A North American Historic View of Joint Use of Railroad Track: Some Examples of Joint Use of Track by Electric Railways and Railroads

摘要

There is increasing interest by North American transit agencies in operating light rail or commuter railroad service on existing freight railroad tracks. High capital costs to obtain rights of way and to construct new passenger exclusive trackage come at a time when new capital funding is severely restricted. This reality has forced transit agencies to consider, study, plan, and in some cases, use existing railroad track. The number of institutional, operational and technical barriers to joint use of railroad track in the US is growing rather than diminishing. This is in the face of demands to make rail properties less costly and more productive. San Diego, Baltimore, South Shore Line, and other less contemporary examples will be examined. Some barriers to joint use are a combination of technical and institutional. One is the buff strength of passenger carrying cars. The higher buff strength for Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) compliant joint use dictates a heavier passenger car, which leads to higher first cost, higher power consumption, and higher operating costs which offset savings of joint use. Historic cases will be examined to illustrate how joint operation was handled in the past, between 1900 and the 1950's. There are numerous examples of considerable diversity. Similar properties have been treated institutionally differently. In 1936 the Hudson & Manhattan Railroad Co., (later Port Authority Trans-Hudson Corporation) was found to be a "railroad" by the Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC). It remains so even though circumstances have changed. The Staten Island Rapid Transit Railway has always been a "railroad", and remains so. Conversely, Port Authority Transit Corporation, operator of the Lindenwold Hi-Speed Line was found to be an "interurban electric railway" not a "railroad". The interurban electric railway industry of the midwest, primarily in Ohio - Indiana - Michigan, operated interurban passenger service and interurban package freight (non-railroad) on their own track between cities and by trackage rights on street railway lines in cities. Heavy interurban cars and light streetcars blended in mixed traffic on streets. In several historic examples, carload railroad interchange freight was handled on interurbans. The ICC decided whether an electric railway was an interurban or a railroad based on whether the subject property was "part of the general steam railroad system of the United States". The proportion of railroad interchange freight revenue to passenger revenue was the one major deciding factor. A few interurban lines were created that operated entirely on railroad track. The Dallas (TX) - Denton line operated on the MKT. The Oneida Line operated on the New York Central's West Shore Division. Other interurban lines began to handle railroad freight as a means to gain revenue and remain in operation. Two "heavy" rapid transit lines have operated vesligal railroad freight service without affecting the legal standing of the rapid transit line: Chicago Transit Authority's North Side Elevated contract freight service for the Milwaukee Railroad; South Brooklyn Railway freight operation on the BMT Div. of NYCTA. Some new LRT lines share their rights of way with railroads but have found it possible and desirable to provide separate track for railroad freight service. The nature of freight service is crucial to contemporary joint use issues. Whether freight service is line haul, local, slow or fast governs how much time it will occupy the joint track. Who is the tenant and who is the landlord dictates the operating priorities.