KCS Victoria to Rosenberg Reconstruction Project

Victoria to Rosenberg, Texas

The Kansas City Southern Railway Company

Eric J. Frostestad, PE

Project Manager

TranSystems Corporation

2400 Pershing Road, Suite 400

Kansas City, Missouri 64108

Office: (816) 329-8600

Fax: (816) 329-8602

Word count: 5,788

 

Abstract: KCS Victoria to Rosenberg Reconstruction Project, Victoria to Rosenberg, Texas

Author: Eric J. Frostestad

In 2004, the Kansas City Southern (KCS) commissioned a conceptual study to rebuild 85 miles of an old Southern Pacific route, which had been largely inactive since 1986, in order to eliminate 61 miles from its route between Houston and Laredo. Initial estimates were $140 to $150 million for non-signalized track, new rail, three sidings, a 49 MPH speed limit, and a combination of bridge repair and replacements.

In 2006, KCS began assembling a project team to reconstruct the line within the existing right-of-way using concrete ties, 136-lb rail and a predominate design speed of 59 MPH. In 2007, construction was initiated in multiple phases and included clearing, grading, subballast, track, grade crossings, bridge replacement and repair, and a new intermodal facility. After the initial track removal, construction was completed in 18 months in June 2009.

Thirty-eight bridges were replaced measuring a length of 5,528 feet, 13 timber bridges were repaired, 17 bridges were replaced with culverts, and two bridges were eliminated. Two bridges with truss spans were rehabilitated and strengthened.

The existing line had 164 grade crossings of which 102 were public. Eighteen public and seventeen private crossings were targeted to be closed.

The project required substantial coordination with existing utilities, property owners, and regulatory agencies. Numerous utilities were protected or relocated and significant encroachments on KCS were addressed.

Regulatory permitting included the Corps 404, the TCEQ NPDES, cultural/historical, endangered species, TxDOT and local drainage districts.

Key words: track, bridge, road crossings

 

KCS Victoria to Rosenberg Reconstruction Project

Victoria to Rosenberg, Texas

The Kansas City Southern Railway Company

Background

Kansas City Southern owns connecting railroads in the U.S. and Mexico, The Kansas City Southern Railway (“KSCR” or “the KCS”) in the U.S. and Kansas City Southern de Mexico (KCSM) in Mexico. In the United States, KCSR has 3,226 miles of main line and in Mexico the KCSM has 2,645 miles of main line. The Victoria to Rosenberg Line is an important link between the KCSR US lines, Houston, KSCR’s affiliate Texas Mexican Railway Company’s (Tex Mex’s) Corpus Christi to Laredo Line, and Mexico.

In late 2000, KCS was awarded the rights to reestablish the former Southern Pacific Railroad (SP) between Rosenberg, Texas (mile pole 2.50) and Victoria, Texas (mile pole 87.00) by the Surface Transportation Board. KCS had operating/trackage rights to operate between Victoria and Rosenberg via Flatonia, Texas on the Union Pacific Railroad (UP). The previous route via Flatonia is 152 miles in length. The direct route from Victoria to Rosenberg along the old SP route is 91 miles in length. The opening of the Victoria to Rosenberg line reduced the travel distance between Houston and Laredo by 61 miles and reduces the distance KCS travels on UP trackage rights by 152 miles.

History

The history of the ninety-one mile rail line from Victoria to Rosenberg, Texas dates back to the end of the 19th century when an Italian engineer and financier, Count Joseph Telfener and his associates envisioned a railroad from New York City to Mexico City. The choice was made to start in Texas due to their liberal land grant policy; thus, in 1880 the New York, Texas, and Mexican Railway Company was formed. The railroad was to begin on the Galveston, Harrisburg and San Antonio Railway at Richmond in Fort Bend County and extend by the most practical route through Fort Bend, Wharton, Jackson, Victoria, Goliad, Bee, Refugio, San Patricio, Nueces, Hidalgo, and Cameron counties and to terminate at Brownsville.

Actual construction of the railroad began in September 1881 when two crews, one in Victoria working eastward and another at Rosenberg Station (rather than Richmond as initially set) proceeding westward, commenced the laborious task of building the line. Telfener brought over about 1,200 laborers from Italy to perform the heavy work and, he hoped, they would remain there as citizens and buy land along the tracks. Pasta was shipped from Italy in wooden boxes with the word “MACARONI” clearly stamped on the outside. Because the Italian workers ate macaroni and built temporary residences from the boxes that previously contained the pasta, the New York, Texas and Mexican Railway would hereafter be popularly referred to as the Macaroni Line. In 1882 the Macaroni Line completed ninety-one miles of track between Rosenberg and Victoria. The cost of the construction of the railroad was $2,036,150, and the rolling stock cost an additional $156,270.

