All Aboard: Plans for Higher-Speed Rail in the Upper Valley

League of Women Voters^®
of the Upper Valley

All Aboard: Plans for Higher-Speed Rail in the Upper Valley

Meeting held May 4, 2010 at the Montshire Museum

Speakers. Panel. Summary. Concluding Remarks. Other Info. Websites. Long Term Strategy.

Speakers

Christopher Parker Exec. Director, Vermont Rail Action Network (click to download Powerpoint presentation 9 MB)
Mike Izbicki - Interim Director, NH Rail Transit Authority (click here to download Powerpoint presentation 1.4 MB)
Christine Walker - Executive Director, Upper Valley Lake Sunapee Regional Planning Commission

Panel

Kit Morgan, Administrator, Bureau of Rail & Transit NH DOT
Joe Flynn, Rail Program Manager, Vermont Agency of Transportation
Brent Raymond, Business Liaison, staff for Rep Peter Welch (VT)
Lisa Levine, Special Projects, staff for Rep Paul Hodes (NH)

Panel Discussion Summary

Presentation by Christopher Parker: General Overview and Focus on Vermont
In Vermont, as other rural states: about one third of pollution comes from cars and trucks. But in US: high subsidies for highways. In 2008: 135 billions?
Railroad:

needs to compete on any combination of Price/Speed/Frequency/Quality
if speed increases, costs decreases (because less crew time, equipment)
but very high investments needed upfront: the tracks are the biggest cost and constraint
Freight makes money, not passenger. But improvements on tracks help both freight and passenger.

Vermont has received 52 millions stimulus grant to improve the Vermonter, as follows:

To update tracks for up to 79 miles/hour: will cut 27 minutes in VT
MA and CT also: overall, will cut 1h-1h30. (eliminate the shift in Palmer)
Also increases weight limit, so good for freight and related income.

Presentation by Mike Izbicki: Focus on Rail Planning in New Hampshire
NH is working with the 6 NE states. Boston-Portland `Down Easter' rail is doing very well, with ridership up 97% in six years, from 245,000 riders in 2002 to 474,500 riders in 2008. NH proposes Boston-Montreal (very long term time-wise, nothing firm at all). To begin with Boston-Concord, with first phase: Lowell-Concord, with 4 new stations in NH.

But will have to rebuild everything: rails, bridges.
All stations would be intermodal
Public-private partnership?
Would increase development, jobs, all along the line

Presentation by Christine Walker (UVLS-PRC): Intermodal Transit HUB proposal
Intermodal hub in Lebanon: much uncertainty about location (Lebanon has issues with first proposed site near I-89 / Rte 120): had been selected on the basis of "boarding surveys" for various modes of transportation: For the time being, only about 12,000 boardings by rail (this is the Vermonter, from WRJ), overall 750,000 a year mostly bus.
Panel comments

Role of the state transportation departments
Federal funding, and cooperative work for NH & VT

VT : the Fed is doing a good investment in VT+MA+CT, with recent funding for upgrades to the Vermonter.
NH: Planning for Boston-Concord rail started 1988, funding a continuing issue for NH. Rail Transit Authority established only in 2007, plans to resubmit Federal funding request for planning.
Staff members for Welsh and Hodes: under Recovery Act, about 259 applications for funding. They push for funding freight and high speed trains.
Comment from floor by Peter Burling: the issue is politics. We should use our votes to get what we think is right. Train faces huge competition from lobbies for buses highway and truck industries.
Notes: Josette Malley, LWV UV

Concluding Remarks

by Len Cadwallader, Executive Director of Vital Communities
Even as avidly inquisitive people who are proud to be informed, we learned a lot tonight.
Here are some of the take-aways:
1. We will use rail transit when it comes - we will get out of our cars. We've already demonstrated that by the high numbers of boardings on all the public transit systems and private coaches that serve our region.
2. The potential environmental gain from rail service is enormous.
3. Our desire for livable, sustainable, walkable, transit-connected communities is well established, and we're starting to see this manifested in zoning regulations.
4. Our congressional delegations support rail but there is bitter opposition at the national level for increased funding from the truck and car lobbies. We must stiffen our political backbone.
5. We are advised to remember to talk about connections to cities to the north - namely Montreal - not just to Boston, NY and points south. While Canadians can't vote, we diminish our own efforts when we turn our backs on our northern neighbors.
6. We first talked about energy efficient construction; now we embrace it. We now need to start talking about transit-efficient development - and start embracing it, too.
7. None of the panelists mentioned the fact that we in this region are at the end of a very long, thin string that connects us to the fossil fuel we consume to heat our homes, power our cars. But everyone in this room realizes full well how dependent we are. The oil well that ruptured in the Gulf of Mexico on April 21st is but a symptom of how tenuous our connection to our oil supply is. An explosion at an oil refinery in Lagos or Riatt would quickly escalate prices and destabilize national economies around the world. The time to act to promote more energy efficient transit is upon us.

