitation of RemsenLake Placid Line

DESCRIPTION Reconstruction of -.ormer Exchange f Street Station. Construction of new station to serve suburban Buffalo. Construction of new intercity rail passenger station. Purchase of 118 mile Remsen-lake Placid Line. Rehabilitation required for reinstitution of Utica-Lake Placid service.

STATE FUNDING $ 184,000

621,000

621,000

575,000 4,726, 000

1,950,000 4,726,000

Completed Completed

1,081,850 $104,798,850

2,700,600 $159,816,600

In Litigation

PROGRAM OF INTERCITY PASSENGER PROJECTS UNDERTAKEN WITH 1979 BOND ISSUE FUNDS PROJECT Selected Track Improvements DESCRIPTION Installation of cab s'Lgne , Ls between Albany and "Buffalo & rehab. of equipment. Improvement of soil foundation conditions at various locations south of Schenectady. Expansion of Existing Parking Lot. Improvement of Building and Related Facilities Improvement of Existing Building and Parking Lot Building Rehabilitation and Parking Lot Expansion. Analysis of Hoffmans to ~uffalo Corridor to determine impact on capacity resulting from higher passenger speeds: 500,000 STATE FUNDING 19,000,000 STATUS Not yet specified

TOTAL ~OST 29,000,000

Soil Stablilization Program

6,000,000

6,000,000

Completed

Albany-Rensselaer Station Improvements Rhinecliff Station Imp r ovemerrt s Syracuse Station lmprovements Hudson Station Improvements

275,000

550,000

Under Development Under Development Under Development Under Development Underway

175,000

350,000

sn ,000
1,000,000

HSR Capacity Simulation Study

200,000

200,000

$26,l.sO~OOO

$'37,677,00:0

CHAPTER 5 RAIL SAFETY PROGRMl Th e State s Rail Safety Program has three primary areas of responsibility. Tt.ro f these components entail the interface between the railroad and highWAY o systems. These are: rail-highway at-grade crossings; and, rail-highway bridges. The other function is safety inspections.
t

The Rail Safety Inspection program involves the inspection of track and rolling stock in th~ State. In cooperation with the Federal Railroad Administration, 'inspectors insure that railroad track, equipment and facilities meet required physical standards and that the trains are operated in accordance with the established safety standards. This cooperative program, the cost of which is shared equally by the State and FRA, has been successful and has contributed iignificantly to the increased safety of rail operations in this State. During Calendar Year 1982, the Rail Safety Inspection Unit inspected 6776 miles, (or 84% of the track miles under J) epartment jurisdiction); performed 20,751 equipment ins~ections and investigated 42 major derailments including two involving passenger trains. Current funding for the Rail Safety Inspection program extends through FFY 1984. The continuation of federal reimbursement for this program is expected to be challenged in future budgets, howev~r. The crossing improvement program involves the elimination of potential hazards at grade-crossings through the installation of automatic protective warning devices,improvement of crossing surfaces and related actions. This program is funded with a combination of Federal (90%) and State (10%) funds. Since the program began in 1973, a total of approximately $96 million has been expended or committed to improve crossings in the State. Thus far, 371 projects have been completed under this program area, and 346 others are currently in various stages of development or implementation. The 55-railhighway crossing, improvement projects shown on the following pages are expected to be complete by the end of the 1983 construction season. This program, too, is at risk. The Administration has proposed combining all highway safety related programs into one overall fund source. This would place the grade-crossing program at a serious disadvantage, as it is not as "visable" as are many other competing safety programs and is seldom brought to the attention of governmental officials -- until an accident occurs. The Department does not believe that this is an effective way of dealing with the problem and strongly supports continuation of the existing program with its own, identifable source of funds. The at-grade crossing elimination program is another important part of the Department s on-going rail safety effort. This program is basically 100% State-funded but federal aid is sometimes made available for selected projects. When this is the case, the federal share of the project s cost is generally 90% or 95%, depending upon the eligibility of the project for various federal aid programs. Projects currently authorized for
t t

- 43 -

construction, or under the pages that follow.

