Guidebook for Intercity Passenger Rail Service and Development

Abstract

This report presents the resources, strategies, analytical tools, and techniques for use by public agencies and private entities to support all phases of planning and decision making in the development of intercity passenger rail service at state, regional, or multistate levels. Components of this guide address three major phases required to build and operate passenger rail: planning, design and construction, and operations. Further, it breaks down each primary phase into major required subtasks. With its comprehensive approach, this guide serves as a companion report to other NCRRP series reports: Report 1: Alternative Funding and Financing Mechanisms for Passenger and Freight Rail Projects, and Report 5: Developing Multi-State Institutions to Implement Intercity Passenger Rail Programs. Given that historical roles, funding, and public support for intercity passenger rail service development vary greatly among state and regional entities, a one-size-fits-all approach was not appropriate in developing this report and conducting the research. Instead, the research team approached development of this guide primarily as an effort to create a wide-ranging collection of existing resources related to intercity passenger rail service and development and performed limited new research to cover the most critical areas where existing written guidance did not exist. Gap area topics identified during the research are addressed in detail in the appendices. The Contractor’s Final Report, included as Appendix F, presents additional background information gathered during preparation of the guide: (1) a comprehensive resource matrix listing documents related to intercity passenger rail service and development; (2) generalized results extracted from interviews with public-sector representatives, Amtrak, and freight rail stakeholders; and (3) results of an online survey used to help build components of the guide. Live links in the resource matrix are accessible through the document via the TRB web page.