Columbia Mountain Times™: WSDOT Rail Office

Subject: WSDOT Rail Office - 2012 Year in Review
Date: Fri, 18 Jan 2013 12:07:03 -0800
To: guyperea@live.com
From: wsdot@service.govdelivery.com

WSDOT Rail Office - 2012 Year in Review WSDOT Rail office letterhead banner

2012 – Year in review
Highlights: This newsletter now available on our website:

Ridership dips slightly and revenue increases in 2012
On-time performance improves in 2012
Working to minimize mudslide disruptions
Major progress on capital rail improvement projects
Washington and Oregon join forces to jointly manage the rail corridor
Washington's Amtrak Cascades trains get major interior facelift

Ridership dips slightly and revenue increases in 2012
In 2012, 11,000 fewer passengers rode Amtrak Cascades with ridership totaling 836,329 passengers. Revenue in 2012 was $30.3 million, up $60,000 above 2011 revenue. Three fare increases and a new marketing strategy that includes fare sales, and a strong advertising presence in major markets will help offset increased operating costs when funding responsibility for intercity passenger rail is shifted to states in October 2013. Farebox recovery, the percentage of total costs paid for by customer fares, in 2011 was 65.8 percent. Farebox recovery for fiscal year 2012 was 64.3 percent.
On-time performance improves in 2012
Although train cancellations from mudslides impacted train traffic in November and December, Amtrak Cascades on-time performance in 2012 increased slightly over 2011. Cancelled trains are not included in overall train performance calculations. Average OTP for 2012 was 74.8 percent, nearly 5 percentage points higher than the previous year. Train arrivals averaged 70 percent on-time in 2011. Rail line traffic congestion, communication system failures and equipment failure continue to cause delays and reduce schedule reliability. WSDOT established an On-time Performance Task force in 2012, meeting weekly with its government partners and Amtrak, BNSF, and Union Pacific to develop remedies for and track progress on delays. The group aims to apply these remedies to achieve even better on-time performance in 2013.
Working to minimize mudslide disruptions
Between Nov. 2012 and early Jan. 2013, a record number of Amtrak Cascades trains operating between Seattle and Everett were disrupted or cancelled due to extremely wet weather and mudslides. BNSF Railway reported more than 70 slides in multiple locations during the Christmas holiday season. Passengers were provided alternate transportation on routes impacted by mudslides. WSDOT and BNSF are implementing strategies for reducing the potential for mudslides, from performing more frequent preventative maintenance to securing federal funding for slope stabilization work. WSDOT secured $16.1 million in federal funding to identify, design and construct slope stabilization needs through this area. Some of the immediate actions involve review of problem areas, collaborating on engineering and design work, and determining appropriate repair solutions within BNSF right-of-way including building small catchment walls, improving drainage and deepening ditches next to the tracks. These improvements are currently in design and are expected to start construction in 2014. WSDOT continues to work with its partners to better understand the contributing factors impacting slopes in this area.
Major progress on capital rail improvement projects
WSDOT is investing nearly $800 million in federal high speed rail funding to begin to make necessary capital improvements to significantly improve our service by providing faster, more frequent Amtrak Cascades service with better schedule reliability. Five of WSDOT's 20 federally-funded projects were under construction or completed in 2012, with five more set to break ground in 2013. Project work includes adding rail-line capacity and upgrading tracks, utilities, signals, passenger stations and advanced warning systems. WSDOT will also purchase new passenger rail cars and locomotives. The first project broke ground in March 2012 applying some of the federal funds to help the city of Seattle strengthen King Street Station and its clock tower to better withstand earthquakes. The high speed rail team completed its first project in late 2012, when BNSF added two new tracks through its busy rail yard near Everett to reduce the conflicts and delays from freight traffic. These projects, all scheduled to be complete by 2017, will result in two additional round trips, improved on-time performance for business and leisure travelers, and reduced travel time between Seattle and Portland.
Photo of completed steel installation

Photo of Everett Yard track laying operation

Completed steel installation - King Street Track laying operation in the Everett Yard
Washington and Oregon join forces to jointly manage the rail corridor
Amtrak Cascades is jointly funded by passenger fares, and by WSDOT, the Oregon Department of Transportation, and Amtrak. Washington and Oregon will take on 100 percent of the costs to operate the service when federal funding support for intercity passenger rail service expires later this year. The two states are in the process of developing agreements to manage the Amtrak Cascades service using a corridor approach, rather than each state or province managing its own segment. By working together, the partnership can improve service and reduce taxpayer subsidies by strengthening the team's position in negotiating with contractors and coordinating with federal agencies, reducing duplication of effort and maximizing staff effectiveness, and communicating corridor-wide priorities in order to improve competitiveness for limited grant funds.
Amtrak Cascades trains get major interior facelift
Renovation work on all the Amtrak Cascades Bistro and Lounge cars is nearly complete. These heavily used cars were beginning to show some wear and tear after more than a decade of daily use. The cars are getting new floors, interior paint, and re-upholstered seating. The interior color scheme retains the popular Northwest character and matches the recently completed interior work in the Business and Coach Class cars. Renovations began in March 2012 and will be complete by early 2013. Take a look at recent renovation photos. WSDOT is also working with Amtrak to finalize plans to upgrade the on-board Wi-Fi systems on all Amtrak Cascades trains to achieve greater bandwidth and faster Internet connectivity. The Wi-Fi system upgrades are scheduled to be finished in spring 2013.