 

 

Telfener operated the company until June 1, 1884. On July 23, 1884, the directors annulled the construction contract because Telfener had built only ninety-one of a proposed 350 miles. Control of the road was acquired by JW Mackay, a wealthy mining engineer from Nevada and a brother-in-law of Telfener, on January 9, 1885. Mackay sold his new holding to the Southern Pacific Railroad (SP) in early September 1885, but the line continued to operate as the New York, Texas and Mexican. In 1903 the New York, Texas and Mexican reported passenger earnings of $116,000 and freight earnings of $347,000 and owned six locomotives and 395 cars. On August 8, 1905, the line was merged into the Galveston, Harrisburg and San Antonio Railway Company.

On March 1, 1927, the Galveston, Harrisburg and San Antonio Railway merged into another subsidiary of SP, the Texas and New Orleans Railroad. Then, on June 30, 1934, all of the leased SP properties, with the exception of the Houston Southern Pacific Terminal, were merged into the Texas and New Orleans Railroad, creating the largest railroad in Texas with 3,713 miles of track. The Texas and New Orleans Railroad lasted until November 1, 1961, when the remaining 3,385 miles were merged into the Southern Pacific Transportation Company (SP).

In 1948, passenger service was discontinued and only freight was transported along the route and the last regularly scheduled freight train ran from Rosenberg to Victoria in 1985. In 1996 the SP merged with the UP and after that, the line fell into disrepair. The Surface Transportation Board from SP/UP awarded the sale of the rail line in December 2000 to the Tex-Mex. This action allowed transfer of ownership of the 84.5-mile line of railroad between milepost 87.0 near Victoria and milepost 2.5 near Rosenberg, in Jackson, Victoria, Wharton, and Fort Bend Counties, TX.

Project Objective

With the complete acquisition of Tex-Mex in January 2005, the KCS took control of a vital link in its rail network, connecting The Kansas City Southern Railway Company (KCSR) and TFM, S.A. de C.V. In December 2005, the name TFM, S.A. de C.V. was changed to Kansas City Southern de Mexico (KCSM). The 2,661-mile KCSM operates the primary rail route in Mexico, linking Mexico City with Laredo, Texas, where more than 50 percent of the U.S.-Mexico trade or NAFTA traffic crosses the border. KCS completed a major capital improvement program between Laredo and Robstown, Texas in 2006 to support the NAFTA traffic. In addition to the Tex-Mex capital improvement program, the KCS made plans to rebuild the 85-mile line between Victoria and Rosenberg, Texas, reducing the need to utilize approximately 152 miles of trackage rights. With the planned increase of NAFTA traffic, the revitalization of the Victoria to Rosenberg line will provide substantial cost savings to the KCS.

 

Existing Rail Line

The ninety-one mile Victoria to Rosenberg rail line is a flat and tangent railroad. In the ninety-one miles there are 14 curves measuring less than four miles in total curve length and the relatively flat railroad ascends from Victoria, Texas, elevation 92 ft., to Rosenberg, elevation 102 ft. Of the 84.5 miles of railroad owned by the KCSR there are 74 bridges and 173 road crossings.

The Victoria segment is 62 miles long, extending from milepost 87.86, near the Victoria rail station, to milepost 25.86, near the Wharton rail station. The rail, other track material (OTM), and ties had been removed on the Victoria segment and it had been inactive approximately two years longer than the Rosenberg segment. On the Victoria segment the bridges were mainly in place except for two open deck trestles structures, at mile posts 29.80 and 30.45, presumed to have been removed by Wharton County. Also, the roadbed was removed in various locations throughout the segment; approximately 15 percent of the ballast and 5 percent of the subballast had been removed. The right-of-way was over grown with vegetation due to not being maintained. Adjacent property owners were also utilizing the KCS right-of-way to access their property, storage, and placement of private infrastructure.