Other Information

Granite State Poll indicates strong statewide support for continued pursuit of Rail Investment for the New Hampshire Capital Corridor.

Websites

Vermont AOT Operations Division, Rail Section
The site has various AOT rail reports, such as feasibility studies, plans and grant applications. The Vermont Rail Council has existed since1993, with membership drawn from owners of private rail industry, operators on state-owned railroads, freight shippers, environmental and economic development organizations, regional chambers of commerce, regional planning commissions, the House and Senate transportation committees and travel and recreation organizations.
Vermont Rail Action Network
Includes information about the recent lifeline for Ethan Alan section of passenger rail service, the upgrade for Bellows Falls tunnel. It also has background on the 'knowledge corridor' and much more background information.
New Hampshire Rail Transit Authority
In 2007, Governor Lynch signed legislation creating the New Hampshire Rail Transit Authority, which is overseeing the development of commuter rail in New Hampshire and meets monthly. This site has many NH reports related to rail feasibililty and grant applications.
NH Rail Revitalization Association
A 501.c.3 group that advocates for rail service Lowell-Manchester-Concord, AKA "Capital Corridor". The website has excellent list of resources, reports - including history, numerous reports that document the need, background use of the proposed Manchester-Lowell link projected use (eventually to Concord .... And thereafter LEBANON).
Trainriders / Northeast was formed in 1989 as a non-profit, volunteer organization dedicated to bringing modern and efficient passenger rail service to Northern New England. Has good list of links; main focus is on the Downeaster train from Portland ME to Boston (that travels through part of NH).
New England Rail Coalition (NERC)
An alliance of businesses, municipalities, elected officials, planning entities, environmental groups, and transportation organizations. It promotes the importance of substantially reinvesting in rail - both passenger and freight - to build a balanced and sustainable transportation system that will safeguard and strengthen New England's economy, environment, and quality of life.

A Proposal for Long Term Rail Strategy

Charles Bohi, State Representative Windsor 6-2 Submitted to the Speaker of the VT House of Representatives, 2009
GOAL: Provide competitive freight service within the state and connections to the national rail system. [Goal stated on p. ES2 of Vermont State Rail and Policy Plan for 2006]
Findings:
1. Vermont's railways are not necessary for the national network.
2. Vermont's railways are vital to numerous shippers in the state.
3. The 26,000 carloads originated and terminated in Vermont equal over 100,000 truck trips.
4. Vermont's railways depend on "overhead traffic" - freight passing THROUGH the State for as much as 80% of their business.
5. The 130,000 carloads of overhead traffic passing through Vermont equal over 500,000 truck trips.
6. Because Vermont's railways cannot handle cars carrying 286,000 pounds, they are handicapped in seeking overhead business.
7. Vermont's railways are badly in need of renovation and upgrading.
8. Vermont Rail System (VRS) and the New England Central (NECR) do not have the resources to undertake the repairs and upgrading on their own.
9. Because the State owns most of the track used by VRS, it has allocated substantial aid to it. While a good thing to do, if it continues, over time, this will put the NECR at a very serious competitive disadvantage threatening Its financial viability.
10. This could create a non-competitive rail system in Vermont that could be detrimental to the users of rail freight service.
11. Other states, Virginia, West Virginia, Ohio, Illinois, California, to name a few, have made public-private partnerships with privately owned railroads.
Conclusion: To achieve the goal described at the top of the page, I would urge the legislature to consider creating a competitive grant program similar to one in Pennsylvania to give VRS and NECR more equal access to State funding to upgrade and rehabilitate their systems.

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