Student Researcher: Zachary Horowitz

Faculty Advisor: C. Monsere

ABSTRACT: Freight railroad traffic volumes are now at or approaching capacity in the Pacific Northwest, specially in the Columbia River corridor. Two Class I carriers operate alongside the river: BNSF railway on the north bank and Union Pacific Corporation on the south side. Today's congested conditions are caused by many complex and inter-related factors occurring throughout the Northwest. The preeminent concerns involve the physical and operational capacity constraints on the railroad mainlines. Increased demands for bulk freight, particularly of agricultural and mineral products prepared for export at Northwest ports, are creating more traffic. Additionally, the rapidly growing markets in eastbound intermodal and Asian-made vehicle transshipments have pushed capacity closer to its limit. This project describes a capacity analysis involving a directional operating strategy in which the railroads would operate the two tracks in the Columbia River corridor as a one-way couplet. Under this operating strategy, BNSF and UP would combine their track and communication infrastructure and develop a shared agreement regarding operating decisions and management. The approval of the Surface Transportation Board, the Washington and Oregon departments of transportation and other regulators will be required. In order to evaluate alternative capacity and operational scenarios, a simulation model of the current and future rail network was created. Future train volumes were forecasted. The existing operating conditions were compared with the directional operating strategies. The analysis concluded that capacity, when measured using standard railroad performance metrics, would improve substantially under a directional operating strategy, though both railroads are not affected equally.

PRODUCTS:

presentation Horowitz, Z., "Freight Railroad Capacity Alternatives In The Pacific Northwest: An Analysis of Class I Cooperation In The Columbia River Gorge." Presented at the Center for Transportation Studies Seminar, Portland State University, October 12, 2007 Streaming Video

presentation Horowitz, Z., "Freight Railroad Capacity Alternatives In The Pacific Northwest: An Analysis of Class I Cooperation In The Columbia River Gorge." Presented at the Center for Transportation Studies Seminar, Portland State University, October 12, 2007

thesis Horowitz, Z., "Freight Railroad Capacity Alternatives In The Pacific Northwest: An Analysis of Class I Cooperation In The Columbia River Gorge." Masters Project Report, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Portland State University, October 2007