• ♦Manual Notice 2023-1
• ►1. Introduction
  • ►1. Overview of Railroads in Texas
    • ♦Manual Purpose
    • ♦TxDOT Role with Railroads
    • ♦Operating Railroads in Texas
    • ♦Railroad Crossings
    • ♦Types of Railroad Tracks and Common Track and Signal Equipment
  • ►2. Rail-Highway Projects
    • ♦TxDOT Projects on Railroad Right of Way
    • ♦Types of Work with Benefit to a Railroad Company
    • ♦Maintenance Responsibilities
    • ♦Types of Agreements
    • ♦Outside Projects Impacting TxDOT and Railroad Right of Way
• ►2. Construction Project Development
  • ►1. Construction & Maintenance Agreement Timelines
    • ♦Preliminary Design to Agreement Execution
    • ♦C&M Agreement Flow Chart
  • ►2. Preliminary Activities
    • ♦Determining if Railroad Coordination is Needed
    • ♦Preliminary Information
    • ♦Project Team
    • ♦Preliminary Design Meeting
    • ♦Preliminary Engineering Letter of Authority (PELOA)
    • ♦Project Schematic
    • ♦Other Preliminary Agreements
    • ♦Diagnostic Inspection
    • ♦Utility Relocation
    • ♦Right of Way Division Coordination
  • ►3. Project Design Phase
    • ♦Exhibit A and Support Documentation
    • ♦Underpass Plans
    • ♦Required Documents
    • ♦Design and C&M Agreement Approval Documents
    • ♦Design Conformance to Railroad Guidelines (DCRG) Report
    • ♦Metes and Bounds Property Description
    • ♦Area Map
    • ♦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
    • ♦Drafting the C&M Agreement
    • ♦Types of C&M Agreements
    • ♦C&M Agreement Content
    • ♦Easements versus License Agreements
    • ♦Agreement Execution
    • ♦C&M Agreement Submittal to Federal Highway Administration (FHWA)
    • ♦Agreement Amendments
  • ►5. Design Build Projects
    • ♦Overview
    • ♦Design Build/Developer Contract
    • ♦Design and C&M Agreement Phases
• ►3. Maintenance Projects
  • ►1. Letter Agreements
    • ♦Types of Work Requiring a Letter Agreement and Maintenance Notice Letter
    • ♦Main Considerations
    • ♦Flagging Agreement Execution
    • ♦Maintenance Notice Letter Execution
• ►4. Safety Projects (Federal Railroad Signal Program)
  • ►1. Overview
    • ♦Federal Railroad Signal Program (Section 130)
    • ♦Section 130 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
    • ♦Diagnostic Preparation Work
    • ►Diagnostic Inspection Team Composition
    • ♦After the Diagnostic Inspection
    • ♦Project Engineering Authorization Letter
    • ♦No Further Action Letters
  • ►4. Crossing Closure Projects
    • ♦Introduction
    • ♦Contracting (Section 130 or Basic Closure Program)
    • ♦Closure Approval
  • ►5. Design Phase
    • ♦Exhibit A Preparation
    • ♦Local Government Signature
    • ♦Preemption Request Form
    • ♦Scope of Work Sheet
    • ♦Cost Estimates
    • ♦Programming
  • ►6. Project Agreements
    • ♦Master Agreements
    • ♦Reimbursement Methods
    • ♦Railroad Company Uses Own Workforce
    • ♦Railroad Company Uses a Contractor on Continuing Contract
    • ♦Railroad Company Uses a Contractor for Individual Project
    • ♦Individual Project Agreement
    • ♦Exhibit B
    • ♦Force Account Agreement
    • ♦Construction & Maintenance Agreement (C&M)
    • ♦Crossing Closure Agreement
    • ♦After Project Agreement is Executed
    • ♦Exhibit L
    • ♦Advanced Funding 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
    • ♦RR SOW and Traffic Control Plan (TCP)
    • ♦Railroad Company Approval
    • ♦Cost Estimates
  • ►5. Project Agreements
    • ♦Master Agreements
    • ♦Reimbursement Methods
    • ♦Railroad Company Uses Own Workforce
    • ♦Railroad Company Uses a Contractor on Continuing Contract
    • ♦Railroad Company Uses a Contractor for Individual Project
    • ♦Individual Project Agreement
    • ♦Project Notice
    • ♦Force Account Agreement
    • ♦After Project Agreement is Executed
• ►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
    • ♦Project Work Within TxDOT Right of Way
    • ♦Proposed Grade Separated Crossings
    • ♦Proposed At-Grade Crossings
    • ♦Dismantling or Modifying Active Warning Devices
    • ♦Out of Service versus Abandoned Tracks
    • ♦Work Impacting State Roads Licensed in Railroad Right of Way
  • ►4. Project Agreements
    • ♦Design Approval
    • ♦Project Agreement Process
    • ♦Crossing Permit Contents
• ►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
    • ♦Oversize Vehicles
    • ♦Advanced Flashers
    • ♦Temporary Special Shoring
    • ♦Design Guidelines
    • ♦Standard Sheets A
    • ♦Railroad or Highway Relocation
