URBAN RAILROAD RELOCATION: NATURE AND MAGNITUDE OF THE PROBLEM

This report, the fourth in a series of four volumes produced on urban railroad relocation, describes the nature of the urban railroad location problem and estimates its magnitude nationwide. Costs of urban railroad/highway conflicts are estimated at $800 million annually to highway users in delays and increased running costs, and $185 million in accidents. Annual railroad costs are estimated at $75 to $100 million for slowing and accelerating trains in urban areas and $70 million for maintenance of grade crossing surfaces, marking, and warning devices. Community costs from environmental degredation, barrier effects, and incompatible land uses are high but difficult to quantify without detailed site studies. About two-thirds of the 2,500 communities with railroads in the U.S. with populations over 5,000 in 1970 show evidence of serious railroad conflicts that might be ameliorated by some combination of the following measures: consolidation or relocation of railroad lines; closing of dangerous, low, volume crossings; installation of improved crossing surfaces and warning devices; construction of grade separation structures (including elevated or depressed railroad sections); and encouragement of compatible community development. Programs are outlined for major relocations or consolications in an estimated 600 to 1100 communities, at a cost of up to $2.8 billion, that would return between $4 and $4.4 billion in present value of reduced highway user, railroad, and community costs. The need for Federal and State support of such a program is explored.

• Record URL:
  • https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/73487
• Supplemental Notes:
  • Sponsored by the Federal Railroad Administration, Federal Highway Administration, DOT. This is Volume 4 of a 4 Volume set.
• Corporate Authors:

  Stanford Research Institute

  333 Ravenswood Avenue
  Menlo Park, CA  United States  94025

  Federal Railroad Administration

  1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590

  Federal Highway Administration

  1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Authors:
  • Moon, A E
• Publication Date: 1975-4

Media Info

• Features: Appendices; Figures; Tables;
• Pagination: 166 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: At grade intersections; Consolidations; Costs; Crashes; Environmental impacts; Federal government; Grade crossing protection systems; Land use; Lines of track; Railroad grade crossings; Railroads; Relocation (Facilities); Safety; Socioeconomic factors; Traffic delays; Transportation planning; Transportation policy; Travelers; Urban areas; Urban transportation
• Uncontrolled Terms: Accident costs; Relocation
• Old TRIS Terms: Grade crossing protection; Line relocation
• Subject Areas: Economics; Environment; Finance; Highways; Operations and Traffic Management; Policy; Railroads; Safety and Human Factors; Society;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00131926
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Federal Railroad Administration
• Report/Paper Numbers: RP-31 Volume 4 Final Rpt.
• Contract Numbers: DOT-FR-20037
• Files: NTIS, NTL, TRIS, USDOT
• Created Date: Jun 5 1977 12:00AM