| Rail Capacity Enhancements | Improvement Classification Level | Estimated Cost | Estimated Public Benefit* |
Ratio: Benefit/Cost |
| Third Main: Tower 81 (T&NO) Jct to MP 235.00 | 4 | $18,000,000 | NA | NA |
| Extend two main tracks through Belt Jct | 2 | $4,000,000 | NA | NA |
| Remove Hold Restrictions between Twr 26 and Cullen | 2 | Accounted for in the costs above | NA | NA |
| Total Identified Improvements | $22,000,000 | |||
*No public benefits of individual rail improvements were identified.
Addition of Third Mainline Track: T&NO Junction to MP 235.00
Although it is a double track railroad, train switching operations at New South
Yard typically occupy the mainline track between New South Yard and Double Track
Junction inhibiting the movement of trains to Tower 26 and/or Tower 87. The
addition of a third track will allow trains destined for locations other than
New South Yard to do so unobstructed by train movement in and around the yard,
ultimately improving the mobility in the Houston Terminal.
Cost
The estimated cost to add a third mainline along the West Belt Subdivision from T&NO Junction to milepost 235.00 is $18,000,000 and is classified as a level 4 long-range improvement. The addition of a third mainline on the West Belt should undergo further testing to determine the extent of an improvement’s impact on the region’s rail network, and to quantify the associated public and private benefits that may be attained.
Analysis
As with many other improvement alternatives discussed, should the relocation of carload switching operations at existing BNSF facilities (New South and Pearland Yards) to outlying areas take place, the addition of a third mainline track in this area may not be required to maintain fluidity on the rail network, however, it may be required to support the potential of commuter rail operations along this alignment.
Remove Hold Restrictions between Tower 26 and Cullen Boulevard
Under existing conditions, the West Belt Subdivision does not allow operators to
hold trains on the West Belt between South GH&H Junction and the at-grade
crossing with the Terminal Subdivision at Tower 26. The railroads impose such
restrictions on themselves, either to avoid blocking grade crossings with
standing trains, or to avoid the nuisance of standing trains in certain areas.
In this case, the existing restriction on the West Belt between Cullen Boulevard and Tower 26 is due to the many grade crossings in this segment. One consequence of this restriction is that some UPRR through trains requiring a crew change within the terminal are forced to the East Belt, where they can stop long enough at Basin Yard for relief crews to take over, without blocking street crossings.
Analysis
The RTC base case demonstrates that the East Belt can be severely congested; by contrast, the West Belt has fewer trains under current operations. As a result, all of the crossings between Tower 26 and Cullen Boulevard were analyzed and determined to either be potential closures or grade separations on the West Belt Subdivision, thereby allowing trains to stop on this line segment of the subdivision.
Cost
The estimated cost to allow trains to stop on the West Belt Subdivision between Tower 26 and Cullen Boulevard is the combination of the costs for grade separating or closing all of the crossing along that segment, which totals nearly $50,000,000.
Extend two main tracks through Belt Junction
The West Belt Subdivision currently has a single track bottleneck point between
two double track segments at Belt Junction. The continuation of two tracks
through Belt Junction would improve mobility, and improve the capacity of the
West Belt Subdivision to handle trains moving between the Palestine Subdivision
to the north, and points on or off the West Belt Subdivision to the south. For
example, trains coming from Navasota or Spring, Texas traveling to Englewood
Yard must go through Belt Junction.
Cost
The estimated cost to provide two continuous tracks through Belt Junction is $4,000,000, 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.
Identified Improvements
125 East 11th Street . Austin, Texas 78701 
Copyright 2012. Texas Department of Transportation. All Rights Reserved.