The Rosenberg segment is 23.3 miles long extending from milepost 25.86 to milepost 2.5, west of the rail station at McHattie, Texas. On the Rosenberg Segment the railroad was largely intact, the rail, ties and bridges were in place. There was approximately 6,500 tons of rail and OTM in this segment and the roadbed is intact. The right-of-way was also over grown due to lack of maintenance, but fewer encroachments had been made by adjacent property owners.

Proposed NAFTA Traffic Route

 

Topographic Survey & Grading

Topography evaluation and spot survey was completed along the 85 miles of the right-of-way between Victoria and Rosenberg, Texas. The spot surveys were initially taken approximately every half a mile to develop the cross sections. The existing ground and roadbed conditions were evaluated and compared to the proposed 28-ft. roadbed width sections, this was used to develop preliminary grading numbers. Then a second round of survey was conducted to pick-up additional centerline shots and sections. Survey sections of the upstream and downstream channels were taken for the hydraulics and hydrology (H&H) studies. After clearing was completed, more survey shots were taken to refine the track profile grade. There were a few exceptions such as areas in towns like Wharton, Kendleton, and El Campo where the existing roadbed was wide enough to accommodate the current existing section without any additional grading except to lower the grade to match into the existing roads and streets as close as possible. These were where the railroad previously had adjacent sidings or team tracks. The topography and roadbed were also evaluated for existing and proposed drainage. The track section is in place in a majority of the project. The proposed plan was to lower the existing grade by six inches then build up with subballast, ballast, ties, and rail. This effectively, elevated the original line approximately 1.5-ft. and utilized the compacted roadbed. In general, the roadbed where it was in place, it was 16 ft. to 18 ft. in width and varied from one ft. to 20 ft. in fill height. The majority of the existing railroad was between two ft. and four ft in height.

Due to the generally level topography and right-of-way the grading contractor was directed to cut ditches in areas of minimal embankment to maintain positive drainage and provide additional track section protection during large

Victoria to Rosenberg Rail Line

 

rainfall events. Also, adjacent to the majority of the line is US Highway 59. The highway is on an average of 1.5-ft. higher than the railroad with ditches. The large ditches will allow slow moving water from large storms storage until runoff, infiltration, or evaporation can occur.

The existing right-of-way was largely overgrown with brush and trees. The contractor cleared the entire right-of-way to re-establish the sight distance at the road crossings and to re-establish the ditch drainage. The contractor was able to burn the cleared vegetation on the right-of-way.

There were areas where the existing ballast and the existing grade had been removed. These areas needed to be re-graded and a full 12-in. of subballast was placed.

The typical section consisted of the existing grade and ballast, 6-in. subballast, 10-in. ballast, concrete ties, and 136 lb. CWR rail.

The subballast was delivered by gondola cars from Cerro Colorado, Mexico and Hatton, Arkansas. The subballast was stockpiled in Victoria and Kendleton and then loaded into belly dump truck trailers for placement on the main line grade. Tensar BX1200 was placed between the existing grade and the subballast in selected areas to help with soil stability. This enabled the subballast thickness to remain at six inches in these areas.

Typical Section with Ditch

 

Bridges

The railroad bridge structures were evaluated for replacement, repair, and maintenance by TranSystems for the KCS. As previously indicated, the rail line had carried almost no rail traffic for more than fifteen years and the dense growth of trees and vegetation prevented the visual inspection of all components, checking approaches pertaining

 

track geometry, and evaluation of the structures under load. Below are Br 25.95 at the Colorado River and Br 14.76 at the San Bernard River.

There were 74 bridges, totaling two miles in length, on the rail line from Victoria to Rosenberg. Seventy-eight percent of the structures were open deck trestle timber structures, ranging in length from 15-ft. to 1,215-ft. in length. The primary defects of the trestles were missing and defective timber deck ties, but the structures also required stringer plugs, timber shim replacement, backwall repair, repair of backwall scour, timber cap replacement, timber piling splicing or pile frame bents installation, and hardware installation. The remaining structures were ballast deck trestle, steel spans, steel truss spans, and concrete spans.

The structures were evaluated and prioritized by the TranSystems rail bridge team. Most of the recommended replacement type bridge structures were pre-stressed concrete T-girders that were developed by Design Nine Inc. Design Nine developed 26-ft., 28-ft., and 30-ft. standard girders for the new bridges. Other replacement and repairs included, through plate girders, deck replacement, maintenance, and pile repair.

