WESTCO Rail Development Plan

Transcription

1 WESTCO Rail Development Plan Five Year Outlook T he West Central Ohio Port Authority has developed a plan to serve as a guide for the future of the WESTCO rail system over the next five years. The plan identifies current and future system needs and makes recommendations to encourage ongoing rail investments and continued use and expansion by WESTCO s customers.

2 1 WESTCO Port Authority Rail System The West Central Ohio Port Authority has a robust rail system that provides the movement of diverse freight products. The rail system is an important component to the region and will continue to serve the area to enhance and improve the region s economy and agronomy. The Origins of WESTCO The West Central Ohio Port Authority (WESTCO) was created by the Boards of County Commissioners of Champaign, Clark, and Fayette counties pursuant to Chapter 4582 of the Ohio Revised Code for the public purpose of preserving railroad assets and providing for the continued operation of rail freight services. WESTCO has a board of seven directors. The directors are appointed by agreement among the participating counties. The board is responsible for the governing of the port authority pursuant to the Ohio Revised Code and the board's adopted rules and regulations. The secretary/treasurer is the point of contact for the board. WESTCO Rail Service WESTCO owns 94 miles of railroad track in Champaign, Clark, Fayette, Logan, and Madison counties. WESTCO has leased the tracks to the Indiana & Ohio Railway Company (IORY). The IORY is a regional railroad based in Cincinnati, with both owned and leased track in Ohio, Indiana, and Michigan. The IORY is a unit of Rail America, Inc., a railroad holding company. A system map and a roster of track miles on the various lines and their lengths, by county, are shown on pages 8-9. The three main lines were acquired from the Grand Trunk Western Railroad (3 transactions) and Conrail (2 transactions). The IORY can interchange rail traffic originating or terminating on WESTCO lines at the following locations: Class I Railroads: Canadian National at Cincinnati and Flat Rock, MI CSXT at Cincinnati, Lima, Middletown and Hamler Norfolk Southern at Lima, Springfield, Cincinnati and Monroe Western Railroads at Chicago through the Chicago, Ft. Wayne, & Eastern Railroad (CFER) Other Railroads: Ann Arbor Railroad at Diann, MI Adrian and Blissfield Railroad at Riga, MI RJ Corman Railroad at Lima Wheeling Lake Erie Railroad at Lima WESTCO Rail Freight Services In: Bellefontaine Springfield Sister Railroads: Jeffersonville Urbana CFER at Lima and with interchange at Chicago, IL Central Railroad Company of Indiana (CIND) at Valley Junction, OH Mechanicsburg South Charleston Washington C. H. West Liberty Indiana Southern Railroad through CIND South Solon

3 Carloads 6,212 6,650 5,871 5,230 6,003 5,833 5,545 4,742 5,505 7,158 7,108 7,615 7,591 West Central Ohio Port Authority Rail Development Plan 2 WESTCO Freight Transport and Service The West Central Ohio Port Authority has three main lines: the Urbana Line (from Springfield to Bellefontaine), the Mechanicsburg Line (from Springfield to Mechanicsburg), and the South Charleston Line (from Springfield to Washington Court House). These three tracks comprise our 94 miles of railroad across five counties: Logan, Champaign, Clark, Madison, and Fayette. What does WESTCO Ship? WESTCO primarily deals with agriculture related items, with about 90% of its carloads comprised of corn, soybean and fertilizer. Because of this, the amount of carloads per year varies depending on the harvest yield for each year. In addition to the agricultural products, WESTCO also ships salt, plastic, and some manufacturing 8,000 7,000 6,000 5,000 4,000 3,000 2,000 1,000 0 items. While most of our carloads are supported by agronomy, WESTCO does possess the capabilities to transport any commodity that can be transported by rail. Benefits of Shipping by WESTCO Rail Annual Carloads Connectivity through the IORY to transport goods across the United States and Canada Access to two designated mega sites (more information on page 7) Most environmentally friendly and fuel efficient way to transport bulk commodities More economical to ship bulk products by rail than by trucking Ability to utilize double stack container shipments for added efficiency One train can transport the equivalent of over 250 trucks WESTCO Customers by Line South Charleston Line Keynes Bros. Trupointe Grain Trupointe Fertilizer Hub Bluegrass Farms Mechanicsburg Line Heritage Cooperative (Mechanicsburg) Urbana Line Heritage Cooperative (Urbana) Heritage Cooperative (West Liberty) Damewood Enterprises International Fiber Sales Orbis Phares Pumps Tech II

