JOINT USE OF TRACK BY ELECTRIC RAILWAYS AND RAILROADS: HISTORIC VIEW

Transit agencies are considering operating light rail or commuter railroad service on existing freight railroad tracks because of the high capital costs to construct new exclusive trackage for passenger service. A number of institutional, regulatory, and technical barriers, among them the buff strength of passenger carrying cars, must be overcome to allow joint use of railroad track. Case studies are examined: San Diego Trolley, Baltimore Central Light Rail Line, South Shore Line, and others. Historic cases will be examined to illustrate how joint operation was handled from 1900 to the 1950s. Also noted are examples of rulings as to what is a railroad. A number of Interstate Commerce Commission decisions turned on whether an electric railway was an interurban railway or a railroad that was "part of the general steam railroad system of the United States". In general, the proportion of railroad interchange freight revenue to passenger revenue was the deciding factor. The nature of freight service has been crucial to joint use. Whether it is line haul, local, slow, or fast governs how much time it will occupy the joint track. Axle loading may be important for design, construction, and maintenance of joint track. Frequency, the time of day, and the time sensitivity of the freight are important. Careful analysis of a railroad's needs has to be done and the plan developed to meet those needs; otherwise, the railroad company does not allow joint use. Only one vestige of joint use remains: the South Brooklyn Railway. Two new-start LRT lines, San Diego and Baltimore, have joint operation, separated temporally. Their example can provide guidance for present LRT planners. Can the several barriers to joint use in the United States be overcome to make LRT and other forms of rail transit more affordable, yet safe? History and current overseas experience indicate that they can.

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  http://onlinepubs.trb.org/Onlinepubs/conf/1995/cp8/cp8v1-017.pdf
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  • Distribution, posting, or copying of this PDF is strictly prohibited without written permission of the Transportation Research Board of the National Academy of Sciences. Unless otherwise indicated, all materials in this PDF are copyrighted by the National Academy of Sciences. Copyright © National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.
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  Transportation Research Board

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• Authors:
  • VIGRASS, J W
• Conference:
  • Seventh National Conference on Light Rail Transit: Building on Success--Learning from Experience
  • Location: Baltimore, Maryland
  • Date: 1995-11-12 to 1995-11-15
• Publication Date: 1995

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Features: References;
• Pagination: p. 154-163
• Monograph Title: SEVENTH NATIONAL CONFERENCE ON LIGHT RAIL TRANSIT, BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, NOVEMBER 12-15, 1995. VOLUME 1
• Serial:
  • Transportation Research Board Conference Proceedings
  • Volume: 1
  • Issue Number: 8
  • Publisher: Transportation Research Board
  • ISSN: 1073-1652

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Axle load force; Case studies; Conferences; Freight transportation; History; Institutional issues; Joint use; Light rail transit; Railroad commuter service; Railroad tracks; Railroads; Socioeconomic development; Time
• Uncontrolled Terms: Time factors
• Geographic Terms: Baltimore (Maryland); San Diego (California)
• Old TRIS Terms: Axle loadings; Regulatory barriers; Technical barriers
• Subject Areas: Freight Transportation; Highways; History; Planning and Forecasting; Public Transportation; Railroads; Society;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00716774
• Record Type: Publication
• ISBN: 0309061520
• Files: TRIS, TRB
• Created Date: Jan 30 1996 12:00AM