Local officials hear pitch for rail line to ease traffic from roads

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Pete Lotts of Rail Solution speaks Wednesday at Calhoun Community College about the benefits of a Steel Interstate system for transporting freight and passengers. Rail Solution would like to construct a demonstration line that would run from Memphis to Harrisburg, Pa., and include a stop in the Huntsville area. News Courier/Rebecca Croomes
This map shows the route of a $12.6 billion demonstration line proposed by Rail Solution. Courtesy/Rail Solution

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July 26, 2012

Local officials hear pitch for rail line to ease traffic from roads

By Adam Smith adam@athensnews-courier.com The News Courier Thu Jul 26, 2012, 02:00 AM CDT

— With the combination of proper funding and regional support, passengers and freight could move through the southeast as part of a new Steel Interstate system.

Rail Solution is working on a proposal that would help remove interstate traffic from Interstates 40, 75 and 81, which are located in what Norfolk Southern refers to as the “Crescent Corridor.”

To show how a high-performance rail system would help alleviate truck traffic from the nation’s interstate system, Rail Solution would like to build a 965-mile demonstration line from Memphis to Harrisburg, Pa. Proposed southern stops along the line include Huntsville, Chattanooga and Knoxville.

To help drum up support for the project, Rail Solutions board member Pete Lotts spoke Wednesday at Calhoun Community College to development and chamber of commerce officials with Morgan and Limestone counties.

Lotts, who is retired from Oak Ridge National Laboratory, also served as a consultant in the energy, nuclear and transportation fields. He said he became interested in the Steel Interstate concept through his love of model trains. However, he’s very optimistic about the reality of such a project, which is why he’s addressing different groups in search of support.

“We need not only political support, but support from the communities and the thought leaders who drive the conversation,” he said. “This will create business for the area because if you’re on a 21st century rail system, that’s a huge advantage.”

Rail Solutions believes there are several benefits for developing such a line, which would run strictly off electric-powered tracks. Freight could be transported at a speed of 70 mph, while passengers could travel at speeds of up to 90 to 110 mph.

The overall advantages, Lotts said, would be reduced fuel consumption, a more economical transportation system, less environmental impact and reliability. It will also save states and the federal government money on interstate road projects because it could potentially remove thousands of tractor-trailer trucks from the roads.

Tom Hill, president of the Limestone County Economic Development Association, has spoken previously about the benefits of North Alabama transportation infrastructure, which includes highway, air, rail and water modes. He said the addition of the Steel Interstate system could only accentuate the positive.

“Our interstates will become more clogged and will slow down traffic,” he said. “This is a new alternative and will help unclog the system and help with logistics.”

Rail Solutions estimates the steel interstate system would account for a 47 percent reduction in oil savings, a 62 percent reduction in road and construction costs and a 30 percent reduction in highway fatalities.

The cost of such a system won’t be inexpensive, however. The cost for the demonstration line alone is estimated at $12.6 billion, and a feasibility study would cost $5 million to $10 million. Lotts said it would take eight years to build.

The cost to take the steel interstate system nationwide could cost as much as $500 billion or more. It would require the upgrading of 35,000 to 45,000 miles of track to eliminate speed-limiting curves and grade crossings.

Lott said the U.S. has spent more money on other projects in recent years, including the war in Afghanistan.

Lotts said Norfolk Southern Corporation does not support the project or the Steel Interstate concept because it goes beyond Norfolk Southern’s plans to upgrade its system. Therefore, the project would be funded through a combination of government grants, loans guaranteed by the federal government, funding from state and local government entities, private capital bonds and private capital direct investment.

“We don’t want this to be a government operation, but we want the government to create the atmosphere to allow this to happen,” he said.

For more information, visit http://www.railsolution.org.