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HOT TOPICS
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I-81 Freight Rail Study and Norfolk Southern Cresent Corridor compared and contrasted in new paper for CTB
11/18/07
Because both are rail intermodal efforts
affecting the I-81 Corridor, there has been public confusion over
what these two projects are and how they differ. In a new paper
prepared for the Commonwealth Transportation Board meeting in Roanoke
on November 7, RAIL Solution details the differences and highlights
some curious ways the new NS direction departs from the vision of
its own CEO, Wick Moorman (2nd item below).
Read more...
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Response to
"I-81 Crescent Corridor" Initiative
7/9/07
RAIL Solution has been asked our views on
Norfolk Southern's recently announced "I-81 Crescent Corridor"
initiative. To understand its significance, one has to separate what's
old from what's new.
Read more...
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Norfolk Southern's
I-81 Strategy
10/19/06
Norfolk Southern President, Chairman, and
CEO Charles "Wick" Moorman made a major address at Hotel
Roanoke, which he called a "coming out party" for the
railroad's I-81 strategy.
Read more...
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A Multi-State Plan Needs Multi-State Involvement
RAIL
Solution is reaching out to Tennesseans,
Pennsylvanians, Marylanders, and
West Virginians.
“Our neighbors need to know
that the H-1581 process offers opportunity
for significant transport- ation
improvements at less cost to taxpayers,
highway users and our environment
up and down the I-81 Corridor. These
citizens need to be pressing their
transportation planners to gain
access to the intermodal rail planning
process.”
Dave Foster
RAIL Solution Exec. Dir.
contact>
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STAR Solutions Officially Folds
01/17/2008
"Great news!" is how Rees Shearer, Chair of RAIL Solution, responded to the announcement Wednesday by the Virginia Department of
Transportation (VDOT) that Kellogg Brown & Root (KRB) had "declined further participation" by STAR Solutions in I-81 construction
work, including planned truck climbing lanes in Rockbridge and Montgomery Counties.
Following KBR’s withdrawal, VDOT officially terminated all I-81 procurement work under the Public Private Transportation Act (PPTA).
"This effectively marks the end of STAR Solutions," said Fred Altizer, I-81 Project Manager, in a phone call to RAIL Solution Executive
Director David Foster, "and KBR will have no further work on I-81 in the future."
"RAIL Solution started fighting KBR-STAR Solutions and their $13 billion truck tollway back in 2003. This is a huge moment," said Shearer.
Read More...
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RAIL Solution Presents Vision for Steel Interstate at Virginia Energy and Sustainability Conference
10/17/2007
RAIL Solution was invited to make a presentation at COVES in Lexington on how moving freight by rail can save energy.
Executive Director David Foster used the opportunity to brief attendees in the transportation break-out on the merits of the Steel Interstate concept.
The goal of saving energy by diverting freight from truck to rail was ratified in the recently released
Virginia Energy Plan.
The Plan details how 43% of energy use in Virginia goes to transportation, the largest energy use sector, and how 94% of transportation in the state
is fueled by petroleum. In his keynote address to the COVES gathering, Virginia Governor Tim Kaine vowed to "focus significantly on the transportation
sector."
RAIL Solution's presentation shows how the Steel Interstate can greatly reduce energy consumption
by carrying long distance trucks on trains, and sever the dependence on oil by developing a core national network of high-capacity electrified rail
corridors.
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New All-Purpose RAIL Solution Brochure Issued
09/04/2007
At conferences, workshops, fairs, and other public events we often have an opportunity to spread the word on who RAIL Solution is, what we do,
and welcome new participants. A new brochure has been printed for this purpose, and is available as a pdf
download here.
The brochure summarizes our success in the I-81 Corridor of Virginia, outlines the environmental and energy advantages of freight rail
transportation, provides and update on the I-81 Freight Rail Study, and outlines the RAIL Solution vision for the Steel Interstate. On the
back of the brochure is a form to use to join RAIL Solution or send a donation.
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Previous News...
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Rail's 21st century role is to add time-sensitive freight and passenger capacity
in corridors where highway expansion is prohibitively expensive and/or environmentally detrimental.
Shifting freight transport to higher-speed trains would guarantee: less environmental, public health, aesthetic
and economic damage to Shenandoah & Southwest VA — while enhancing traffic safety. VDOT should fix
only the dangerous spots along I-81 while building higher-speed rail lines roughly paralleling I-81 to handle much of the freight
traffic. The costs of BOTH rail and spot highway improvements are 1/3 cheaper than the VDOT plan. Such a transportation system
would be a model for the nation. At 1/5 the pollution and 1/3 the fuel consumption of truck freight,
rail is simply safer, cleaner, cheaper, and better for Virginia business.
A quick look at the RAIL
Solution vision >
With railway "truck ferries," trucks
drive directly onto flatbed cars
and ride, allowing drivers to relax in an accomodations car. Ferries
are already used in Europe. Photo courtesy of HUPAC. |
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NEXT MEETING:
June 7th at 10am
Salem, VA
OF INTEREST
CSX's Innovative I-95 Corridor Proposal
Rail: Perpetually Underfunded
2006 Recap
PROBLEMS
with the
Tier 1 EIS
-Overview of DEIS.
-RS Response
-VDOT I-81 Site
-Write to VDOT>
-EIS Process Overview
Concerns for:
-Local Leaders
-Business Leaders
-Historic Sites
-Railroad Fans
-Environmentals
MEDIA COVERAGE
-Editorials/News
-Letters to Editor
LEARN MORE
RAIL Solution's I-81 Transportation Issues & Priorities
Maximize Rail/ Minimize Road Expansion
RESOURCES
-VA Gen. Assembly
-Analysis & Reports
-EIS Process
-PPTA Process
-Media Contacts
-Links
-Contact Us
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