Two bridges, the Colorado River bridge and the Lavaca River bridge had existing steel truss spans with timber approach spans. The steel truss spans were repaired and strengthened. The Colorado River bridge approach spans were replaced with second hand steel spans, a second hand through plate girder span, and a new steel span. These spans were all on pipe pile bents with pre-cast concrete caps. The Lavaca River bridge approach spans were replaced with pre-cast concrete T-girder spans placed on pipe pile bents with pre-cast concrete caps.

The new bridges were designed and constructed for E-80 loading, H- and pipe pile bents with pre-cast concrete caps, and pre-cast concrete T-girder spans (26-ft., 28-ft., and 30-ft. lengths).

Bridge T-girder spans were fabricated by UMA in Mexico. The girders were transported by rail to Agua Dulce, Texas where they were unloaded and stored. Then trucks would transport the girders to the bridge locations as they were needed.

A summary of the Victoria to Rosenberg bridge construction is as follows:

 

New Precast Concrete Ballast Deck T-Girder Bridges – 38 – 5,528-ft Timber Bridge Repairs – 13 – 825-ft Bridge Removed & Replaced with Culverts – 17 Truss Repair Bridges with new approaches – 2 – 1,899-ft Removed Bridge Completely – 2 New OD Steel (SH) Bridge – 1 – 25-ft Existing Concrete Ballast Deck Bridge with Handrail Repair – 1 – 1,260-ft The total number of bridges was reduced from 74 to 55 The total length of bridges was reduced from 10,429-ft to 9,537-ft

The H&H studies utilized existing Hec-Ras modeling and they were updated with new survey and proposed structures. The H&H studies were utilized for permitting with the drainage districts and for sizing the new structures. Seventeen existing bridges were eliminated and replaced with culverts, two bridges were removed completely, and a number of bridges were shortened. The KCS criteria of 100-yr. design storm, no pressure flow, and no-rise upstream or downstream was followed for the sizing of the bridge and culvert structures.

H&H studies were conducted on all of the bridge structures including the long timber structures at San Bernard Creek (MP 14.76) and San Bernard River (MP 18.72). The existing timber bridge at San Bernard Creek had a total length of 1215-ft. and the new bridge structure length was reduced to 930-ft. and the bridge low chord was raised one foot. The existing timber bridge at San Bernard River had a total length of 1345-ft. and the new bridge structure length was reduced to 900-ft. and the bridge low chord was raised 1.5 feet. The timber structures of each of these bridges were replaced with new ballast deck pre-cast concrete T-girder bridges.

Environmental

The environmental work began by identifying potential project impacts along a 100-ft. right-of-way that was the former SP route. The agencies contacted included the Texas Historic Commission, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, the United States Army Corp of Engineers, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, county governments, municipal governments, and public land directors.

 

The data collection for the environmental review process for the KCS Rosenberg to Victoria project primarily consisted of the following:

1. Remote assessment of project environmental constraints based on publicly available GIS and regulatory agency information.

2. Contacting regulatory agencies and researching online information to identify the permitting process required for construction activities.

3. On-site field survey for threatened and endangered species impacts and Waters of the U.S. delineation.

Environmental Permitting Activities

The following permitting/clearance processes were initiated and completed for the Victoria to Rosenberg project with the identified jurisdictional regulatory agencies:

Clean Water Act Section 404 Permit (Nationwide) – United States Army Corp of Engineers (USACE) Clean Water Act Section 401 Water Quality Certification (Nationwide) – Texas Commission on

Environmental Quality Federally Listed Threatened and Endangered Species Clearance – United States Fish and Wildlife

Service (USFWS) State Listed Endangered Species Impact Determination – Texas Wildlife and Parks Department

(TWPD) Cultural and Historical Resources Impact Clearance – Texas Historical Commission (THC) National Pollution Discharge Elimination System Permit – Texas Commission on Environmental Quality

(TCEQ) Floodplain Development Permits – Fort Bend County, Wharton County, City of Wharton, Jackson

County, City of El Campo, Victoria County, City of Victoria

Clean Water Act Section 404 Permit – United States Army Corps of Engineers

United States Geological Survey, USFWS National Wetland Inventory, and Natural Resource and Conservation Service (NRCS) map data was reviewed in order to identify potential jurisdictional Waters of the U.S. The map review of USGS and NWI data identified numerous potentially jurisdictional Waters of the U.S. crossings within the study area, including named and unnamed drainages. Drainages named on USGS topographic maps were considered jurisdictional waters; named drainage crossings for the study route included: Garcitas Creek, Arenosa Creek, Lavaca River, Navidad River, West Mustang Creek, Jones Creek, Colorado River, West Bernard Creek, and the San Bernard River. Project impacts to named and unnamed drainages were minimized through the rehabilitation of current drainage structures along the project route.

