The Commuter Rail Report by the Numbers

I just got finished with the 258 page "interim" report on potential Commuter Rail between Pittsburgh and Arnold and Pittsburgh and Latrobe. Here's a list of the big numbers:

Ridership (2012)

Arnold to Pittsburgh

Alternative 1: 2,337 per day (S. Verona Stop, Penn Station via Brilliant Branch)
Alternative 2: 1,037 per day (S. Verona Stop, Strip District)
Alternative 3: 2,689 per day (Nadine Rd, Penn Station via Brilliant Branch)
Alternative 4: 1,343 per day (Nadine Rd, Strip District)

Latrobe to Pittsburgh

Alternative 1: 1,367 per day (Trafford Stop, no Irwin Stop)
Alternative 2: 1,252 per day (Irwin Stop, no Trafford Stop)
Alternative 3: 1,495 per day (Both stops)

Recommended Stations and cost per station:

Arnold to Pittsburgh

Arnold (Station and Yard): $12,819,000
New Kensington: $2,807,000
Oakmont/Verona (located in Verona): $4,437,000
Nadine Road/Allegheny River BLVD: $5,147,000
Shadyside (incl. in NS Line)
Penn Station(incl. in NS Line)

Latrobe to Pittsburgh

Latrobe: $3,269,000
Greensburg: $760,000
Jeanette: $4,941,000
Irwin: $3,973,000
Trafford: $4,595,000
Shadyside: $3,114,000
Penn Station: $3,437,000

Total Station Costs: $49,299,000

Capital Costs

Rolling Stock

Arnold to Pittsburgh Line:
Locomotives: 5 (4 and 1 "spare") x $3,550,000 = $17,750,000
Bi-Level Coaches: 5 x $1,700,000 = $8,500,000
Cab Control Cars: 5 (4 and 1 "spare") x $2,300,000 = $11,500,000

Spare Parts: $1,510,000

Total: $39,260,000

Latrobe to Pittsburgh Line:
Locomotives: 5 (4 and 1 "spare") x $3,550,000 = $17,750,000
Bi-Level Coaches: 1 x $1,700,000 = $1,700,000
Cab Control Cars: 5 (4 and 1 "spare") = $11,500,000

Spare Parts: $1,238,000

Total: $32,188,000

Total Rolling Stock Costs: $71,448,000 (2009 prices)

Track Improvement:

Arnold to Pittsburgh: $56,140,000
Latrobe to Pittsburgh: $7,246,000
Total: $63,386,000

Derry Maint. Facility: $13,347,000
Misc. NS improvements: $5,720,000

Total Capital Costs: $203,100,000*

*the report cites a total of $208,652,000, but that assumes 2011 pricing for rolling stock

Cost Per Passenger: $21.82
Annual Cost: $22,479,400

Important Dates:

Completion: 2012
Next Step: ???????

General Notes:

-I am concerned about the lack of an Oakmont proper station, they cite the lack of parking but at the same time draw attention to the fact that it's a great "walkable" station, and dedicate about 50 pages to developing TOD. You have a ready made TOD site in Oakmont and they are going to bypass it so they can have a 500 car lot in Verona...

-Another example of this occurs in Trafford/Pitcairn, the proposed stop is right behind a strip mall with no walkable development nearby. Less than a mile up the tracks is Pitcairn which has a main street that is a stone's throw away from the tracks (via a bridge over Turtle Creek). See above for why this angers me.

-DMU's were mentioned briefly. They were not mentioned as a rolling stock alternative for the NS line (why not???? It's designed to meet FRA standards for crash worthiness, thus allowing it to share rails with freight trains)

-Apparently a company from Columbus has bought the drawings and rights to the Colorado Railcar DMU concept. Should this come to fruition, DMU's should be the FIRST place they look for rolling stock (alot less $$$$$)

-It's mentioned that NS has not been consulted on any of this yet. This could be a major sticking point and great lengths will have to be made to keep them happy.

-No definite answers on funding, or timelines for a next step. This was just an interim study and there's more on the way. A 2012 timeline is very ambitious and if they have any intentions of meeting it, the next step must come very soon.