A SUMMARY OF THE RAILROAD SYSTEM OF TEXAS: A COMPONENT OF THE STATE AND NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION INFRASTRUCTURE

Railroads continue to play an important role in moving domestic and international freight through Texas, contributing to economic growth in the state. This study addresses the potential for implementing a rail planning process in the Texas Department of Transportation. In order to accomplish this, successful rail planning processes at other U.S. departments of transportation were evaluated and exemplary programs identified. Three reports were published addressing a variety of findings. The first, published by the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas at Austin, provides an overview and examination of 32 state rail policies, plans, and programs for both passenger and freight traffic. The second report, also published by the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas at Austin, provides information on exemplary state rail programming and planning based on case studies of California, Florida, North Carolina, and the state of Washington. The third report, published by the Texas Transportation Institute at Texas A&M University, provides (1) a framework for rail planning in Texas, (2) identification of current rail issues in Texas, (3) a case study on urban rail rationalization, and (4) a characterization of the rail system in Texas. In each report, detailed appendices are provided to complement the findings and recommendations. In this project summary report, an implementation schedule is recommended to institute rail planning in the Texas Department of Transportation.