CE 533 Introduction to Rail Transportation (2) Railroads were America’s First Large Corporations Had a Monopoly on Transportation Heavily Regulated until 1970s/1980s U.S. Railroads Privately Owned U.S. Railroads are Primarily Freight U.S. Rail Passenger Service is Heavily Subsidized by the Public

Introduction Adequate Transportation System Efficient Movement of Goods and People Provides No Basic Intrinsic Value Provides “Value Added” Necessary for Economy and Development

Early Modes of Transportation in the U.S. Waterways Crude Roads Rivers/Canals 1700’s Railroads 1830 Better Roads Trucks/Automobiles early 1920’s Air – Passengers 1950s Interstates Trucks/Automobiles early 1960s Railroads 2000s!!!

Current Modes of Transportation in the U.S. Highway Trucks Waterways Airways Conveyor Belts Pipeline Railways

Why is railroad freight transport so important now, and even more so in the future? Lets consider the alternatives for inland transport: truck, water, air, pipeline, conveyor belt

Waterways Pros and Cons Pros: Energy efficiency, low cost, low pollution, safety, capacity Cons: Speed, limited network

Highway Truck Pros and Cons Pros: Speed, reliability, network coverage Cons: Energy efficiency, safety, land use, pollution, cost, congestion (because of shared use of infrastructure truck transport affects auto safety and congestion as well) How many truckloads can a railcar carry?

Pros: Speed, reliability, network coverage Airways Pros and Cons Pros: Speed, reliability, network coverage Cons: Energy efficiency, cost, limited volume

Pipelines and Conveyor Belts Pros: High volume, continuous transport possible, no vehicles needed, low labor requirements Cons: Highly constrained types of commodities, limited product flexibility, speed and network

Rail uniquely combines speed and energy efficiency *Plus environmentally Friendly

Rail is the principal means of economically moving large, heavy freight long distances overland

North American freight transportation volume by mode 1 6 1 4 1 2 1 Billions of Ton-Miles 8 6 4 Railroad transportation is vital to the nation’s economy Railroads transport more ton-miles of inter-city freight then any other mode. When one considers railroads’ inherent efficiencies in energy, emissions and land-use, their role is also vital to long-term sustainability in our increasingly complex technological society. 2 Rail Truck Pipeline Waterways Air R a i l T r u c k P i p e l i n e W a t e r w a y s A i r Source: AAR from Eno Foundation for Transportation

Common Goals & Functions of the Railroad Industry The movement of Freight and People in the most efficient manner possible Principal Function in U.S. Hauling Freight (~43+%) Characteristics Fast Reliable Convenient Economical Safe/Secure Fuel Efficient Environmentally Friendly Renewed Interest in Passenger Rail

Early Regulations Land Grants (1850-1870) Business Transactions Development of Central and Western U.S. Repaid Interstate Commerce Commission (1887) Surface Transportation Board (1995-1996)

Recent Significant Legislation Phase 1: 1971 Amtrak 1983 RRB / Depreciation Phase 2: 1973 3R Act 1976 4R Act 1980 Staggers (Deregulation) Phase 3: 1992 ISTEA 1998 T21 2004 SAFETEA-LU 2008 Safety Improvements 2010 Surface Transportation Assistance Act

The Fundamental Principle of Rail Transport - EFFICIENCY Implications for Economics, Energy & Environment or Why Rail Transport is More Important Than Ever!

US 20th Century was about CONVENIENCE The 21st must consider EFFICIENCY as well Then Abundant: energy, land, natural resources and labor Now Diminishing resources: Energy Air quality Water Land Congestion Need more efficient use of transportation infrastructure Stronger global competition

Speed and Resistance by Transport Mode SPEED (mph) RESISTANCE (lbs./ton) Boat Airplanes Trucks Rail uniquely combines High Speed and Low Resistance

Lower coefficient of rolling friction (μR) Steel wheel on steel rail has lower rolling friction (μR) than rubber tire on pavement: Steel wheel on rail: μR = 0.001 Truck tire on pavement: μR = 0.006 to 0.010 Tire is 6 to 10 times greater than steel wheel Consequently lower rolling resistance But why…? Rubber tire Small effects of static friction and adhesion of the rubber Major factor is the deformation of the tire while rolling under load Pavement deflection also contributes Steel wheel and rail experience elastic deformation under load as well, but much less