construction,

as part

of this

program

ar~

Hsted

on

Finall" the grade-separation structure reconstructi6~ ~f6~r~ dad~~ges th~ needs of the numerous rail-highway bridges in the State, 6: iif~ now quite old, having often been built during the early r4rt of c~ntury. These ,structures, form a vital part of both the rail and. tHe higHfJilysHt~fus, and their de f i c i enc i es mus t be ident if ied arid correcd~d. Thig program is primarily funded by the State (85~~) and local municipalities 05%). In recent years, however, federal participation in the cos at ~i6j~b~~8i this program has increased considerably as a result of the imple.fueiH:~tibno(the 1978 Federal Highway Bridge Replacement and Rehabilitation Pfbgt4~: ,"w-ligHa project is eligible for federal aid, the federal share of th~Ptbj~ct'~ ,t.ds,t can vary between 75% and 100%, depending upon the federal~~b~!~~JH~di~~a. Projects presently authorized for construction under this p~6gt~~, ~f ~~ttially being constructed, are also noted on the pages that foliow.

mahy

~fHch ~hi~

Safety

Inspection

~~sults f6

Durinj 1982, NYSDOT and FRA conducted a joint,/comprehensiv~ lh~e~tii~tf8h evaludte safety within the railroad industry throughout th~sf~t~. Areas
o o o o

included Adherence T~ack

in this study were: to railroad operating rules and regulationn;

conditions signal

and maintenance conditions

practices; practices; and repaii practices; and, devices and

wayside Railroad

and maintenance inspection

equipment

condition,

o o

Adherence

to procedures

for moving

hazardous grade

materials;

The condition of railroad/highway maintenance practices.

crossing

warning

Results of this effort showed all major railroads in the State to generally safety-conscious; although some isolated problems do exist and require attention. Those - The specific problems of most concern for emergency are: evacuation and on Amtrak of passenger trains;

be

lack of training

- An above practices

average number of on the D&II system;

vi o la t i on s

cases

incorrect

operating

Poor track conditions on various portions of B&O I sand D&H I S mainline systems; , , - A high ratio of LIRR signal related 'defects due to locomotive cab signal and train control equipment;

- 44 -

- The inadequate State; and,

inspection

of depar t i.ng

trains

in many

yards

around

the

An inadequate level of routine especially on the LIRR system.

maintenance

at public

at-grade

crossings,

Details of this study are available in either a summary or technical both entitled An Evaluation of Railroad Safety in New York State.

version,

- 45 -

1 I
:l
,1

RAILROAD GRADE CROSSING PROJECTS COMPLETED 1983

1
1

CROSSING NAME SR 55 Schuyler St. Hiawatha Blvd. Gildner Rd. Hungry Lane Rd. Tinker Tavern Rd. Addlaus Rd. Peck Rd. Mullens Rd. Hotel Rd. Cummings Rd. Churchville Rd. Dewey Ave. Main St. First St. Franklin Ave. Ferry Rd. Bradleys Rd. Packmans Rd. Dock Rd. River Rd. SR 207 Hayes Ave. Main St. Rogers Rd. Lordville R. Rogerville Rd. Walker Rd. McKinley Rd. Pratt Rd. Rogerville Rd. Gale St. MCKinley Rd. Jewett-Holinwood Rd. Genesee St. West Ave. Buffalo Rd. Robinson St. Ward Rd. Felton St. Chateaugay St. Racquette River Rd. Chapel St. E. Dekalb Rd. Rensselaer Falls Rd. Walnut St. Cherry St.

LOCATION T. V. C. T. T. T. T. T. T. T. T. C. C. V. V. C. T. T. T. T. T. T. V. C. T. T. T. Florida Boonville Syracuse Hastings Hastings Richland Richland Richland Schroeppel Richland Sandy Creek Oswego Rochester Fairport Allegany Dunkirk Stuyvesant Caanan Kinderhook Germantown Hyde Park Hampton Burgh Endicott Norwich Hamburg Hancock Westfield T. Westfield T. Westfield T. Portland T. Westfield V. Westfield T. Westfield T. Orchard Pk. T. Sardivia C. Lockport T. Lewiston T. N. Tonawanda T. N. Tonawanda T. N. Tonawanda Ft. Covington T. Massena T. Dekalb T. Dekalb T ..Canton V. Potsdam V. Potsdam

RR CR CR CR CR CR CR CR CR CR CR CR CR B&O CR CR N&W CR CR CR CR CR CR CR CR N&W CR CR CR CR CR N&W, N&W: N&W B&D CR CR CR CR CR CR CN CN CR CR CR . CR CR $ 111,903 99,000 85,470 81,950 84,480 83,600 83,655 82.830 81,950 80,080 84,260 76,065 50,539 440,000 161,157 85,987 281,020 100,978 105,336
36t8~7

I
I

171,805 109,165 323,730 130,800 38,362 86,240 123,673 112,333 98,393 119,856 78,265 94,215 72,400 113,561 108,790 121,990 166,709 204,767 114,038 110,022 97,900 97,286 92 ,125 85,525 84,590 98,054 95,040

I,
I

- 46 -

RAIL~OAD GRADE CROSSING PROJECTS COMPLETED 1983 (CONTINUED) Murphy Rd. Adams Rd. Mill Rd. Station Rd. .Cheviot Rd. Schillings Rd. Tibbet Ave. Tellers Rd. E. High St.

