Objective
NCDOT proposes to proceed with crossing safety improvements along the Charlotte to Raleigh "Sealed Corridor" by closing private crossings where feasible and protecting the private crossings that will remain open with crossbucks, automatic flashers and gates, signals, and locking gates. These improvements will be identified through a systematic analysis conducted on all 46 private crossings within the NC Railroad Company corridor operated by Norfolk Southern and CSX Transportation.
These projects will be funded through grants from the Federal Railroad Administration's Next Generation High Speed Rail and Section 1103 (c) programs. This is in addition to other ongoing projects on the corridor to close/consolidate public crossings or treat with enhanced devices.
Background
As part of its mandate to improve railway/highway grade crossing safety, the North Carolina Department of Transportation's (NCDOT) Rail Division has developed a statewide corridor approach. The NCRR/NS mainline corridor from Raleigh to Charlotte is part of the Sealed Corridor initiative between the Rail 
Division and the USDOT Federal Railroad Administration. The corridor is also part of the Southeastern High Speed Rail Corridor that extends from Washington, DC to Jacksonville, FL. The Rail Division's efforts, to date, have focused on improved safety devices and closure of public grade crossings within the corridor. The Private Crossing Safety Initiative (PCSI) program is the first undertaking that will evaluate private crossings. Private grade crossings are typically under the jurisdiction of the railroad companies. There is no legal precedent for public agency involvement in crossing safety enhancements, consolidation or closure of private crossings on a corridor basis. This initiative by the Rail Division will require cooperation between the NCRR/NS and all property owners who utilize private crossings within the corridor, to be successful.
This study includes a comprehensive effort to address grade crossing safety and access issues at private crossings. In an effort to improve safety throughout the corridor, alternative access for each private crossing will be identified where such access is feasible. Where no alternative to the private crossing exists, enhanced safety measures may be recommended.
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Private crossings typically exist as a result of an agreement between the railroad company and usually, the property owner of record at the crossing. In some cases, written and recorded agreements exist between the two parties. In other cases, however, the crossing may have been installed under the terms of a non-recorded agreement or installed by the owner/user without railroad permission. Some private crossings may precede construction of the railroad or have been constructed by the railroad to serve industrial clients. (The correct term for a private crossing is Private Vehicular Access or PVA, however; for simplicity, they will be referred to in this report as private crossings.)
Project Outline
The Private Crossing Safety Initiative (PCSI) project can be tracked using the following outline:
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| A. |
Initial Study |
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1. Locate Private Vehicular Access (private crossings) |
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2. Inventory private crossings |
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3. Evaluation of all existing private crossings |
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4. Innovative Demonstration of test case crossings-construction of automatic signal devices with gates and flashers, recycling salvaged signal materials from closed crossings.
- Byrdsville Road (735189T; H-43.8 in Orange County)-rural high volume crossing
- Long Beverage/Truss Builders (734;751V; H-67.7 in Wake County)-an urban high volume industrial crossing
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| B. |
Recommendations/Implementation* |
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1. Near term upgrades or modifications to crossing protection devices.
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- Estimated Cost-$310,000 (This includes new gate/lock assemblies and near-term costs pending near-term closures)
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2. Construction of Near-Term alternative access.
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- Estimated Cost-$332,000 (includes TTA costs of $272,000 in Wake County)
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3. Long Term-Construction of alternative access. |
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- Estimated Cost-$825,000
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4. Purchase property and close crossings. |
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- Estimated Cost-$995,000
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Note: As of January 29, 2004 we are in the Near Term Phase.
*There will be no state match for PCSI, as NCDOT is not authorized to use state funds on private roads or access.
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Tasks to be Performed
- Demonstration projects at Long Beverage in Wake County and Byrdsville Road in Orange County.
- Inventory and evaluate private crossings from Raleigh to Charlotte, NC.
- Explore closure possibilities/implement closures.
- Installation of improvements at remaining private crossings (crossbucks or flashers with gates).
- Treat crossings with gates and locks for railroad access or occasional access only.
*The number of crossings to be outfitted with particular devices are end-of-project target projections subject to change based on further engineering evaluations. These projections include crossings outfitted to date as well as those in process or planned at the present time.
Schedule and Deliverables
Interim reports will be prepared by NCDOT and submitted to the Federal Railroad Administration at the conclusion of each project phase. A final report on the Sealed Corridor enhancements will be prepared at the conclusion of the device-testing phase by all participants, and disseminated to stakeholders, including the Federal Railroad Administration and the Federal Highway Administration. A copy of the Private Crossing Evaluation Study under PCSI will be submitted to FRA.
