Planners seek ways to improve rail, freight networks

A new state plan begins setting the stage for creation of two inland ports in Nevada one in the north part of the state, one in the south where cargo could be unloaded for the trip eastward, alleviating congestion in California's overcrowded ports and creating jobs in Nevada.

The inland ports project was precipitated by a bill passed during the 2011 Nevada Legislature which makes it possible for counties or cities with connections to a national highway, railroad or airport (at least two of the three are required) to apply to become inland ports to foster economic development.

More immediately, the new state rail plan calls for improvement on sidings at Patrick, near the Tahoe Reno Industrial Center, and Rose Creek, near Winnemucca.

The plan also sets priority within the next five years on rail enhancement at a crossover in Weso, near Winnemucca, which would increase trains' speed from 20 miles per hour to 50 mph, and upgrades to make safer five-grade crossings in northern Nevada, one each in Winnemucca and Gerlach, and three in Beowave.

The sidings projects would be completed and funded by Union Pacific Railroad, which owns the track in the east-west corridors in the north and south of the state.

The UP will work with NDOT on the grade crossings, but they are ultimately NDOT's responsibility.

"The goal eventually is to get rid of all the grade crossings,"says Matthew Furedy, airport inspector/planner with NDOT, but projects that lower track below ground, such as Reno's ReTRAC project, are almost prohibitively expensive.

Some projects evaluated in the plan were deemed either to need more study, including the relocation of the Sparks rail yards where UP is heavily invested, or had implementation issues, such as a proposal for passenger service between Reno and Sacramento on the Feather River route.

The plan comes as Nevada is taking stock of its freight transportation infrastructure in two statewide studies.

The reports the recently completed plan for Nevada's passenger and freight rail system and another study just getting under way that will look at all modes of freight transit are designed to serve as road maps for the future of the state's vital transportation backbone.

The studies are also required by two recently passed federal laws the Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act of 2008 and the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century, or MAP 21, measure enacted this year in order for projects to qualify for the federal funds that finance much of the nation's rail and highway work.

The Nevada Department of Transportation last week issued a request for proposal for an inventory of the state's freight capabilities, says Bob Thompson, freight planner with NDOT. Once the inventory is done, in about a year, Thompson says a second request for proposals will go out to develop a plan that maps out projects for the state to keep moving its freight capacity and capabilities forward.

The upcoming plan will look at all types of freight transport air cargo,trucks and rail and will draw heavily from the rail plan that was developed over the last 18 months and approved in September by the Nevada State Transportation Board, headed by Gov. Brian Sandoval.

"We will use the rail plan so we're not duplicating work," says Thompson.

The multimodal freight plan will be the first of its kind, he says, while the rail report is an update to a 16-year-old blueprint, says Furedy.

The completed rail plan, conducted by Jacobs Engineering Group Inc., $10 billion consultant with offices in Las Vegas, evaluates and grades a range of projects proposed by both private and public entities, and prioritizes them.

In compiling the rail report, Jacobs held six public meetings in Reno, Elko and Las Vegas; sent three surveys out to 220 stakeholders, including cities and counties; and conducted 40 one-on-one interviews with executives from interested entities such as General Moly Inc., Newmont Mining Corp. and Tahoe Reno Industrial Park.

Anyone who wants access to the rail has to work with UP, which owns the track and gives priority to freight, especially after investing heavily in upgrading track through Donner Pass to handle double-stacked cars. (BNSF Railway has trackage rights on two-thirds of the track, according to the report.)

"A lot of the mines use trucks now and the move to rail would be expensive for them. It would be better for them but that's between them and UP," says Mike McCarley, project manager with Jacobs. "The rail is privately owned. You can have a great idea but if UP's not interested then it's not going to work."

The plan, which also outlines passenger rail projects such as the DesertXpress high-speed rail between Las Vegas and southern California and the Virginia & Truckee excursion train in northern Nevada, is available online at nvrailplan.com/final-2012-nevada-state-rail-plan.