In addition to potentially jurisdictional water crossings, NWI data identified several designated wetlands located in close proximity of the railway. USACE jurisdictional wetlands were also identified by hydric soil maps for the study area identified hydric soils in association with mapped drainages and wetlands throughout the project limits.

A number of these jurisdictional Waters of the U.S. occur along the right-of-way and were impacted by the project construction activities. Waters of the US were impacted by new bridge construction and construction of a new embankment; therefore, delineation of the extent and acreage of mapped streams and wetlands was required to

 

determine the exact impacts associated with rehabilitation and the type of USACE permit required for project activities.

The project required a Section 404 Permit from the USACE for impacts to jurisdictional Waters of the U.S. as required by Section 404 of the Clean Water Act. A jurisdictional determination of Water’s of the U.S. was conducted by TranSystems to delineate jurisdictional Water’s of U.S. within the project study area.

The USACE Galveston District was contacted regarding the project and they preferred to permit as much of the project as possible under the Nationwide Permit program. The Nationwide Permit program is generally preferred for accelerated schedule projects due to the shortened USACE processing periods.

Section 401 of Clean Water Act Certification – Texas Department of Environmental Quality – Watershed Program

Information collected during Section 404 USACE permitting process was sufficient for the Section 401 Water Quality Certification application submittal; additional data collection or analysis was completed.

Federally Listed Threatened and Endangered Species Clearance – United States Fish and Wildlife Service

The project required clearance from the USFWS as part of the federal USACE permitting process. USFWS clearance is required prior to the initiation of any non-railroad maintenance construction activities. TranSystems elected to consult with the USFWS outside of the USACE permitting process in order to shorten the review period and allow construction activities to be initiated along the project route excluding USACE jurisdictional areas and county government jurisdictional floodplain/floodway areas upon USFWS approval. An on-site threatened and endangered species habitat assessment was conducted and reported by TranSystems and submitted to the USFWS. USFWS project reviews were completed by two separate local Ecological Services Offices (ESO). The project route located in Victoria and Jackson counties is located within the territory of the Corpus Christi ESO; Fort Bend and Wharton County project area is located with the Clear Lake ESO territory The assessment did not identify any federally listed endangered species or preferred habitat along the project route. Eleven species are federally listed by the USFWS as threatened or endangered in Jackson, Fort Bend, Victoria, and Wharton Counties, Texas. A clearance letter from the USFWS was received for the proposed project activities.

State Listed Threatened and Endangered Species Clearance – Texas Wildlife and Parks Department

The project required notification of the TWPD for compliance with compliance with Chapters 67 and 68 of the Texas Parks and Wildlife (TPW) Code and Sections 65.171 - 65.184 of Title 31 of the Texas Administrative Code (T.A.C.). A TWPD Rare Resource Review Request was completed and submitted to the TWPD with a copy of the wildlife

 

habitat assessment report. The Rare Resource Review Request for the project was included in a wildlife habitat assessment report. 26 species are state listed by the TPWD as threatened or endangered in Jackson, Fort Bend, Victoria, and Wharton Counties, Texas. A determination letter from the TWPD was received the for project construction activities.

Cultural Resources Impact Clearance – Texas Historical Commission

The project required clearance from the Texas Historical Commission (THC) as part of the federal USACE permitting process. TranSystems elected to consult with the THC outside of the USACE permitting process in order to shorten the review period and allow construction activities to be initiated along the project route excluding USACE jurisdictional areas and county government jurisdictional floodplain/floodway areas upon THC approval.

An initial project information and clearance request was submitted to the THC. The THC reviewed the project for cultural resource impacts. A cultural resource survey was required for the project; TranSystems and THC clearance was obtained.

A database and map search of the THC maintained Historic Sites Atlas website was performed to identify listed Historic markers and sites listed in the National Register of Historic Places within the existing study area. Twenty-five known markers and eight NRHP sites were identified within 0.25 miles of the existing study area.

