Washington State Rail Capacity & System Needs Study
The Legislature provided the Commission with funding and a mandate to conduct a statewide rail capacity and system needs analysis - ESSB 6091, Section 206 (pdf 222 kb). The Washington State Transportation Commission oversaw this study of strategic freight and passenger rail system needs, challenges and opportunities. The study reviewed the current powers, authorities, and interests the state has in freight and passenger rail and recommended policies for state participation and ownership of rail infrastructure and service delivery. The study also prepared a plan for managing state owned rail assets.
Commission Rail Study Team
To ensure the Commission
is able to focus and remain
fully engaged throughout
the course of this effort,
the Commission appointed
four of its members to
serve on a team that is
responsible for overseeing
the detailed implementation
of this study.
The Commission Team membership
is as follows:
Dan O'Neal - Team Lead
Ed Barnes
Dick Ford
Carol Moser
Final
Rail Study Report (pdf 1.3 mb)
This is the final report
of the Commission's Rail
Capacity and System Needs
study. It was presented to
and adopted by the Commission
at their December 2006 monthly
meeting in Olympia. The report
presents recommendations
on the whether or not the
state should participate
in rail, what the state's
role in rail should be, investment
approaches, governance, and
a state asset management
plan.
Background Materials
Interim
Report 1 (pdf 2.2 mb)
This background
report summarizes
the findings and
conclusions of work
done early on in
the study that assessed
the state of the
rail system, its
critical problems
and bottlenecks,
and current plans.
It describes how
the system is working
now and how it will
likely work in the
future in the absence
of state action.
Addendum
to Interim Report
1 (pdf 1.5 mb)
This report
presents comments
received after the
issuance of Interim
Report 1 and provides
responses to those
comments.
Interim
Report 2 (pdf 567 kb)
This report
provides draft policies
to govern state action
and investments in
the rail system.
It presents proposed
processes for assessing
whether actions and
investments are consistent
with state policies
and for evaluating
the benefits and
impacts of investments
on rail user groups
and Washington communities.
Technical Memos
The technical memos below provided the base research and information upon which the interim reports and the final report were built upon.
- Technical memo 1.1.A - Washington State's Freight Rail System (pdf 2 mb)
- Technical memo 1.1.B - Washington State's Passenger Rail System (pdf 786 kb)
- Technical memo 1.2.A - Washington State Rail Traffic (pdf 1 mb)
- Technical memo 1.2.B - Profiles of Freight Rail Users in Washington State (pdf 214 kb)
- Technical memo 2.1.A - Economic Growth and Demand (pdf 276 kb)
- Technical memo 2.1.B - Freight Transportation Demand Forecasts (pdf 570 kb)
- Technical memo 2.2 - Industry Logistics and Supply Chains (pdf 646 kb)
- Technical memo 3 - Rail Capacity Needs and Constraints (pdf 2.2 mb)
- Technical memo 4 - Rail Operations: Strategies and Improvements (pdf 220 kb)
- Technical memo 6 - National Funding Opportunities for Washington State Passenger and Freight Rail Programs (pdf 292 kb)
- Technical memo 7 - Rationale for Washington State Investment in Private Rail (pdf 281 kb)
- Technical memo 8 - Policy and Investment Options (pdf 551 kb)
- Technical memo 9 - Asset Management (pdf 315 kb)
- Technical memo 10.1 - Washington State Rail Analytical Plan (pdf 194 kb)
- Technical memo 10.2 - Washington State Rail Investment Plan (pdf 534 kb)
- Technical memo 10.3 - Rail Operations Forum (pdf 168 kb)
Rail Study Outreach Plan
The purpose of this plan was to ensure that stakeholders throughout the state had varied opportunities for reviewing and providing input to the study as it progressed. The plan has five components: stakeholder interviews, regional listening sessions, web-notices and e-postings to stakeholder list, formation of a technical resource panel, and Commission and Legislative briefings. Details of these are listed below.
- Stakeholder
Interview Summary (pdf 117 kb)
This document summarizes the comments received from a number of interviews done with various rail stakeholders at the beginning of the study. This input was critical to shaping the direction the study took.
- Technical
Resource Panel
Invitation Letter (pdf 65 mb)
This letter was sent out to approximately 60 key stakeholders inviting them to participate on our technical resource panel. To keep this process dynamic, the panel was not designed with the idea of having regular meetings but rather, was created to provide technical expertise in their individual areas as needed and called upon by the Commission. Members of this panel were utilized in different ways, some of which included: reviewing various draft documents; participating in small meetings and/or conference calls on topics related to their field of expertise; and provided with an open invitation to proactively offer feedback to the Commission at anytime during the study.
- Regional
Listening Session
Summary (pdf 2.4 mb)
The Commission held five regional listening sessions around the state during the early stages of the study to gather public input from citizens and users of the system. Approximately 300 individuals attended these sessions and provided vital insights and ideas that helped frame the policy discussion of this study. This summary report provides an overview of the sessions and input received.
For more background information about the Study please see the following information:
About the Washington State Rail Capacity and Systems Needs Study (pdf 189 kb)
This provides a general overview of the Commissions Rail Study along with a list of planned stakeholder outreach opportunities, and the schedule for the year-long study.
Washington Statewide Rail Capacity and Needs Study: Work Plan (pdf 288 kb)
This document identifies details of the 10 key tasks the study will address and identifies the major deliverables for each.
Rail Study Presentation - January 17, 2006 (pdf 2.6 mb)
Cambridge Systematics study kickoff presentation, given to the Commission on January 18, 2006, describing the study work program, schedule, and policy issues to be addressed.