T. T. T. V. T. T. V. T. V.

Norfolk Norfolk Norfolk Chatham Germantown Caanan Green Island E. Greenbush Ballston Spa

CR CR CR CR CR CR D&H CR D&H

85,800 85,360 85,745 157,458 151,765 102,720 173,872 253,445 14,351 $6,557,247

- 47 -

GRADE CROSSING ELIMINATION PROGRAM

:STATE

FUND'S

LOCATION Lincoln Road, E. Rochester Massapequa Park Nassau County

RAILROAD CR LIRR

(Millions) $4.9 34.6

TOTAL FUNDS (Millions)

$ .4.9

STATUS Complete Complete

34.6

Saratoga Avenue, Mechanicville Turk Hill Road Town .;o'f .Herin ton Robbins Lane Nassau Co. Tellers Rd. Rensselaer Co. Union St.-Rt. 259 Town of Chili ..Mineola Nassau Co.

B&M CR LIRR

0.3 0.3 6.5

3.2 2.5 6.5 4.7

Complete

Comp Le

tion expected in late 1983.

Project Initiated Project In.tt Latred Pro}ect lnj:tiated 'Proje.ct Initiated

Conrail Conrail tIRR

4.7 3.6
lO . O

3.6

70.0 '$0:0.:0

$124~\9

.,

GRADE SEPARATION STRUCTURE RECONSTRUCTION

PROGRAM TOTAL .FUNDS (Millions) $ 1.80

LOCATION Abbott Road, City of Lackawanna

RAILROAD Conrail

STATE FUNDS (Millions) $ 1.53

STATUS Complete

Log City Road, Yates Co. North Frankfort Bridge, Herkimer County

Conrail Conrail

0.2 0.56

0.2 2.84

Complete Complete

.I>ID

Elderberry St. Town of Elbridge, Onon. Co . New Baltimore Rd. , Green County Lake Avenue, City of Rochester Princetown Road, Schenectady Co. Perry Street, City of Buffalo

Conrail Conrail

0.3 0.14

1.5

Complete Complete Complete

0.83 0.90 1.5

Conrail

0.15 0.3

D&H Conrail

Complete Complete

0.10

0.10

GRADE SEPARATION STRUCTURE: RECONSTRUCTION PROGRAM (continued) STATE. FUNDS (Millions) 0.10 TOTAL FUNDS (Millions)
0.10

LOCATION Bronson Hill Rd. Livingston City Hopkins-Marilla, City of Buffalo South Park Ave . City of Buffalo W.illow Stl7.e.et. Village of JohnsoY Cli.tlyr'

RAILROAD Livonia, Avon & Lakeville B&O Conrail & B&O Conrail

STATUS Complete

0.3

1.8

Complete

1.52

8.95

Complete

0.09

0.50

Complete

\1'1

Arch Street, Village Johnson City Ballard Road, Town of Wallkill

.Ea st

Conrail

0.3 0.34 1.6

1.8

Comp Le.t.e

Conrail Conrail

1.99 8.0

Compleot:e
Uttde~'D~esi~n

Main St., City of .Rochester .'

Rock Cut Rd., Onondaga Co. TOTALS

Conr af.I

GRADE-SEPARATION

STRUCTURE RECONSTRUCTION PROGRAM (CONTINUED) TOTAL $ 3.0 STATUS Under Design Under Design Under Design

LOCATION Lester Avenue v. Johnson City Ludwig Avenue T. Cheektowago Depot Road T. Sennett County Road 114 T. Cohocton Wisner Road T. Warwick Smith & Seneca City Buffalo E. Main Street Rochester Derby Road T. Wallkill

RR Conrail

STATE $ 0.6

Corrrad.L

0.1

0.4 0.6

..

Conrail

0.1

Conrail

0.6 0.1 1.4

2.0

Under Design

Conrail

0.3

Under Design Under Design Under Design

\J1

N&W, Conrail Conrail

7.0 10.0

2.0

Conrail

0.1 12.53

0.6 56.71

Under Design