Energy efficiency truck vs. rail How far can each mode transport a given amount of freight for a given amount of energy? Specifically, how far can we transport one ton of freight with one gallon of diesel fuel? Rail is over 3 times more efficient than truck (AAR & FRA data)

Automotive Energy Efficiency Assume: 200 lb person Drives 100 miles Auto gets 25 mpg Rail=480 ton-miles/gallon Truck=120 ton-miles/gallon

Railroad transportation efficiency Railroads produce “output” more efficiently than their principal competition: trucks What is transportation “output” Ton miles Passenger miles Why are railroads so efficient? Low rolling friction Large size Trains

Larger Size of rail vehicles permits economies of scale Strong railroad infrastructure allows larger, heavier vehicles than is practical for highways Permits economies of scale Larger vehicles can transport more weight with less resistance per unit Larger engines can convert energy to work more efficiently

“Trains” permit two more important economies of scale The ability to operate many vehicles coupled together permits two substantial economies of scale Labor: one or two people can operate a single train with 100 to 150 cars (or more). Considering that each railcar is roughly equivalent to three trucks, the economies are substantial. Energy: close spacing of cars in train substantially reduces aerodynamic resistance compared to trucks. This effect is particularly important at higher speeds (> 40mph)

One “E” leads to three Rail efficiency leads to three fundamental elements of railroad importance to society All are important now but there is a chronology to our understanding of these Economics: rail transport was and is less expensive than its competition, therefore critical to a competitive economy Energy: efficient use of fuel was always part of rail’s economic efficiency, but energy scarcity enhances this aspect Environment: fewer emissions and land use required per unit of transportation output means rail is part of the quest for sustainability

Rail Transport is Economical This was the original motivation for development of railroads Before rail there was no practical way to move heavy goods long distances overland unless there was a navigable river or a canal was built Low cost transport CREATES markets for both goods and people Permits development of large, complex, economies with diverse products and skills

Rail Transport is Energy Efficient Transportation Energy Use by Mode 2002 Normalized Comparison by Transport Mode Federal Highway Administration http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/aqfactbk/page13.htm#alt2 http://www.shipsandboxes.com/eng/keytopics/environment/

Projected energy consumption by sector Transportation is the second largest consumer of energy Largest consumer of petroleum

Rail transport is more environmentally sustainable Transportation is responsible for a substantial portion of air pollution Greater energy efficiency of rail corresponds with reduced emissions of noxious pollutants and CO2 Growing concern about the importance of greenhouse gas emissions, and air pollution in general, means that rail’s importance as a less polluting form of transport will increase Substantial R&D on locomotive technology over the past 20 years has substantially reduced locomotive emissions Technology for electric motive power is mature and used widely elsewhere in the world. Presently not economic in US but if petroleum scarcity or environmental concerns require it, the transition is possible without substantial new technology development Carbon Emissions by Sector 2002 Railroad Electrifications Proposals in the 1970s

Rail transport requires less land per unit of transport Transportation output per unit of land is considerably greater for rail compared to highway More units per vehicle (tons or people) Fewer vehicles, and they are consolidated into trains Easier to accommodate temporal differences in directional traffic

Rail transport benefits due to these efficiencies: but exploiting them imposes constraints as well Infrastructure design - Heavy loads and high speeds demands particularly robust infrastructure system design and components Vehicle design - Large, heavy vehicles capable of supporting their own weight plus lading, and also very large in-train “buff” & “draft” forces Infrastructure and equipment cost - Large size and strength of infrastructure makes it expensive and capital intensive Trains - Require standardization of many aspects of design, this combined with their high cost means there is a need for long life, thereby imposing reverse compatibility constraints on new technology Traffic control system - High speeds and mass of trains, combined with low coefficient of friction at wheel/rail interface means stopping distances are very long, often longer than sight distance Small markets - Ironically, in some important aspects railroads suffer because they cannot exploit economies of scale, e.g. long life and small market for locomotives means it is hard to justify investment in new tooling as technology advances

Benefits to the Environment

1 Train = 1 ton of freight carried 435 1 Train = 1 ton of freight carried 435 miles on 1 gallon of diesel fuel (86% improvement since 1980) 1 Train = 280 truckloads 1 Train = 3 to 4 times more fuel efficient than trucks

