United States Department of Transportation
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Restoration of Gulf Coast Passenger Rail Service for Sustainable and Economically Efficient Intermodal Corridor Integration
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2016-08-01
[PDF-14.56 MB]
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TRIS Online Accession Number:01627922
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Edition:Final Report
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Abstract:Transportation infrastructure network assets are essential to sustain public mobility, economy, society and quality of life. The Amtrak sunset service served the Mississippi Gulf Coast on its route from Miami to Los Angeles through New Orleans. Operated triweekly during nighttime hours, the Amtrak sunset service was first interrupted in 1993 after the worst rail disaster in Amtrak history. Later it was suspended during the 2005 Hurricane Katrina disaster due to destruction of the rail infrastructure. Currently, Amtrak coastal rail is not operational through Alabama and Mississippi, therefore taking away a valuable public transportation mode for the underserved and/or vacationers to casinos and beaches. The overall goal of this project is to evaluate economic impacts of the restoration of passenger rail service and offer intercity rail solutions. The integration of passenger/commuter rail with the auto traffic in major Mississippi Gulf Coast highway and rail corridors can ease auto travel demand on the existing highway corridors, offer economically competitive and safer travel, and reduce CO2 emissions and air pollution. The primary objective of this project is to conduct technical feasibility and economic competiveness evaluations of selected passenger and commuter transit alternatives to serve cities and rural communities along the Mississippi Gulf Coast. This project scope includes passenger mobility in the region with emphasis on the needs of Gulf Coast cities, rural communities, and government and private employers. The Mississippi DOT’s strategic planning reports indicate: (a) Most of Interstate-10 corridor has average speeds (in both directions) at or below 55 mph. (b) In the Jackson-Hattiesburg-Gulfport Corridor the majority of freight is moved by truck (91 percent) and through traffic (61 percent), which is expected to grow. The high commercial traffic volume increases general congestion on highways and safety risks to other auto commuter traffic. About nine percent of all highway fatalities in 2009 involved large trucks. Fatality rate per 100 million vehicle-mile-traveled is higher for large truck related fatality than other vehicles. Major widening of Mississippi’s I-10 and improvement along with other highway corridors are being pursued by the Mississippi DOT but there is lack of initiative to integrate with passenger rail service. Currently, the Amtrak sunset service from Miami to Los Angeles through New Orleans is not operational. It served the Gulf Coast triweekly before it was suspended during 2005 Hurricane Katrina disaster. The results of this project shows possible alternatives to integrate passenger/commuter rail with the auto traffic which can ease auto travel demand on the existing road corridors, offer economically competitive and safer travel, and reduce air pollution. It is recommended that the developed approach of commuter rail study be applied by transportation agencies to assess other societal benefits, which include reduction in highway congestion and decrease in transportation related emissions of carbon dioxide and other harmful pollutants.
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