VRE's 11mi of High Speed Rail (Arkendale - Powell's Creek)

[Jersey_Mike]

MAS for now is 70.....I don't know what CSX's hangup is with raising it.....

For CSX if it ain't slow, it ain't railroading. There is no reason that the RF&P can't be an 80mph line as is, but as can be expected CSX won't spend a dime for improvements that don't directly benefit it so look for that 70 to stay up until another grant comes through to fund the changes to the grade crossing and signaling equipment to facilitate higher speeds.

[orulz]

Any word on how negotiations with CSX are going? I'm pretty sure that's the holdup for this project.

[Arlington]

This project will be--and should be--held up to ridicule as a "shovel ready" project that "wasn't as shovel ready as we thought."

Regardless of whose "fault" it is, it is just plain wrong to sit on allocated money and not spend it for what is a 100% "paper" delay, and someplace else there's a project just as worthy but whose government, host railroad, and construction firms are more ready that isn't happening because the money is locked up here.

[strench707]

What at this point is the major roadblock?

Davis

[orulz]

If nothing has changed, it is this:

(1) When Virginia applied for the stimulus funding, they had an agreement with CSX regarding train performance after this is built, including any consequences to CSX if expectations are not met
(2) FRA reviews this agreement and decides it is too lenient on CSX, and proposes new terms
(3) CSX balks at new terms proposed by FRA

Basically, either CSX or the FRA has to give, or else nothing will ever get built.

[strench707]

And how long has this stalemate been going on for? The whole situation seems really just plain stupid if nothing is getting done. Have there been ongoing talks at least or has this one just been deferred indefinitely. It would have been really nice to see this one going in hand-in-hand with the triple tracking to Springfield.

Davis

[surytcw]

This is now listed as "canceled" on VRE's procurement page.

[strench707]

Which page is that? It says "Preliminary Design" on the project page?

Davis

[surytcw]

The procurement page: http://www.vre.org/about/procurement.htm - "DESIGN-BUILD FOR THE ARKENDALE-POWELLS CREEK (CHERRY HILL) THIRD TRACK PROJECT"

I don't think the actual project page has been updated for a while.

[strench707]

Ah I see. Why did this happen?! This would have been an amazing improvement to the line!

They don't seem to be offering much information as to why they did this....

Davis

[therock]

They don't seem to be offering much information as to why they did this....

Davis

Orulz pretty much summed it up - the "Services Outcome Agreement" in the High-Speed Rail grants has been a sticking point for many agreements with the Class I railroads and the FRA (who distributes the grants from the High-Speed Rail bucket). FRA had been insisting that certain on-time performance improvements must be met and maintained above the current levels, or the Class I is to reimburse the monies from the grant. Many of the Class I and even some commuter operators have balked at this, so it will continue to be a challenge to finalize some of these agreements.

In general, the TIGER grants are more attractive to the railroads - their requirements are not as stringent, but the competition from other highway, transit, and air projects is much heavier.

[Arlington]

The Washington Examiner has the latest about this unstimulating stimulus:
$75 million stimulus Northern Virginia rail project held up over feuding

...more than two years after the U.S. Department of Transportation issued the grant, it remains unbuilt. And the clock is ticking. The $75 million must be released by Sept. 30 or the money is lost, returned to the pool of stimulus funds. Various agencies are pointing fingers at each other for who is to blame.

The Federal Railroad Administration says the remaining negotiations are between Virginia officials and CSX Corp., the freight company that owns the rail line. But Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation Director Thelma Drake said, "We do believe the disagreement is between the FRA and CSX." Drake said Virginia officials haven't met with FRA officials since February 2011, and multiple meetings since have been canceled.
...
"We do have an agreement with CSX that Virginia is comfortable with," Drake said.

[Arlington]

So CSX is happy to add a 3rd track in Spotsylvania from Crossroads /XR north, but has stalled for 3 years on Arkendale - Powell's Creek. Are the fed rules that much more onerous that the XR deal was "easy" and the Stimulus one is impossible?

[orulz]

Presumably so. They fed rules are very strict that if performance improvement standards aren't met for passenger trains, the host railroad will have to pay some very stiff penalties.

[Jersey_Mike]

CSX doesn't want to set a precedent of providing high quality passenger service. Other state might start demanding the same.