Ed--is this good news or bad?

[zardoz]

With more coming in, port wants better rail
By BILL HENSEL JR.
Copyright 2004 Houston Chronicle

THE Port of Houston Authority is trying to get $3 billion from the federal government to consolidate freight lines, a move that would reduce both traffic congestion and horns blaring in neighborhoods.

The project is akin to the Alameda Corridor in California, where rail lines recently were consolidated to improve service at the bustling ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach.

Houston port officials are hoping federal highway funds can be secured to pursue the deal, which would help build on an increasing shift of cargo to Houston from some of those same ports on the West Coast.

A massive labor slowdown at West Coast ports in 2002 triggered that move, as shippers saw some of their key products stalled or blocked from moving across the docks.

Port of Houston Executive Director Tom Kornegay said Houston is a logical destination for many kinds of cargo, and the number of containers moving through the port is increasing annually.

Dubbed the "Harris County Freight Railroad Corridors and Urban Mobility Program," the project would consolidate the lines into three train corridors and expand them with grade-separated roadways.

The port wants to move now on the proposal because a new six-year funding cycle for the highway funds is coming before Congress next month.

Currently, 11 train lines operate in the Houston area. Traffic on some lines could be eliminated, while traffic on other lines could be rescheduled to off-peak times.

As proposed, the north corridor would stretch from Conroe to inside the Loop, down the Hardy Toll Road. The west corridor would travel from the port out along the West Belt past the University of Houston and then southwest along U.S. 90A.

The port corridor would use the Union Pacific Railroad's Harrisburg Branch through the East End and the expanded Port Terminal Railroad Association's tracks along Texas 225 to the rail corridor down Texas 146.

That would provide connections between the north and west corridors, the Bayport Industrial Complex, the Barbours Cut container terminal, petrochemical facilities on the Houston Ship Channel and the proposed Bayport terminal, which has just been permitted.

Port officials hope the Bayport terminal will begin operating in early 2006, barring any further delays by the federal courts. A hearing on the project is scheduled next month.

Port officials believe the rail consolidation project is needed because of the growth in cargo moving through the port. Big companies like Wal-Mart and Home Depot want to make sure they can get their products to the marketplace, Port Chairman Jim Edmonds noted Tuesday.

"The market demands product and the most efficient way to do it is in big containers," Edmonds said.

On the Gulf Coast, the Port of Houston handles about two-thirds of all container moves.

The Alameda Corridor project in California, which was completed last year, involved the operations of three freight railroad carriers being consolidated into one high-speed, high-capacity corridor.

Kornegay said he was hesitant to compare the Houston project with the Alameda Corridor, because considerable rights of way had to be acquired for that project, along with extensive construction.

"There was a huge congestion issue, not same as what we have," Kornegay said. "We are absolutely trying to get more trains through faster, and that is what is similar."

No new right of way acquisitions would be needed for the project in its current form, port officials said.

Congressional officials have indicated a willingness to fund a demonstration project, according to Edmonds.

"We've asked to be that demonstration project," he said.

Union Pacific spokesman Mark Davis said the railroad, which has a significant presence in Houston, has yet to be approached about the project.

"We would sit down and work with those sponsoring a project like this to ensure our service remains intact and safety is preserved," Davis said.

One thing Union Pacific would have to ensure is that operations in the Houston area "would remain at or better than what they are now," Davis said.

Houston port officials weren't sure what to expect when the Pacific Maritime Association, which represents shipping companies, locked out dockworkers at 29 major Pacific ports for 10 days. To avoid an economic crisis, President Bush invoked a little-used law to open the docks Oct. 9, 2002.

The West Coast ports handle more than $300 billion in trade each year, and economists estimated shippers were losing $1 billion a day as cargo lay idle.

During the slowdown, among the most affected shippers were companies sending products from Asia to the United States. Many began eyeing Gulf and East Coast ports to ship through.

Freight and warehouse operators in the Houston area saw a significant increase in cargo.

Gulf Winds International President Steve Stewart said his company benefited after the labor slowdown.

"There is no question that has diverted cargo to the Gulf," Stewart said.

