6. Railroad Capital Improvement Projects | Rail-Highway Operations Manual | TxDOT Manual System

♦Manual Notice
►1. Introduction
- ►1. Overview of Railroads in Texas
- ►2. Rail-Highway Projects
►2. Construction Project Development
- ►1. Construction & Maintenance Agreement Timelines
  - ♦Preliminary Design to Agreement Execution
  - ♦C&M Agreement Flow Chart
- ►2. Preliminary Activities
  - ♦Preliminary Information
  - ♦Project Team
  - ♦Preliminary Design Meeting
  - ♦Preliminary Engineering (PE) Agreements
  - ♦Project Schematic
  - ♦Other Preliminary Agreements
  - ♦Diagnostic Inspection
  - ♦Utility Relocation
- ►3. Project Design Phase
  - ♦Exhibit A and Support Documentation
  - ♦Underpass Plans
  - ♦Required Documents
  - ♦Design and C&M Agreement Approval Documents
  - ♦Exhibit A
  - ♦Boring Logs
  - ♦Design Conformance to Railroad Guidelines (DCRG) Report
  - ♦Metes & Bounds Property Description
  - ♦Photos
  - ♦5% Theoretical Cost Estimate
  - ♦Hydraulic Analysis
  - ♦Overhead Checklist
  - ♦Railroad Work Matrix
  - ♦Typical Selection Report (TSR)
  - ♦Preemption Form (TxDOT Form 2304)
  - ♦Traffic Signal Timing Data
  - ♦Pipeline or Wireline License Request Form
  - ♦Cooper E-80 Loading Calculations
  - ♦Design Approval Process
  - ♦Preemption Request Form
  - ♦Design Approval Expiration
  - ♦Railroad Company Cost Estimates
- ►4. C&M Agreements
- ►5. Design Build Projects
  - ♦Overview
  - ♦Design-Build/Developer Contract
  - ♦Design and C&M Agreement Phases
►3. Maintenance Projects
- ►1. Letter Agreements
- ►2. Types of Work Not Requiring a Letter Agreement
►4. Safety Projects (Federal Railroad Signal Program)
- ►1. Overview
  - ♦Federal Railroad Signal Program (FSP)
  - ♦FSP Project Agreement Flow Chart
- ►2. Preliminary Activities
  - ♦Initial Programming
  - ♦Project Selection
  - ♦Active Crossings
  - ♦Passive Crossings
  - ♦Step 1: Initial Non-Qualification Criteria
  - ♦Step 2: Non-Qualification Criteria
  - ♦Step 3: Apply Warrants
  - ♦Step 4: Rank by TPCI
  - ♦Preliminary Project List
  - ♦Corridor Improvements
  - ♦System-wide PE Agreement
- ►3. Diagnostic Inspection
- ►4. Crossing Closure Projects
  - ♦Introduction
  - ♦Two Programs Available
  - ♦Federal Signal Program
  - ♦Basic Closure Program
  - ♦Contracting (FSP or Basic Closure Program)
  - ♦Closure Approval
- ►5. Design Phase
  - ♦Exhibit A Preparation
  - ♦Local Government Signature
  - ♦Preemption Request Form
  - ♦Cost Estimates
  - ♦Programming
- ►6. Project Agreements
►5. Replanking Projects
- ►1. Program Overview
  - ♦Background
  - ♦Program Authorization and Funding
  - ♦Ineligible Crossings
  - ♦Replanking Project Agreement Flow Chart
- ►2. Railroad Crossing Surfaces
  - ♦Crossing Surface Details
  - ♦Inspecting Crossing Surface Panels
- ►3. Project Selection
  - ♦Program Call and Project Submission
  - ♦Project Ranking
  - ♦Corridor Improvements
  - ♦Calculating Cost Per Vehicle
  - ♦Programming
  - ♦Cancellations
- ►4. Design Phase
  - ♦Exhibit A and Traffic Control Plan
  - ♦Railroad Company Approval
  - ♦Cost Estimates
- ►5. Project Agreements
▼6. Railroad Capital Improvement Projects
- ►1. Overview
  - ♦Introduction
  - ♦Capital Improvement Project Agreement Flow Chart
- ►2. Preliminary Activities
  - ♦Donation Agreements
  - ♦Diagnostic Inspection
- ►3. Common Design Issues
- ►4. Project Agreements
  - ♦Design Approval
  - ♦Project Agreement Process
  - ♦Spur Permit Contents
  - ♦Other Projects by Outside Parties
►7. Exhibit A and PS&E Design
- ►1. Common Rail-Highway Design Issues
  - ♦New At-Grade Crossings
  - ♦Frontage Roads
  - ♦Grade Separations
  - ♦Accessing Railroad Right-of-Way
  - ♦Overheight and Overwidth Vehicles
  - ♦Advanced Flashers
  - ♦Temporary Special Shoring
  - ♦Design Guidelines
  - ♦Standard Sheets
  - ♦Railroad or Highway Relocation
  - ♦Humped Crossings
  - ♦Passive Crossings
- ►2. Crossing Closures & Consolidations
  - ♦Introduction
  - ♦General Considerations
  - ♦Authorization of a Crossing Closure