Rail vs. Truck During the last four years, there has been a fundamental shift in the competitive environment between rail and truck Shift primarily due to: Increased fuel costs Congestion on highway system Reduced hours of service for truck drivers Driver shortages Shift appears to be permanent Fundamental shift in the last 5 years in the competitive economics of truck vs. rail. Shift appears to be permanent and is a function of factors we are all familiar with, increased fuel cost (rail is 3-4 times more fuel efficient than truck), congestion on the highways, new regulations reducing the number of consecutive hours that a truck driver can drive, and driver shortages due to demographic shifts and life style issues.

Revenue Effect of 1% Shift in Truck Industry -1% Trucking $623 billion industry Railroads $48 billion industry 1% shift of trucking's revenue to rail Top-line growth of 13% for railroads ($6.2 billion) $623b 1% shift in trucking revenue market share to rail. Based on 2005 numbers, trucking is about a $623 billion business, rail is about a $48 billion business. A shift of 1% of market share from truck to rail, means a 13% increase for rail. This is one of the main reasons we have seen the tremendous growth in rail traffic over the last 5 years. +13 % $48b Trucking Rail Data Source: AAR, ATA

Increased Public Interest in Rail Increased awareness of rail as a solution to congestion, pollution, and fuel inefficiency Increased motivation to invest public money in rail infrastructure Heartland CREATE Green Power (Locomotives) I81 There is an increased recognition that rail is part of the solution to key public concerns like congestion, pollution, and fuel efficiency. Norfolk Southern has several key initiatives underway in cooperation with various public entities, in what we term public-private partnerships. Heartland Corridor- improve the clearances on our route between here in Norfolk to the midwest to allow the movement of doublestack containers. CREATE-improve the efficiency of the key rail interchange location in the Chicago area Green Power Locomotives-hybrid locomotives with substantial reductions in fuel consumption and reduced emissions I81-Crescent Corridor-Take 1 million trucks off the highway and put them on NS

Genset and Hybrid Switchers

In the last 20 years… Vehicle travel increased 78% Road miles increased only 1% Highway congestion is a fact of life, especially in urban areas, and is getting worse. Over the last 20 years, vehicle travel has increased 78% while the miles of highway have only increased 1% Traffic congestion costs the U.S. $67 billion annually

Congested Highway Segments - 1998 This is what highway congestion looked like in 1998. Red denotes segments where traffic exceeded capacity. Not too bad, except in large metro areas.

Potential Congested Segments - 2020 This is what highway congestion is projected to look like in 2020, just 13 years from now. Remember, red means exceeds capacity A lot of red, spreading out into more rural areas

Summary Rail Industry is growing Rail has become a viable alternative to truck Spike in Public Interest due to Highway congestion Population growth Environmental issues Significant investment required to accommodate growth for freight and passenger Rail growing Rail is a viable alternative to truck High public interest in rail to address highway congestion and environmental impact of population growth. We will need to make significant investments in capacity to accommodate growth. The rail Industry has become a high growth industry after years of decline The rail Industry, especially Norfolk Southern, represents a tremendous career opportunity for your best graduates. Any questions??? .

Broad set of safety concerns for railroads Safety of passengers, employees, infrastructure, rolling stock, hazardous materials, operations, highway vehicles, pedestrians and communities

SAFETY FIRST! Railroads have fostered a strong safety culture among operating employees for nearly a century Dates to the “Safety First” movement of the early decades of the 20th century Railroads continuously stress safety in and out of the workplace Bureau of Labor Statistics data support the railroads’ safety record Railroad employees are steeped in promoting safety throughout their operations. This safety ethic has been central to railroads for nearly 100 years dating back to the SAFETY FIRST campaigns of the early 20th century. Maintaining high safety awareness and training employees to operate safely is an ongoing activity. The rise of information and communications technology over the past 5 years has been embraced by railroads to make training both more efficient and effective. But one on one contact among the people remains essential, and railroads maintain regular training programs with their operating personnel. Bureau of Labor statistics bear out the effectiveness of these programs, both in comparison to other major industries, and among the transportation industries. Railroads also have regular, ongoing training schools and programs for operating personnel