Rail Planning

State Rail Planning Best Practices

Under the direction of the AASHTO Standing Committee on Rail Transportation (SCORT), Cambridge Systematics recently completed the State Rail Planning Best Practices. This new publication provides a template for rail plan development and serves as flexible guidance to states launching state rail plans for the first time or for veteran programs looking to renew older plans with an eye to the future – and new funding.

Interest in rail planning is reaching new heights as state DOTs across the country rush to qualify for Federal high-speed rail grants authorized through the Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act (PRIIA). State Rail Planning Best Practices assists states develop rail plans required by the new Federal law with guidance on visioning, data analysis, project evaluation, and implementation.

State Rail Planning Best Practices is now available for purchase via the AASHTO Bookstore.

Railroads are experiencing new attention from public policy-makers seeking to reduce highway congestion through expanded rail options for accommodating increasing freight volumes, to enhance energy independence through energy-efficient movement of people and goods, and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from transportation sources. Cambridge Systematics is at the forefront of this rail renaissance as a national leader in all aspects of passenger and freight rail planning. We have extensive experience in the areas of freight and passenger rail planning, operations, policy, program development, and in making the link between rail investment and economic development.

Our Services

State Rail Plans. Cambridge Systematics helps states extend their statewide transportation plans to consider the roles and needs of freight and passenger rail systems. We create rail plans that respond to unique state rail issues and are tailored to state planning priorities and resources. As a matter of fact, we wrote the book on state rail planning: the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials’ (AASHTO) State Rail Planning Best Practices, which serves as flexible guidance to states to produce Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act (PRIIA)-compliant state rail plans customized to the unique circumstances of each state. We recently developed statewide rail plans and studies in nine states, including the newly completed Minnesota Comprehensive Statewide Passenger and Freight Rail Plan. We currently are completing PRIIA-compliant rail plans for the states of Florida, Maryland, and Texas.
State and Regional Rail Studies. Cambridge Systematics has provided expert policy and technical consulting on a variety of rail-related policy issues faced by states. For the Missouri Department of Transportation (DOT), we provided the rail industry perspective on legal, political, economic, and regulatory issues that have significant impact on their freight and passenger service operations and market decisions. We also have been providing support services on the multiyear freight rail improvement program of national significance – Chicago Regional Environmental Transportation and Efficiency Project (CREATE).

High-Speed Rail and Passenger Rail. Cambridge Systematics is a national leader in high-speed rail (HSR) planning. The California HSR model developed by Cambridge Systematics reflects the state-of-the-practice in intercity passenger transportation ridership forecasting, helping pave the way for California voters to approve a bond issue for a multibillion dollar statewide HSR program. For the National Railroad Passenger Corporation (Amtrak), we led a team that helped to create a Congressional-supported vision for HSR. Additionally, we have assisted in developing plans for high-speed passenger rail service and forecast demand for high-speed intercity rail service.
Commuter Rail Planning. Examining commuter rail proposals involves multiple disciplines because of multiple funding sources, use of freight rail lines, and safety regulations. Cambridge Systematics has performed a variety of studies for commuter rail projects. For example, we modeled travel demand patterns for commuter rail service proposed for Kenosha to Milwaukee in southeastern Wisconsin and provided peer reviews of other passenger rail proposals for state and Federal agencies. Additional work includes assisting in analysis of the potential implementation of a 112-mile commuter rail system in Texas and the I-70 commuter rail line in Missouri.
Freight Rail Capacity and Planning. Cambridge Systematics’ pioneering work for the Association of American Railroads (AAR) (National Rail Freight Infrastructure Capacity and Investment Study) and the I-95 Corridor Coalition rail studies (Mid-Atlantic, Northeast, and Southeast Rail Operations Studies) has set the national agenda and debate regarding reinvestment strategies in freight rail. Currently, we are leading a major study for AAR to identify the necessary infrastructure, replacement, rehabilitation, and expansion in the continental U.S. rail network that would be required for the freight railroads to meet and/or increase their share of the freight transportation market, and allow for substantial expansion of intercity passenger rail and commuter rail services.
National Rail Policy and Planning. Cambridge Systematics has been active in the national arena for many years. For AASHTO, we assisted in the preparation of the Freight-Rail Bottom Line Report, which assesses system conditions, future trends and issues, policy options, and benefit/cost associated with alternative levels of investment in our nation’s rail freight transportation system. We also have prepared reports for the Transportation Research Board (TRB) through both the National Cooperative Highway and Freight Research Programs, such as a report evaluating the methodologies for demonstrating the return investment from freight rail capacity improvement projects.

Why Cambridge Systematics

Cambridge Systematics has worked directly for private freight railroads and for public sector agencies at the local, regional, and state level. This experience equips us to understand the challenges and opportunities associated with public investments on private railroad facilities, and to help public and private sector actors to more effectively communicate with each other. We are ready to help you make well-informed decisions on investments in passenger and freight rail projects.