    • ♦Humped Crossings
    • ♦Passive Crossings
  • ►2. Crossing Closures and Consolidations
    • ♦Introduction
    • ♦General Considerations
    • ♦Authorization of a Crossing Closure
  • ►3. Traffic Signal Preemption
    • ♦Introduction
    • ♦Need for Preemption
    • ♦Preemption Sequence
    • ♦Total Preemption Time
    • ♦Minimum Time
    • ♦Clearance Time
    • ♦Buffer Time
    • ♦Equipment Response Time
    • ♦Advance Preemption 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
    • ♦Cutover and Annual Testing of Preempted Traffic Signals
  • ►4. Track Design
    • ♦Introduction
    • ♦Rail
    • ♦Track Panels
    • ♦Securement
    • ♦Ties
    • ♦Ballast
    • ♦Sub-ballast
    • ♦Subgrade
    • ♦Track Design Standards
    • ♦Turnouts
    • ♦Grades and Horizontal Curves
  • ►5. Exhibit A Design
    • ♦Sheet Layout
    • ♦Guidelines on All Exhibit A’s
    • ♦Guidelines on Construction Project Exhibit A’s
    • ♦Guidelines on Projects with Traffic Control Plans
    • ♦Guidelines on Projects with Overpasses
    • ♦Guidelines on Projects with Underpasses
    • ♦Guidelines on Projects with At-Grade Crossings
    • ♦Guidelines on Projects with Active Railroad Warning Devices
    • ♦Guidelines on Projects with Traffic Signal Preemption
    • ♦Guidelines on Projects with Planking
    • ♦Guidelines on Projects with Crossing Closures
    • ♦Guidelines on Projects with Existing or Proposed Quiet Zones
    • ♦Guidelines on Projects with Culverts, Drainage Pipes or Conduits
    • ♦Guidelines on Projects with Common Use or Encroachments
  • ►6. PS&E Design
    • ♦Confirming PS&E Design Matches Exhibit A Design
    • ♦PS&E Requirements
    • ♦Special Specifications
    • ♦Force Account Estimates
• ►8. Right of Entry Process
  • ►1. Overview
    • ♦Right of Entry Agreement
    • ♦Process for Obtaining a Right of Entry Agreement
  • ►2. Process
    • ♦Right of Entry Agreement Union Pacific Templates
    • ♦Insurance Verification
• ►9. Construction and Inspection Processes
  • ►1. Overview
    • ♦Construction and Inspection Processes
  • ►2. After C&M Agreement Execution
    • ♦If C&M Agreement is Not Executed During the Ready to Let
    • ♦Agreement Fees
    • ♦Railroad Coordination Meeting
    • ♦Right of Entry Agreement and Safety Training
    • ♦Contractor Submittals
    • ♦Authority to Order Materials
    • ♦Work by Local Government
    • ♦Railroad Flagging
    • ♦Railroad Flagging for TxDOT Employees Only
    • ♦Railroad Property Access Training
    • ♦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
  • ►1. Railroad Signal Maintenance Payment Program
    • ♦Overview
    • ♦Verification of Warning Devices
    • ♦Payment of Rail Safety Inspection Fee
    • ♦Programming
    • ♦Payment to Railroad Companies
  • ►2. Railroad Grade Separation Program (RGS)
    • ♦Overview
    • ♦Installation of Grade Separations at Existing At-Grade Crossings
    • ♦Step 1. Calculate the Crash Cost Per Year
    • ♦Step 2. Calculate Vehicles Stopped Per Year
    • ♦Step 3. Calculate the Personnel Delay Cost Per Year
    • ♦Step 4. Calculate the Equipment Delay Cost Per Year
    • ♦Step 5. Calculate the CBI
    • ♦Replacement of Functionally Deficient Highway Underpasses
    • ♦Integrating Grade Separation Projects with Underpass Projects
  • ►3. Other Programs
    • ♦Crossing Closure Program
    • ♦Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP)
    • ♦Temporary 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
    • ♦Notice of Quiet Zone Establishment (NOE)
    • ♦Safety Upgrades on TxDOT Roadways
    • ♦Quiet Zone Updates to the FRA
    • ♦Termination of 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
    • ♦FieldTRIMS
    • ♦Crossing Inventory Data Integrity
    • ♦Crossing Data Responsibilities
    • ♦Crash Records Information System (CRIS)
    • ♦TRIMS Project Management Module
• ►13. Maintenance
  • ►1. Grade Crossing Maintenance
    • ♦Railroad Company Responsibilities
    • ♦TxDOT Responsibilities
    • ♦Joint Responsibility
  • ►2. Preempted Traffic Signals
    • ♦Maintenance and Operations
    • ♦Traffic Signal Design Changes
• ►14. Policy
  • ►1. References
    • ♦Manuals
  • ►2. Laws Impacting Rail-Highway Projects
    • ♦State Laws Applicable to Rail-Highway Projects
    • ♦Federal Laws Applicable to Rail-Highway Projects
    • ♦Tabular List of Laws

Rail Highway Operations Manual

November 2023

Copyright © 2023 by Texas Department of Transportation
All rights reserved.

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