Transportation Research Board Special Report 353

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International Standard Book Number-13: 978-0-309-72112-7
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COMMITTEE ON THE IMPACT OF TRAINS LONGER THAN 7,500 FEET

DEBRA L. MILLER (Chair), Former Secretary, Kansas Department of Transportation

FAYE ACKERMANS, Board Member, Transportation Safety Board of Canada (retired)

C. TYLER DICK, Assistant Professor, The University of Texas at Austin

THERESA M. IMPASTATO, Executive Vice President and Chief Safety Officer, Washington Area Metropolitan Transit Authority

VENETTA H. KEEFE,¹ Program Manager, Rail Program Office, Indiana Department of Transportation

GARY F. KNUDSEN, Locomotive Engineer, BNSF Railway (retired)

DENNIS S. MOGAN, Rail Safety Specialist III, Illinois Commerce Commission

J. ALLAN RUTTER, Freight Analysis Program Manager, Texas A&M Transportation Institute

JOHN M. SAMUELS (NAE), President, Revenue Variable Engineering

PETER F. SWAN, Associate Professor of Supply Chain Management, Emeritus, The Pennsylvania State University

ELTON E. TOMA, Senior Engineer, Canada National Research Council

PAUL E. VILTER, Assistant Vice President, Planning, Commercial Services, and Sustainability, Amtrak (retired)

Transportation Research Board Staff

DAVID O. WILLAUER, Study Director

THOMAS R. MENZIES, JR., Director, Consensus and Advisory Studies

BRITTANY P. BISHOP, Program Officer

DYLAN REBSTOCK, Program Officer

TIMOTHY B. MARFLAK, Program Coordinator

CLAUDIA SAULS, Program Coordinator

MYAH STROMAN, Senior Program Assistant

Reviewers

This Consensus Study Report was reviewed in draft form by individuals chosen for their diverse perspectives and technical expertise. The purpose of this independent review is to provide candid and critical comments that will assist the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine in making each published report as sound as possible and to ensure that it meets the institutional standards for quality, objectivity, evidence, and responsiveness to the study charge. The review comments and draft manuscript remain confidential to protect the integrity of the deliberative process.

We thank the following individuals for their review of this report:

Although the reviewers listed above provided many constructive comments and suggestions, they were not asked to endorse the conclusions or recommendations of this report, nor did they see the final draft before its release. The review of this report was overseen by CHRIS HENDRICKSON (NAE), Carnegie Mellon University, and CRAIG PHILIP (NAE), Vanderbilt

Acknowledgments

The committee acknowledges and thanks the following individuals for providing briefings and information during the course of the study.

From federal agencies: Esther Strawder, Federal Highway Administration; Leonard Evans, Starr Kidda, Miriam Kloeppel, Andrew Martin, Mark Patterson, James Payne, and Jason Wornoff, Federal Railroad Administration (FRA); Joey Rhine, National Transportation Safety Board; and Martin J. Oberman, Surface Transportation Board. Special appreciation is expressed to Mr. Martin from FRA, who provided contract oversight and handled the many information requests from the study committee and staff.

From state and local agencies: Erin Aleman, Chicago Area Metropolitan Agency for Planning; Douglas Danenberger, Village of New Berlin, Illinois; Karen Darch, City of Barrington, Illinois; Douglas Halverson, Illinois Fire Department; Evan Summers, Village of Bensenville, Illinois; Robin Wilt, City of Bushnell, Illinois; Don Zillig, City of East Dubuque, Illinois; Julie Martorana, City of Brunswick, Maryland; and Matthew Dietrich, Ohio Rail Development Commission.

From railroads and their trade association: James Blair, Lizabeth Brubeck, and Martin Csongradi, Amtrak; John Gray, Ronald Hynes, and Jeffrey Moller, Association of American Railroads; Jamie Grawey and Aaron Ratledge, BNSF Railway; T.J. Gaffney, Conrail; Steven Ammons, Kimberly Bowling, and Marco Turra, CSX Transportation; Andrea Berry and Patrick Whitehead, CN Railway; Mark Clarstrom, Arielle Giordano, Jeffrey McInnis, and Kyle Mulligan, CPKC Railway; James Williams, Norfolk Southern Railway; Greg Godfrey, Metra; Walter Rosenberger,

Contents

PREFACE

ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

1 INTRODUCTION

Study Origins and Approach

Report Organization

2 OVERVIEW OF LONG TRAIN SAFETY CHALLENGES AND PERFORMANCE

Trend Toward Longer Manifest Trains

Indications of the Safety Performance of Longer Trains from Derailment Data

In-Train Forces and Train Makeup Practices

Long Trains and Safety Management Systems

3 TECHNOLOGY FOR CONTROLLING LONG TRAINS

Locomotive Technology

Braking Systems

Crew Communications Technology

4 LONG TRAINS AND CREW OPERATIONS

Railroad Employment Trends Generally

Train and Engine Employees

Equipment Maintenance Employees

5 IMPACTS ON THE PUBLIC

Highway-Rail Grade Crossings

Long Train Impacts on Amtrak Trains and Service

6 ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS

Long Trains and Locomotive Fuel Consumption

Long Trains and Motor Vehicle Emissions

Long Trains and Freight Moved by Truck

7 SUMMARY ASSESSMENT AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Longer Manifest Trains Can Create New and Heightened Safety Risks Requiring Active Control

Communities Experiencing Chronic Blocked Highway-Rail Grade Crossings Need Real Solutions

Freight Railroads Should Be Deterred from Using Long Trains Where They Will Impede Amtrak Trains

APPENDIX: STUDY COMMITTEE BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION

Preface

In 2021, Congress directed the Secretary of Transportation to enter into an agreement with the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine “to conduct a study on the operation of freight trains that are longer than 7,500 feet.” Under sponsorship from the Federal Railroad Administration, the Transportation Research Board convened a 12-member committee, with experience in freight and passenger railroad operations, state rail transportation, national rail safety oversight, and freight and passenger rail research. The committee met 16 times (6 times in person) to examine impacts of long trains based on the Statement of Task. To inform the study, the committee invited presentations from individuals and organizations, as listed in the Acknowledgments section of this report. In addition, the committee dedicated meetings to train technology and highway-rail grade crossings. Committee members also traveled to Chicago, where all Class I railroad operations intersect daily.

Debra L. Miller, Chair

Committee on the Impact of Trains

Longer Than 7,500 Feet

Acronyms and Abbreviations