LA RAIL Recovery Rail Transportation System

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LA RAILRecovery Rail Transportation System

• Col. Thomas F. Atkinson, Jr.
• Deputy Assistant Secretary
• Intermodal Transportation

October 15, 2007
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OVERVIEW

• Goals and Benefits
• Concept of Operations
• Schedule
• Fares
• Cost and Financing

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GOALS

• Immediate Goal
• Establish intercity passenger rail service with
  four intermediate stops and a trip time of
  approximately 2 hours
• Long-Term FY 2010 and Beyond
• Establish permanent intercity passenger rail
  service with additional intermediate stops and a
  trip time of approximately 1.5 hours

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BENEFITS

• Provide reliable and affordable transportation
  for workers and families to rebuild New Orleans
• Stimulate economic development by expanding the
  business employment pool
• Provide opportunity for transit- dependent
  development (affordable housing)
• Mitigate highway congestion in the I-10 corridor
• Link CATS, NORTA, and rural transportation
  providers to sustain the viability of these
  systems

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CONCEPT OF OPERATIONS

• Two Train Sets
• Each train has two engines and four passenger
  cars
• Capacity 300 passengers per train
• Eight Trains Daily (four round trips)
• Six Trains on Weekends (three round trips)
• Travel Time Approximately two hours

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AMTRAK INITIATIVES

• Amtrak has proposed Turn-Key Service
• National service provider with legislative
  authority to operate on freight rail lines
• Will provide 100 indemnification for the state
• Operated test train on April 4, 2006
• Initiated preliminary discussions with KCS and
  reviewed proposed capital improvements
• Drafted Technical Services and Operating
  Agreements

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LA RAIL ROUTE
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INTERMEDIATE STATIONS/STOPSSOUTH BATON ROUGE,
GONZALES, LAPLACE, KENNER

• Passenger platform 400 X 15
• Canopy over portion of platform
• Security lighting
• ADA compliant
• Adequate parking

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FARE STRUCTURE
Fares for a One-Way Trip
NOTE Increasing fares by 20 should increase
revenues by approximately 14
Automobile Fuel Cost
Airport Shuttle Bus
89 miles at 20 mpg 4.45 gallons for a
one-way trip 2.75/gal. X 4.45 gallons 12.24
for fuel (parking not included)
The fares for the Airport Shuttle bus from
downtown hotels to the New Orleans Airport is 13
per person each way.
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FARE STRUCTURE COMPARISON
Note All routes listed are short intercity
routes Regional Service (not Acela high-speed
service)
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PROJECTED COSTS
12
FUNDS OBTAINED OR ANTICIPATED
Increasing fares by 20 should increase Fare
Box Recovery by approximately 14 (about 300,000
per year).
1 Federal 1103F funds and SRRTC contribution
secured
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REQUIRED FUNDING
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COMMUNITY LEADERSBRIEFED

• The Honorable Mary L. Landrieu, United States
  Senator
• The Honorable Melvin Kip Holden, Mayor, City of
  Baton Rouge
• The Honorable John A. Berthelot, Mayor, City of
  Gonzales
• The Honorable Ronnie Hughes, President, Ascension
  Parish
• The Honorable Nickie Monica, President, St. John
  the Baptist Parish
• The Honorable Edmond J. Ed Muniz, Mayor, City
  of Kenner
• The Honorable Aaron F. Broussard, President,
  Jefferson Parish
• The Honorable C. Ray Nagin, Mayor, City of New
  Orleans

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LOUISIANA RECOVERY AUTHORITY

• Immediately Fund Priority Regional Projects
• Intercity passenger rail service for commuters
  between New Orleans and Baton Rouge, to aid in
  the economic recovery of metro New Orleans and
  provide for evacuation

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LA DOTD CONTACTS
Sharon Balfour Intermodal Transportation
Administrator Ph [phone] sharonbalfour_at_dotd.
la.gov
Col. Thomas F Atkinson, Jr. Deputy Assistant
Secretary Intermodal Transportation Ph
[phone] tomatkinson_at_dotd.la.gov
Dean Goodell Intermodal Transportation Manager Ph
[phone] josephgoodell_at_dotd.la.gov
Kevin Lawson Intermodal Transportation Manager Ph
[phone] kevinlawson_at_dotd.la.gov