Terminal Subdivision - Rail Capacity Enhancements

Rail Capacity Enhancements Improvement Classification Level Estimated Cost Estimated Public Benefit* Ratio:
Benefit/Cost
Second Main: Chaney Jct to Tower 26
(Sheet 1, Sheet 2) 		1 $21,000,000 NA NA
Expand Englewood Yard
(Sheet 1, Sheet 2) 		1 $5,000,000 NA NA
Replace existing intermodal operations at Settegast and Englewood yards
(Sheet 1, Sheet 2) 		5 $100,000,000 NA NA
Total Identified Improvements $126,000,000    

*No public benefits of individual rail improvements were identified.

Addition of a Second Mainline from Chaney Junction to Tower 26 (Freight Main)

Between Chaney Junction and Tower 26, the Freight Main track of the Terminal Subdivision is a single track rail line crossing White Oak Bayou and passing the Hardy Street Yard in the process. Between Sawyer and Holly Streets, the Freight Main runs down the middle of Winter Street, with single family residences no more that 50 feet from the rail line. Only a single mainline of track currently runs along the Terminal Subdivision’s Freight Main.

Analysis

The addition of a second track would move the freight service from the Passenger main onto the Freight main, making the Passenger Main available for alternative transportation use, such as commuter rail. With the property acquisition required for a second mainline, the proximity of the rail line to the residences along Winter Street would be addressed as well.

The current connection between the West Belt Subdivision and the Terminal Subdivision in the southeast quadrant of Tower 26 also serves as the connection track to industry tracks in the area. Reconfiguring the track in this quadrant will assist in avoiding train movement conflicts through Tower 26, while local service trains are working the industry tracks. This improvement would also allow for movements on both the Terminal Subdivision and the West Belt Subdivision to occur simultaneously, increasing the flexibility of movements to and from Englewood Yard.

Cost

The estimated cost of a second mainline along the Terminal Subdivision from Chaney Junction to Tower 26 and the reconfigured connection at Tower 26 is $21,000,000. The improvements are classified as level 1 near-term railroad improvements. These improvements should undergo further testing to determine the extent of the improvements’ impact on the region’s rail network, and to quantify the associated public and private benefits that may be attained.

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Expansion of Englewood Yard

Tower 87, located just east of Englewood Yard near Liberty Road and Wayside Drive, is a major crossroads for train traffic coming to and from Settegast Yard as well as Englewood Yard, and is by far the most congested rail interchange within the Houston Terminal.

Analysis

The addition of an additional mainline track from the east end of Englewood Yard toward Dawes will allow for more flexibility in the positioning of trains in Settegast Yard which would play an integral role in increasing the overall speed of trains on the Terminal Subdivision. It would also improve the mobility of an estimated 40 to 50 daily train movement through the Tower 87 interchange by reducing conflicts and delays.

Cost

The estimated cost of expanding Englewood Yard is $5,000,000 and is classified as a level 2 improvement, meaning that it is a mid-range rail improvement.

This improvement should undergo further testing to determine the extent of the improvement’s impact on the region’s rail network, and to quantify the associated public and private benefits that may be attained.

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Relocation of Existing Intermodal Operations at Settegast and Englewood Yards

The UPRR Settegast Yard Intermodal Facility is located on the west side of Settegast Yard along the UPRR East Belt Subdivision adjacent to Kirkpatrick Boulevard. The intermodal facility consists of approximately nine tracks in addition to storage areas for truck and container staging. The Intermodal Facility is used to transfer freight from train cars to trucks and vice versa.

The UPRR Englewood Intermodal Facility is located on the UPRR Terminal Subdivision directly southwest of Settegast Yard. The approximately 100-acre intermodal facility consists of approximately eight tracks in addition to storage areas for truck and container staging. The Intermodal Facility is used to transfer freight from train cars to trucks and vice versa and classifies (sorts) 1,100 to 1,900 train cars per day.

Although it is outside the scope of this study to determine the relocation site for the intermodal facilities, multiple locations on the Palestine and Navasota Subdivisions near Spring, Texas have been identified as possible relocation sites.

Cost

The estimated cost to relocate the existing intermodal operations at Settegast and Englewood Yards is $100,000,000 and classified as a level 5 long-range improvement that should undergo further testing to determine the improvements’ impact on the region’s rail network and quantify the associated public and private benefits that may be attained.

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Identified Improvements