4 3 WESTCO Past Rail Investment The graph below shows the ratio between the revenue received by WESTCO through our operating funds against the investments made. The investment made by WESTCO on the track over the last 5 years far outweighs the operating funds received. Since 2007, WESTCO has invested over $4.6 million into various track and bridge rehabilitation projects, while only receiving just over $2.3 million in revenues. We are able to bridge the gap by applying and receiving grants and loans to complete larger projects through various state and federal programs. WESTCO always seeks to maintain the Class II track standards, which enables freight to be transported at speeds from miles per hour. This is achieved through planning for future rehabilitation as well as being prepared to respond to emergencies as they arise. WESTCO Future Rail Investment Major Rehab Projects Completed Since 2007 Bridge # over US36 Bridge #224.7 over Sugar Creek Bridge #222.2 over Sugar Creek South Charleston Line Slow Order Project ARRA Bridge Rehabilitation Project ARRA Track Rehabilitation Project South Charleston Line Rehab Phase 1 and 2 WESTCO has coordinated with the IORY and HDR Engineering, our rail service provider, to develop a list of priority projects to address over the next 5 years. While WESTCO has made significant contributions to maintain a level of service in the past, they seek to provide an increased level of service in the future to better serve the WESTCO customers. A detailed breakdown of each project is provided on the next page. Option A Option A is what WESTCO plans to accomplish over the next 5 years based on receiving no additional federal or state assistance. Based on budgetary estimations, WESTCO plans to contribute $400,000-$500,000 per year to the continued maintenance of the rail. The money generated through maintenance and use fees through the current customers of the rail and the IORY will provide for the rehabilitation efforts. Option B Option B is what WESTCO plans to accomplish over the next 5 years in addition to the $400,000-$500,000 that we will spend on maintenance of the rail. WESTCO staff has been very successful in obtaining federal and state grants and plans to be aggressive in seeking additional funding for the continued maintenance of the rail in order to operate at Class II speeds.

5 4 WESTCO FY2012 Rail Investment Option A - $1,052,000 WESTCO staff applied for and received a 100% safety grant for $567,000 through the Transportation Improvement Program to install active signalized gates and flashers at three crossings in Clark County: Mound Street, Willow Avenue, and Columbus-Xenia Road. This improvement project will allow for every WESTCO owned crossing in Clark County to have active signalized gates and flashers except for the crossing on First Street which only has active warning lights. WESTCO also plans to rehabilitate 7 miles of track on the South Charleston Line from M.P The South Charleston Line is the most used line due to the overhead traffic from the IORY and it is primarily used to transport all of the goods from the Urbana and Mechanicsburg lines out of the region. The project will replace approximately 725 crossties per mile of the project area as well as provide for the needed ballast, anchors and resurfacing. WESTCO FY FY2014 Rail Investment Option B - $623,550 In addition to Option A s investment of $1,052,000 in FY2012, staff will also seek an additional grant to match the investment being made on the South Charleston Line by seeking a grant for the rehabilitation of an additional 3.5 miles of track to the above project each year until completion. The grants would cover the rehabilitation of M.P M.P , M.P M.P , and M.P M.P and replace 7,613 crossties of the 10.5 mile area and provide for the needed ballast, anchors and resurfacing. WESTCO FY2013 Rail Investment Option A - $485,000 WESTCO will rehabilitate another 7 mile stretch of the South Charleston Line from M.P M.P. 216 in their effort to upgrade the entire line and maintain Class II standards allowing freight to be moved at mph. The rehabilitation will include the replacement of 5,075 crossties as well as the placement of 2,100 tons of ballast. Both the FY2012 and the FY2013 rehabilitation projects will serve the Bluegrass Farms mega-site in Jeffersonville. If the FY2012 grant is received, WESTCO will begin the project at M.P and rehabilitate the next 7 miles.

6 5 WESTCO FY2014 Rail Investment Option A - $485,000 By FY2014, WESTCO will be halfway complete with the rehabilitation of the South Charleston Line and it will continue the efforts in 2014 with another 7 miles of work. The project area will cover M.P and replace approximately 725 crossties per mile and furnish and place the needed ballast and rail anchors. If either of the Option B grants have been received, the project area would shift to the appropriate mileage. WESTCO FY2015 Rail Investment Option A - $485,000 If WESTCO has not received any of the proposed Option B grants, it will continue to rehabilitate the South Charleston Line. The FY2015 rail investment would be the final installment in the rehabilitation and would cover from M.P M.P. 202 (Springfield Yard) and would replace 5,075 crossties over the 7 mile project area and place the needed ballast. WESTCO FY2015 Rail Investment Option B - $727,000 With the South Charleston rehabilitation project being complete, WESTCO will now direct their attention to the improvement of the Urbana Line from Glen Echo (M.P. 124) through West Liberty (M.P. 104). Staff will apply for a grant for the first 2.5 miles of rail rehabilitation beginning at M.P. 124 and ending in Champaign County at M.P and will replace approximately 1,000 ties per mile. WESTCO FY2016 Rail Investment Option A - $484,000 There is currently a slow order on the Urbana Line from Glen Echo north to Bellefontaine. Over the next four years, WESTCO will seek to rehabilitate the line to bring the speeds up from 10 mph to mph from Glen Echo to West Liberty. In FY2016, WESTCO will rehabilitate M.P M.P. 119 replacing 5,000 crossties over the 5 mile stretch and furnish and place 1,500 tons of ballast and the needed rail anchors. WESTCO FY2016 Rail Investment Option B - $726,000 In addition to the planned 5 mile rehabilitation efforts, staff will seek a matching grant for an additional 2.5 miles of rehabilitation from M.P The project will replace 2,500 cross ties and furnish and place the needed ballast and rail anchors. WESTCO will continue to seek funding for the rehabilitation of the Urbana Line through FY2019.

