DC, CSX, & VA Ave Tunnel Expansion

[The Davy Crockett]

The Washington Post has had a couple of articles on the D.C. Council's oversight hearing on the proposed reconstruction of the Virginia Avenue tunnel in Southeast Washington that CSX wants to rebuild, double track and deepen for double-stacks. The hearings have revived concerns about the safety and security of the city’s railways.

From this article in The Washington Post on yesterday's (9/8/14) continuation of the hearing that started 8/26/14:

D.C. EMS personnel haven’t conducted a rail emergency exercise in recent years and the last time the city’s first responders received specialized training for handling such emergencies was five years ago. In addition, the city doesn’t inspect freight rail shipments or rail infrastructure in the city.

That’s what top EMS officials told the D.C. Council on Monday during an oversight hearing on the proposed reconstruction of a CSX rail tunnel in Southeast Washington, a project that has revived concerns about the safety and security of the city’s railways.

Officials emphasized, however, that protocols are in place in the event of a derailment or a hazmat emergency. And even though no rail emergency exercises have been held in recent years, regular hazmat drills are conducted and all emergency personnel have had some level of training in handling hazardous materials..

The District’s top homeland security official, however, said the city needs to update its assessment of vulnerabilities related to rail safety and security, which became a hot topic in the aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorists attacks.

Chris T. Geldart, director of the District’s Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency (HSEMA), said the agency is working with CSX on a new system that will allow law enforcement to know in real time what trains traveling through the city are carrying, including any hazardous materials. He said HSEMA personnel are being trained on the system this week.

The new system, he said, will be accessible to police and other law enforcement agencies, giving them all the information they need to better assess any security and safety threats.

If CSX moves forward with the rebuilding of the Virginia Avenue Tunnel, in Southeast, the city would need to come up with a current assessment of railroad vulnerabilities given that reconstruction of the tunnel also would mean an expansion of freight transportation through the area, Geldart said.

Later in th article:

Council member Mary M. Cheh (D-Ward 3) asked whether anyone oversees the city’s rail system. Officials with HMESA, the D.C. Department of Fire and EMS and the District Department of Transportation all said they have no inspectors overseeing how CSX handles the transportation of goods, whether there are any security breaches from employees, or whether there are any problems with the rail infrastructure.

“All of that is just out there and no one is minding that?” Cheh asked. “Nobody ever looks at that?

And later still:

During the hearing, DDOT’s role in overseeing the city’s rail system came into question, with DDOT director Matthew Brown saying the agency lacks authority over the railroads, including setting speed limits for rail, which are generally enforced by the Federal Railroad Administration. Council members also asked why the agency doesn’t have a rail safety office. Brown said the legislation establishing DDOT is silent on the issue of rail, meaning it doesn’t specifically addresses the role of the agency on overseeing the rail system.

The Council could clarify the agency’s authority over rail by amending the Act that established DDOT. In doing so, Brown said, it could establish–and fund– a rail safety office. He said his office doesn’t have rail inspectors as some states do. Virginia, for example, has a division of utility and railroad safety that conducts inspections of railroad facilities, including track and equipment, to ensure safe operation within the Commonwealth.

But wait! There's more! The article concludes:

But some transportation officials say the 110-year-old tunnel has become a bottleneck in the East Coast rail network. CSX officials say rebuilding the tunnel is necessary to remedy growing structural problems and that expanding the tunnel’s capacity is important if it is to handle expected increases in freight transportation on the East Coast.

The project also has spurred debate about rerouting freight rail from the city and the impact of the expansion of freight transportation on passenger rail.

The tunnel proposal is under review by the Federal Highway Administration, and the agency is expected to issue a decision this month that could give CSX a green light to proceed. The rail company would then need to acquire permits from the DDOT to begin construction. DDOT and CSX reached an agreement back in 2010 where the agency committed to issuing CSX the needed permits once the federal review is completed.

Some council members are contemplating whether there is a way they can intervene and further delay the project. Cheh, who chairs the council’s transportation committee, has suggested the possibility of asking the federal government to postpone its final decision until the city conducts a comprehensive rail study that would provide an assessment of all rail service: passenger, commuter and freight. The Council has allocated funding for that study. No decision was made during Monday’s hearing on how the Council would proceed regarding the project or other rail safety concerns that were raised.

If you are still reading, you might be interested in The Post's article on the start of the hearing on 8/26/14:

D.C. Council questions CSX tunnel project

I'll not quote it and you'll need to use the above link to read the goodies in that article.

I'll conclude by saying, as I've said before, that the rusted appearance of Long Bridge over the Potomac River, which is owned by CSX, does not help their cause. PAINT IT already, CSX!

 

[afigg]

The plans to rebuild the Virginia Avenue Tunnel have been in the news for years along with multiple rounds of public meetings. The NIMBYs - who brought homes near the tunnel and the highway - have been in full cry lately, but they have little sympathy from me. CSX has a Virginia Avenue Tunnel website with the final EIS draft. The presentation from the July 31, 2014 meeting gives the up to date overview on the project and the design alternatives considered. Check the slide on Residential Property Mitigation, CSX is offering $500 a month compensation to residents of the “Front Row” properties for the maximum 42 month projected construction ($21K total!) and throwing money at the ANCs.

I'll conclude by saying, as I've said before, that the rusted appearance of Long Bridge over the Potomac River, which is owned by CSX, does not help their cause. PAINT IT already, CSX!

Why should CSX paint it until they have to? There is a Long Bridge study underway on replacing the Long Bridge which is still narrowing down the alternatives, but will end up recommending a 4 track replacement bridge, maybe with 2 adjacent streetcar tracks. Easier to make the case for replacing the Long Bridge if the bridge looks decrepit and rusting away.

 

[The Davy Crockett]

The plans to rebuild the Virginia Avenue Tunnel have been in the news for years

Yep. No news there.

Why should CSX paint it...?

Long Bridge has looked like a rusted heap ready to distinigrate into the Potomac for as long as CSX has been in existence, which is like 27 years now. It looks so bad, the National Park Service has painted Long Bridge where it goes over Ohio Drive in East Potomac Park. Being right in the heart of DC, immediately adjacent to our Nation's Captial's monumental core, not painting it for all these years: A)Makes CSX look like a bad corporate citizen; B)Does nothing to improve the average person's perception of railroads; C) Likely makes more DC residents think the NIMBYS are right, especially when one gets a full view of it from Metro.

Instead of advertising so heavily at Nationals Park, more PR would be gained spending said money painting the bridge, IMHO.

Bad day at the office?

 

[George Harris]

The District of Columbia has not authority to regulate the railroad lines running through the city. That had been done in quite a few other places until some got so onerous the railroad took the city/state or whatever to court. The local political jurisdiction lost on the grounds that their regulations were impediments to interstate commerce. These wantabe tinpot despots in DC will probably find themselves in the same boat.