Based on the preliminary search a limited field survey was conducted to confirm the location of three sites listed on or adjoining to the project route. The El Campo Library is located at 201 West Monseratte in El Campo. The library is located over fifty feet from the project route.

El Campo Library Building, El Campo, Texas.

The Texas and New Orleans Railroad Bridge is an existing bridge on the project route, 0.25 miles west of old Highway 59 over the Colorado River in Wharton.

 

Texas and New Orleans Railroad Bridge, Wharton, Texas.

The Texas and New Orleans Railroad Depot was also identified in Wharton, Texas immediately adjacent to the project route.

Texas and New Orleans Railroad Depot, Wharton, Texas.

THC was contacted in order to determine the likely process for obtaining project clearance; of particular concern were proposed project activities and impacts to the Texas and New Orleans Railroad Bridge. The THC was informed that project activities would include rehabilitation and possible replacement of sections of the Texas and New Orleans Railroad Bridge. The THC accepted the proposed rehabilitation of the truss spans and reconstruction of the approach spans of the Colorado River Bridge. The appearance of the truss spans needed to remain consistent and the pipe piles of the approach spans needed to be painted black to appear as timber piles.

 

National Pollution Discharge Elimination System Permit – Texas Commission on Environmental Quality

The project required a National Pollution Discharge Elimination Systems (NPDES) Permit from the TCEQ. The selected project contractor obtained the NPDES permit and complete a site specific Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plan.

Based on the proposed project activities and associated impacts, it was determined that General Permit TXR 150000 was required for project activities. This permit required the completion and implementation of a Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP). A Notice of Intent (NOI) for TCEQ General Permit Number TXR 150000 was completed and submitted to the TCEQ with payment after the preparation of the SWPPP Plan.

Floodplain Development Permits – Local Municipal and County Floodplain Administrators

The project required floodplain development permits from the Fort Bend, Wharton, Jackson, and Victoria County governments as well as City of Wharton, El Campo, and Victoria.

H&H studies were required for floodplain development activities across the project. The project was permitted under permits with the each of the flood plain districts including all floodplain areas impacted.

Road Crossings

The road crossings were evaluated on the 85 mile route for reconstruction or closure by TranSystems and KCS. There were 173 road crossings on the rail line from Victoria to Rosenberg. Of the 173 there were 102 public road crossings and 71 private road crossings. There were 164 road crossings at-grade; of those, only thirty-two percent are paved. In addition to the at-grade crossings, there are four railroad overpass crossings and five railroad underpass crossings.

Eighteen of the public road crossings were closed or are still targeted to be closed in the future. Seventeen of the private crossings were closed or are still targeted to be closed. From historical data 133 of the road crossings existed in the Texas Department of Transportation system and 66 of the road crossings were equipped with crossbucks, six were equipped with mast signals, five were equipped with mast and cantilever signals, and four were equipped with gates.

The at-grade crossings were designed and constructed according to AREMA and AASHTO grade crossing criteria. The roadway horizontal and vertical alignments were designed and constructed according to TxDOT Road Design standards. The TxDOT district and local offices reviewed the grade crossing designs of the State routes including the roadway approach profile alignments. The County and City officials reviewed the road crossings in their jurisdictions. The grade crossing approaches were constructed with asphalt pavement and the grade crossing surface was either pre-cast concrete panels or asphalt with rubber flangeways. The grade crossings within City limits had crossing signals installed as well as all the State routes.

 

The contractor coordinated with the TxDOT, County, and Cities for road closures and detours for the grade crossing construction. Below is a Victoria to Rosenberg Road Crossing Summary:

164 Total Crossings Public Crossings – 102

• 16 State Routes • 9 Grade Separations • 59 County/City • 18 Closures/Targeted Closures • 53 Crossings to have Flasher & Gate Protection Installed

Private Crossings – 62 • 45 To Remain • 17 Closures/Targeted Closures

Track Construction

In Fall 2006, KCS started assembling a project team to reconstruct this line. The line had been largely inactive since 1986. The design criterion was developed. The newly constructed line would be in the existing right-of-way and would consist of concrete ties, 136 lb. rail, would largely follow the existing horizontal alignment. The design speed would be 59 MPH for most of the route, but 40 MPH through Wharton. The construction included road crossings, bridge repair and new bridge construction.