7 6 WESTCO Planned and Future Rehabilitation By Line South Charleston Line M.P Urbana Line M.P Mechanicsburg Line M.P FY2015 FY2014 FY2013 FY FY2019 FY2018 FY2017 FY FY2020 FY2021 FY2022 WESTCO Bridges The West Central Ohio Port Authority owns 48 bridges across the 5 county area. Through the ARRA Bridge Rehabilitation project that was completed in 2010, WESTCO was able to remove all priority 1 and 2 repairs from the line by repairing structural deficiencies on 13 bridges on the Urbana and Mechanicsburg Lines. There is no planned bridge rehabilitation at this time, because all bridges are in Priorities 3-5. Priority 3 dictates that the bridge condition could become unsafe and should be monitored by railroad personnel frequently. Priority 4 dictates that the condition is substandard and should be monitored, and Priority 5 dictates that either no defects or only minor defects were found. Osmose Construction provides the Annual Bridge Engineering Report to WESTCO which enables us to assess the bridges and our needs for rehabilitation. If an emergency repair was needed, WESTCO is financially prepared to make the necessary improvements. WESTCO Crossings The West Central Ohio Port Authority owns 63 crossings over the 94 miles of track they own. WESTCO has been proactive in installing active warning devices to ensure the safety of motorists when encountering a railroad crossing. In Champaign County, 12 of the 21 crossings have active warning devices, in Clark County, 18 of the 21 crossings have active warning devices (all 21 crossings will have active warning devices by the end of 2012), in Madison County, both crossings have gates and flashers, in Fayette County, 3 of the 12 crossings have active warning devices and in Logan County, 0 of the 8 crossings are signalized. In addition to the signalized crossings, WESTCO, per the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century, the Federal Aid Highway Safety Act of 1973, and the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act - A Legacy for Users is changing all the non-active warning devices at WESTCO Crossings to provide increased safety.

8 7 Central Ohio Logistics Center and Job Ready Mega Site There is nearly 2,600 acres of manufacturing land available at the Central Ohio Logistics Center in Jeffersonville. The site is surrounded by access, with two spurs providing train access, as well as having an immense amount of roadway access through Interstate 71, U.S. Route 35, State Route 41 and State Route 729. Bluegrass Farms of Ohio is currently the only occupant of the site, but through state funding, over $12.5 million has been invested in the site to make it ready for manufacturing and employment. The site is 32 miles from Columbus and 52 miles from Cincinnati and is a prime location for a mega manufacturer to locate due to the benefits of the rail access, roadways and the other infrastructure that has been invested into the site. Champion City Business Park Belmont Ave. Lagonda Ave. 36 Acres US Route Acres Other Sites Available IORY Rail WESTCO Rail Ohio Job Ready Mega-Site Interstate 71 Central Ohio Logistics Center WESTCO Rail The Champion City Business Park in Springfield totals 62 acres, 26 acres on the northern parcel, and 36 acres on the southern parcel, with both having the potential for rail accessibility through the West Central Ohio Port Authority. The site has received over $4.9 million of public funding to clean and develop the site to be ready for business. The site is currently equipped with water, sewer, storm sewer, electric, gas, and telecom. The Champion City Business Park is owned by the City of Springfield and is capable of having multiple spurs into either parcel making it possible for small or large manufacturing. There are many locations along the WESTCO mainlines that are prime for development and are well suited for small to large manufacturing. In addition to the land available along the mainlines, WESTCO lines run along several major roadways including: Interstate 70, Interstate 71, U.S. Route 35, U.S. Route 36, U.S. Route 40, U.S. Route 68, State Route 4, and State Route 41. If you have any property inquiries, please feel free to contact the Secretary-Treasurer, Zachary Balassone at or zbalassone@clarkcountyohio.gov SR 41

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10 WESTCO Board of Directors Gordon Conn Gerald Damewood Richard Flax Richard Henry Betty Mowrey Dale Ritenour Alan Thompson WESTCO Secretary - Treasurer Zachary Balassone zbalassone@clarkcountyohio.gov West Central Ohio Port Authority 3130 East Main Street - Suite 2B Springfield, Ohio