- ►3. Traffic Signal Preemption
  - ♦Introduction
  - ♦Need for Preemption
  - ♦Preemption Sequence
  - ♦Total Preemption Time
  - ♦Buffer Time
  - ♦Minimum Time
  - ♦Clearance Time
  - ♦Advance Preemption Time
  - ♦Equipment Response Time
  - ♦Traffic Signal Design
  - ♦Preempt Priorities
  - ♦Other Preemption Design Scenarios
  - ♦Types of Circuits
  - ♦Advance Preemption Circuit
  - ♦Gate-Down Circuit
  - ♦Supervised Circuit
  - ♦Constant Warning Circuitry
  - ♦Adjacent Crossings
- ►4. Track Design
  - ♦Introduction
  - ♦Rail
  - ♦Track Panels
  - ♦Securement
  - ♦Ties
  - ♦Ballast
  - ♦Subballast
  - ♦Subgrade
  - ♦Track Design Standards
  - ♦Turnouts
  - ♦Grades and Horizontal Curves
- ►5. Exhibit A Design
- ►6. PS&E Design
►8. Right-of-Entry Process
- ►1. Overview
  - ♦Right-of-Entry Agreement
  - ♦Process for Obtaining a Right of Entry Agreement
- ►2. Process
►9. Construction and Inspection Processes
- ►1. Overview
  - ♦Construction and Inspection Processes
- ►2. After C&M Agreement Execution
  - ♦If C&M Agreement Isn’t Executed Prior to Letting
  - ♦Agreement Fees
  - ♦Railroad Coordination Meeting
  - ♦Right-of-Entry Agreement and Safety Training
  - ♦Contractor Submittals
  - ♦Authority to Order Materials
  - ♦Work by Local Government
  - ♦Railroad Flagging
  - ♦Work Order
- ►3. Inspections
  - ♦Construction Inspection
  - ♦Final Inspection
- ►4. Invoices
  - ♦Reviewing Invoices
  - ♦Invoice Process
- ►5. Project Closeout
  - ♦Inventory Updates
  - ♦DOT Numbers
  - ♦Completion Letter
  - ♦As-Built Drawings
  - ♦5% Cost Reimbursement
►10. Other Rail-Highway Programs
►11. Quiet Zones
- ►1. Overview
  - ♦Quiet Zones
- ►2. Preliminary Activities
  - ♦Diagnostic Inspection
  - ♦Notice of Intent (NOI)
  - ♦Requirements of an NOI
- ►3. Approving a Quiet Zone
  - ♦Qualifying for a Quiet Zone
  - ♦Supplementary Safety Measures (SSMs)
  - ♦Alternative Safety Measures (ASMs)
  - ♦Quiet Zone Risk Index (QZRI)
  - ♦Wayside Horns
  - ♦TxDOT Review
  - ♦Application to the FRA
- ►4. Implementing a Quiet Zone
►12. Database
- ►1. Crossing Database
  - ♦Crossing Identification Numbering System
  - ♦FRA Database
- ►2. Texas Railroad Information Management System (TRIMS)
  - ♦Overview
  - ♦TRIMS Versions
  - ♦CoreTRIMS
  - ♦WebTRIMS
  - ♦FieldTRIMS
  - ♦Crossing Inventory Data Integrity
  - ♦Crossing Data Responsibilities
  - ♦Crash Records Information System (CRIS)
  - ♦TRIMS Project Management Module
►13. Maintenance
- ►1. Grade Crossing Maintenance
- ►2. Preempted Traffic Signals
  - ♦Maintenance and Operations
  - ♦Traffic Signal Design Changes
►14. Policy
- ►1. References
  - ♦Manuals
  - ♦Other Resources
- ►2. Laws Impacting Rail-Highway Projects

Chapter 6: Railroad Capital Improvement Projects

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Section 1: Overview

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Introduction

Projects initiated by the railroad companies are referred to as railroad capital improvement projects. Some common railroad capital improvement projects that may impact highways and TxDOT rights-of-way are:

adding new track parallel to an existing track
adding a spur track to an industry customer
maintenance, such as replacement of ties, rail, and ballast including at-grade crossing work
underpass bridge inspection, repair, and replacement
upgrades to circuitry and switching
adjustments related to abandoning, removing, or placing a rail line out of service
rail yard expansion
installation of new maintenance driveways.

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Capital Improvement Project Agreement Flow Chart

Figure 6-1 presents a flow chart depicting the process for obtaining a project agreement on a railroad capital improvement project.

NOTE: Not all steps are applicable to all railroad capital improvement projects. Project steps and time frames will vary depending on the scope of the project.

Figure 6-1. Railroad Capital Improvement Project Flow Chart