CE 533 Introduction to Rail Transportation (2) Railroads were America’s First Large Corporations...
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Transcript of CE 533 Introduction to Rail Transportation (2) Railroads were America’s First Large Corporations...
CE 533 Introduction to Rail Transportation (2)
Railroads were America’s First Large Corporations
Had a Monopoly on Transportation
Heavily Regulated until 1970s/1980s
U.S. Railroads Privately OwnedU.S. Railroads are Primarily FreightU.S. Rail Passenger Service is Heavily
Subsidized by the Public
Introduction• Adequate Transportation System
• Efficient Movement of Goods and People
• Provides No Basic Intrinsic Value
• Provides “Value Added”
• Necessary for Economy and Development
Early Modes of Transportation in the U.S.
• Waterways• Crude Roads• Rivers/Canals 1700’s• Railroads 1830• Better Roads
Trucks/Automobiles early 1920’s
• Air – Passengers 1950s• Interstates
Trucks/Automobiles early 1960s
• Railroads 2000s!!!
Current Modes of Transportation in the U.S.
• Waterways
• Highway Trucks
• Airways
• Pipeline
• Railways
• Conveyor Belts
Why is railroad freight transport so important now,and even more so in the future?
• Lets consider the alternatives for inland transport:truck, water, air, pipeline, conveyor belt
5
Waterways Pros and Cons• Pros: Energy efficiency, low cost, low pollution, safety, capacity• Cons: Speed, limited network
6
Highway Truck Pros and Cons• Pros: Speed, reliability, network coverage
• Cons: Energy efficiency, safety, land use, pollution, cost, congestion (because of shared use of infrastructure truck transport affects auto safety and congestion as well)
7
How many truckloads can a railcar carry?
Airways Pros and Cons
Pros: Speed, reliability, network coverage
Cons: Energy efficiency, cost, limited volume
Pipelines and Conveyor Belts
• Pros: High volume, continuous transport possible, no vehicles needed, low labor requirements
• Cons: Highly constrained types of commodities, limited product flexibility, speed and network
9
Rail uniquely combines speed and
energy efficiency
10
*Plus environmentally
Friendly
11
Rail is the principal means of economicallymoving large, heavy freight long distances overland
Freight
North American freight transportationvolume by mode
0
200
400
600
800
1000
1200
1400
1600
Rail Truck Pipeline Waterways Air
Bil
lio
ns
of
Ton
-Mil
es
Rail Truck Pipeline Waterways Air
Source: AAR from Eno Foundation for Transportation
1920 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2005 20080
200
400
600
800
1000
1200
1400
1600
1800
2000
Year
Re
ve
nu
e T
on
-Mil
es
(b
illi
on
s)
US rail freight traffic
Common Goals & Functions of the Railroad Industry
• The movement of Freight and People in the most efficient manner possible
• Principal Function in U.S.– Hauling Freight (~43+%)
• Characteristics– Fast – Reliable– Convenient– Economical– Safe/Secure– Fuel Efficient– Environmentally Friendly
• Renewed Interest in Passenger Rail
Early Regulations
Land Grants (1850-1870) Business Transactions Development of Central and
Western U.S. Repaid
Interstate Commerce Commission (1887)
Surface Transportation Board (1995-1996)
Recent Significant Legislation• Phase 1:
– 1971 Amtrak– 1983 RRB / Depreciation
• Phase 2:– 1973 3R Act– 1976 4R Act– 1980 Staggers (Deregulation)
• Phase 3:– 1992 ISTEA– 1998 T21– 2004 SAFETEA-LU– 2008 Safety Improvements– 2010 Surface Transportation
Assistance Act
The Fundamental Principle of Rail Transport - EFFICIENCY
Implications for Economics,Energy & Environment
orWhy Rail Transport is More Important Than
Ever!
18
US 20th Century was about CONVENIENCE
The 21st must considerEFFICIENCY as well
• Then– Abundant: energy, land, natural
resources and labor• Now
– Diminishing resources:• Energy• Air quality• Water• Land
– Congestion• Need more efficient use of
transportation infrastructure– Stronger global competition
19
Speed and Resistance by Transport Mode
Rail uniquely combinesHigh Speed and Low Resistance
20
SPEED (mph)
RE
SIS
TAN
CE
(lb
s./t
on
)
Airplanes
Trucks
Boat
Lower coefficient of rolling friction (μR) • Steel wheel on steel rail has lower rolling friction (μR)
than rubber tire on pavement:
– Steel wheel on rail: μR = 0.001
– Truck tire on pavement: μR = 0.006 to 0.010
– Tire is 6 to 10 times greater than steel wheel
– Consequently lower rolling resistance
• But why…?
• Rubber tire
– Small effects of static friction and adhesion of the rubber
– Major factor is the deformation of the tire while rolling under load
– Pavement deflection also contributes
• Steel wheel and rail experience elastic deformation under load as well, but much less
21
Energy efficiency truck vs. rail
• How far can each mode transport a given amount of freight for a given amount of energy?
• Specifically, how far can we transport one tonof freight with one gallon of diesel fuel?
22(AAR & FRA data)
Rail is over 3 timesmore efficient than truck
Automotive Energy EfficiencyAssume:• 200 lb person• Drives 100 miles• Auto gets 25 mpg
Rail=480 ton-miles/gallon
Truck=120 ton-miles/gallon
Railroad transportation efficiency
• Railroads produce “output” more efficiently than their principal competition: trucks
• What is transportation “output”
– Ton miles
– Passenger miles
• Why are railroads so efficient?
