by Frederick K. Plous
fplous@costonlaw.com
Coston & Lichtman - www.costonlaw.com

The Case for the South Central High Performance Rail Corridor

The tri-state region of Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas is at a critical juncture. Our highways, airports and waterways are in an advanced state of technological development and have been built out to reach every corner of the region. But our railroads, on which so much of the region's future economic growth depends, lack the capacity and flexibility needed to support that growth, as was recently talked about by Matt Rose, President and CEO of the BNSF Railway.

The problem is political: Since 1916 the federal government has invested hundreds of billions of dollars in the regions' highways, ocean ports, inland waterways and airports, but nothing in the region's PRIVATELY OWNED railroad lines.

Faced with a CAPACITY CONSTRAINED rail infrastructure, passenger and freight demand has
spilled over onto the highways and airports, and it has overwhelmed them.

Now is the time for the tri-state region to turn its attention to the latent logistical capacity and undeveloped economic potential of its railroad facilities.

None is more critical than the route the U.S. Department of Transportation has designated the South Central High Speed Rail Corridor. This corridor is a critical link along the NAFTA route connecting Canada to Mexico via the U.S. heartland. Its development is essential to realize the vast economic potential of NAFTA and the region.

The first step is the study and computer modeling of the corridor by professional planners. This can determine the full extent of the corridor's economic potential and the amount of federal funding required to update this valuable resource.

Some hint of what the study will say about the region may be gauged from the nationwide figures appearing in the Bottom Line Freight Rail Report published by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO). The Report said that if U.S. rail infrastructure is merely maintained at its current capacity, the U.S. highway system will require up to $50 billion in additional investment by 2020 in order to handle the freight traffic forced off the rail system. Conversely, AASHTO said, an updated rail infrastructure will pay for itself many times over in highway cost savings.

In each of the two prior four-year periods (1997 to 2001 and 2001 to 2005) automobile traffic on highways into and out of North central Texas grew by an average of 3.78% annually or 34.6% over the period.

When frequent passenger train service is offered between key cities along the South Central Corridor it will become a popular choice for travelers. Elimination of the busiest highway grade crossings and the upgrading of protection devices at the crossings that remain, will allow these trains to operate at speeds of 110mph.

Additional double track and improved signaling systems will enhance freight-train performance as well, thereby having a significant impact on the region's economic growth and quality of life.

The upgraded corridor will allow speeds of 90mph for inter-modal container and trailer trains as well as higher speeds for general merchandise trains. NAFTA trade is mostly merchandise, which a safe, high tech South Central railroad route can handle with minimal environmental impact significantly reducing 18 wheel truck traffic whose growth rate has been at least 4.5% annually in recent years. Recent Texas Department of Transportation figures estimate that up to 10,000 trucks per day could be diverted off the NAFTA highway and onto a high performance South Central Rail Corridor.

Air, highway and waterway transportation all leaped forward during the late 20th century because the federal government invested in them. Rail transportation evevtually lagged because adequate federal investment never took place.

As we enter the 21st Century with our roads and airports congested and our air polluted with
petroleum exhaust, rail alone holds out the promise of advanced mobility higher speeds, greater capacity and all-weather reliability, with little net negative environmental impact.

Money spent on the South Central High Speed Rail Corridor will yield substantial improvements in mobility, transportation efficiency, environmental quality, safety and health.

By entering into a public/private partnership with the railroads that serve this federally designated corridor; Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas can have a high performance railroad component as part of this international trade route. Public/private partnerships are increasingly popular with railroads and various governmental entities. In these agreements each party pays for the benefits received.

No additional acquisition of land is needed. No highway congestion due to road construction will result. No double taxation will occur.

Now is the time to act and choose the South Central High Speed Rail Corridor: The high performance track for economic growth, regional mobility and swift connections to national and international destinations.

Paul Mangelsdorf
President