Gulf Winds delivered tons of cargo when the slowdown occurred, he said, "and a lot of people came back and said they were not going to allow themselves to be held hostage."

http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/business/2352667

[Granny74]

Zardoz: Thanks for posting this article. It would be interesting to see what Ed has to say about this topic seeing he is in the area.
Bob from AZ

[edblysard]

Hi Guys,
Leave it up to a reporter whos dosnt cover railroad releated stuff to not quite put all the parts together correctly.

The Hardy Street portion already had no grade crossings, it is double track main, rebuilt with grade seperation, about 12 years ago.
The majority of it runs right the middle of the Hardy Toll road, all street crossings are on bridges.

The Harrisburg line, or the old G, H&H line out towards Galveston, has a minimal of grade crossings, it runs inbetweeen the Houston Ship Channel and Highway 225, in the middle of the refineries along the ship channel, about the only crossing are refineries entrances.

It cross under highway 225, to gain access to UPs Strang yard, and Barbors Cut container facility.

The only portion that would have any impact on crossing safety is the portion along Highway 90, ex SP double track main, that has many city street grade crossings.

What they are trying to accomplish is getting the trains into Houston faster, more volume.

It isnt a safety issue, it is a capacity issue.

What container traffic dosnt start at Barbors cut, originates at the city dock, Port of Houston, about 20 miles farther in along the ship channel.

UP has three major yards within a mile or two of each other on the northeast side of Houston.

If you got a overhead map, you can find Englewood very fast, its that huge.
Settagast Yard is less than 1/2 mile north of Englewood, and Basin is about a mile south.

There are several mains connected to these yard, the old Hearn sub, the Rabbitt, the Dalhart sub, Corsicana sub, you get the point.

The folks who dreamed this up are not railroaders, they are shippers, real estate agencies, and people who have no idea how trains get into Houston.

You cant run all these lines into a corridor, or three of them.

Just off the top of my head, there are,....

BNSF's
Hub center, New South Yard, Old South Yard and a SIT yard.

UP's
Englewood, Hardy street, Settagast, East Yard, Basin yard, Booth yard, and Strang yard, Galena Park Auto center.

PTRA
North yard, City Docks, Old City Yard, our Storage yard, (all around the ship channel turning basin) Manchester yard, Pasadena yard, American Yard, Penn City yard, and the Marshaling Yard.

All of these are jammed into the north east and south east side of Houston.

There are several other yards outside of Houston also.


The reason the Alameda corridor worked is because of the location of LA, in the middle of a basin.

All the rail lines have to enter that city pretty much from the same place.

If you looked at a overhead map, Houston would appear as the center of a 10 or 12 spoke wheel, we have railroads entering from every point of the compass.

You cant cram them into three corridors.
Unless you want to melt it all down again...
Ed

[mudchicken]

ED:

How do we do a public service for greater Houston? Gather up all the politicians, urban planners, the shipper lawyers & real estate lizzards and put them out to sea in a real leaky boat?

mudster[banghead]

[edblysard]

We could put them all on a Carnival cruise, if they survive the food, maybe.

Alameda works because the railroads have no choice but to go through the city.
You know the Houston area, the railroad are around the city proper, not through it.
No real need for a trench here.
More tracks and sideings, but no trench.
Stay frosty,
Ed

[Granny74]

Ed: Thanks for the good information---it is always interesting to get info from someone who is in the area and knows what really goes on there. I always appreciate your posts.
Bob from AZ

[dharmon]

QUOTE: Originally posted by edblysard

We could put them all on a Carnival cruise, if they survive the food, maybe.

Alameda works because the railroads have no choice but to go through the city.
You know the Houston area, the railroad are around the city proper, not through it.
No real need for a trench here.
More tracks and sideings, but no trench.
Stay frosty,
Ed

It's a little too late for Houston. Without any natural obstructions to growth, it spread in all directions with zero overall planning. In many areas Houston spread to unincorporated areas which have been swallowed by the city in the past twenty years. I think it would be fair to say that the number of yards is a function of the RRs meeting the demands of the customers which were spread throughout out the area. Its kind of like trying to introduce light rail to the area which has no natural flow from suburb to center, because the downtown is just one of several business areas.

[Anonymous]

In a lot of cases, the railroad was there before most of the city. In Houston's case, the city expanded rapidly when it became a major oil area and aerospace hub. Naturally, with folks crowding in, the city had to grow so that it soon incorporated areas which had been countryside and with it, the railways.