– Low rolling friction
– Large size
– Trains
24
Larger Size of rail vehicles permitseconomies of scale
• Strong railroad infrastructure allows larger, heavier vehicles than is practical for highways
• Permits economies of scale
– Larger vehicles can transport more weight with less resistance per unit
– Larger engines can convert energy to work more efficiently
25
“Trains” permit two more importanteconomies of scale
• The ability to operate many vehicles coupled together permits two substantial economies of scale
– Labor: one or two people can operate a single train with 100 to 150 cars (or more). Considering that each railcar is roughly equivalent to three trucks, the economies are substantial.
– Energy: close spacing of cars in train substantially reduces aerodynamic resistance compared to trucks. This effect is particularly important at higher speeds (> 40mph)
26
One “E” leads to three• Rail efficiency leads to three fundamental elements of railroad importance
to society
• All are important now but there is a chronology to our understanding of these
– Economics: rail transport was and is less expensive than its competition, therefore critical to a competitive economy
– Energy: efficient use of fuel was always part of rail’s economic efficiency, but energy scarcity enhances this aspect
– Environment: fewer emissions and land use required per unit of transportation output means rail is part of the quest for sustainability
27
Rail Transport is Economical
• This was the original motivation for development of railroads• Before rail there was no practical way to move heavy goods long
distances overland unless there was a navigable river or a canal was built• Low cost transport CREATES markets for both goods and people• Permits development of large, complex, economies with diverse products
and skills
28
Rail Transport is Energy Efficient
Transportation Energy Useby Mode 2002
29
Federal Highway Administrationhttp://www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/aqfactbk/page13.htm#alt2
Normalized Comparison by Transport Mode
http://www.shipsandboxes.com/eng/keytopics/environment/
Projected energy consumption by sector
• Transportation is the second largest consumer of energy• Largest consumer of petroleum
30
Rail transport is more environmentally sustainable• Transportation is responsible for a substantial
portion of air pollution
• Greater energy efficiency of rail corresponds with reduced emissions of noxious pollutants and CO2
• Growing concern about the importance of greenhouse gas emissions, and air pollution in general, means that rail’s importance as a less polluting form of transport will increase
• Substantial R&D on locomotive technology over the past 20 years has substantially reduced locomotive emissions
• Technology for electric motive power is mature and used widely elsewhere in the world. Presently not economic in US but if petroleum scarcity or environmental concerns require it, the transition is possible without substantial new technology development
31
Carbon Emissions by Sector 2002
Railroad Electrifications Proposals in the 1970s
Rail transport requires less land per unit of transport
• Transportation output per unit of land is considerably greater for rail compared to highway
• More units per vehicle (tons or people)
• Fewer vehicles, and they are consolidated into trains
• Easier to accommodate temporal differences in directional traffic
32
Rail transport benefits due to these efficiencies:but exploiting them imposes constraints as well
• Infrastructure design - Heavy loads and high speeds demands particularly robust infrastructure system design and components
• Vehicle design - Large, heavy vehicles capable of supporting their own weight plus lading, and also very large in-train “buff” & “draft” forces
• Infrastructure and equipment cost - Large size and strength of infrastructure makes it expensive and capital intensive
• Trains - Require standardization of many aspects of design, this combined with their high cost means there is a need for long life, thereby imposing reverse compatibility constraints on new technology
• Traffic control system - High speeds and mass of trains, combined with low coefficient of friction at wheel/rail interface means stopping distances are very long, often longer than sight distance
• Small markets - Ironically, in some important aspects railroads suffer because they cannot exploit economies of scale, e.g. long life and small market for locomotives means it is hard to justify investment in new tooling as technology advances
33
Benefits to the Environment
• 1 Train = 1 ton of freight carried 435 miles on 1 gallon of diesel fuel (86% improvement since 1980)
• 1 Train = 280 truckloads
• 1 Train = 3 to 4 times more fuel efficientthan trucks
Rail vs. Truck
• During the last four years, there has been a fundamental shift in the competitive environment between rail and truck
• Shift primarily due to:– Increased fuel costs– Congestion on highway system– Reduced hours of service for truck drivers– Driver shortages
• Shift appears to be permanent
$623b
$48b
1% shift in trucking revenue market share to rail.
-1%
+13 %
Revenue Effect of 1% Shift in Truck Industry
Trucking$623 billion industry
Railroads$48 billion industry
1% shift of trucking's revenue to rail
Top-line growth of 13% for railroads ($6.2 billion)
Trucking RailData Source: AAR, ATA
Increased Public Interest in Rail
Increased awareness of rail as a solution to congestion, pollution, and fuel inefficiency
Increased motivation to invest public money in rail infrastructure Heartland CREATE Green Power
(Locomotives) I81
Genset and Hybrid Switchers
In the last 20 years…• Vehicle travel increased 78%• Road miles increased only 1%
Traffic congestion costs the U.S. $67 billion annually
Congested Highway Segments - 1998
Potential Congested Segments - 2020
Summary
Rail Industry is growingRail has become a viable alternative to truckSpike in Public Interest due to Highway congestion Population growthEnvironmental issues
Significant investment required to accommodate growth for freight and passenger
Broad set of safety concerns for railroads
• Safety of passengers, employees, infrastructure, rolling stock, hazardous materials, operations, highway vehicles, pedestrians and communities
52
SAFETY FIRST! Railroads have fostered a strong safety culture among operating employees for nearly a century
• Dates to the “Safety First” movement of the early decades of the 20th century • Railroads continuously stress safety in and out of the workplace• Bureau of Labor Statistics data support the railroads’ safety record
53
• Railroads also have regular, ongoing training schools and programs for operating personnel