In 2007 the first phase of construction began with the picking up the existing tracks and salvaging the existing rail and OTM between MP 2.5 and 25.0. The contractor also disposed of the existing ties, cleared the right-of-way, and regraded the existing ballast section between MP 2.5 and 12.5. The contractor did this initial work under a $0 contract utilizing the profits of the salvaged steel material.

February 2008 construction on the rest of the line began. KCS contracted separately for the grading, bridge, and track contractors. Construction of the 85 mile line was completed in June 2009. The main construction activities included clearing, grading, subballast, bridges, track, grade crossings, and a shippers’ intermodal facility.

The track horizontal and vertical alignment was designed for a 59 MPH design speed. The design speed was lowered to 40 MPH through Wharton due to the horizontal curves and the Colorado River Bridge. The tracks were constructed with concrete ties, clip rail fastening system, and 136 lb CWR. Concrete ties were delivered to the site by truck. The concrete ties were fabricated by ROCLA. The ties were stockpiled onsite and then loaded onto rail cars for the TLM. The rail fastening system was the Safeloc III system. The concrete ties were cast with the fastening system in place. The rail was 136 lb rail that was from Pueblo and also from China. The rail from China was delivered by barge in 80-ft sticks and then welded at the KCS Shreveport Yard. Ballast was delivered by ballast trains averaging 50 cars in length. The ballast came from Cerro Colorado, Mexico and Hatton, Arkansas. Both rock quarries are accessible by the KCS system. The track was constructed by a Track Laying Machine (TLM). The TLM constructs an average of about one mile of track per day.

 

Track Material Delivery

The procurement and transportation of material was a significant task during construction. The project had its own KCS trainmaster assigned to handle the material and work trains. Material unload yard was setup in Victoria. The material was unloaded further north in sidings as they were constructed. The subballast and ballast was delivered to the site by unit trains from Mexico. The concrete girders were fabricated and shipped from Mexico and then transloaded to trucks to be delivered to specific locations. New rail was delivered by rail trains. Concrete ties were shipped by truck.

Below is a summary of the material shipments:

Shot Rock - 128,000 TN 22 Trains Cerro Colorado, Mexico

Sub-Ballast - 230,000 TN 53 Trains Cerro Colorado, Mexico & Hatton, AR

Ballast - 470,000 TN 127 Trains Hatton, AR & Cerro Colorado, MX

Rail 136# New - 940,000 LF

 

15 Trains Pueblo & Shreveport – China Rail

Concrete Ties - 223,080 Ties Trucked from ROCLA

Wood Ties - 60,700 Ties 3 Trains Shreveport

Concrete T-Girders – 434 Girders 30 Trains to Agua Dulce, TX then trucked Monterrey, Mexico

Property There were a number of railroad property encroachments along the Victoria to Rosenberg line especially south of Wharton where the existing tracks had been removed. A number of ranchers and farmers had fenced off the existing right-of-way or moved the fences to Highway 59 right-of-way line to include the railroad property within their own fences.

Other property encroachments including billboards, signs, parked vehicles, and stored agricultural equipment had to be addressed and relocated. At one location there was an operating natural gas well that had been drilled in the middle of the right-of-way.

 

 

 

Utilities

There were a number of utilities that needed protecting or relocated along the Victoria to Rosenberg line. Underground pipelines were checked to verify proper encasement. Overhead utilities needed to be checked to make sure they met the required vertical clearances. A number of overhead utilities like cable TV, phone, and electric lines had to be removed or raised. The existing fiber optic lines were typically at the outside edges of the right-of-way and did not interfere with construction. A number of the existing utilities that needed to be protected or relocated were at road crossings or in urban areas.

 

Project Schedule:

The following is a summary of the project schedule:

Fall 2004 to Fall 2006 Initial Project Walkthrough Preliminary Engineering January to June 2007 Rail pickup and track removal MP 2.5 to 26 Grading and Subballast MP 2.5 to 13.5 February 2008 to June 2009 Bridge Construction MP 2.5 to 87 Track Construction MP 2.5 to 87 Grading and Subballast MP 13.5 to 87

Project Costs

In 2004, KCS asked TranSystems to estimate the cost of the re-construction necessary to reopen the line from Victoria to Rosenberg, Texas. TranSystems completed a conceptual study that resulted in a construction estimate of $ 137.9 million to rehabilitate the line. This estimate was based on non-signaled track; 136 lb. new rail; three sidings and a 49 MPH speed limit. In addition, all structures were to be repaired if they had more than 10 years of life remaining and if they had less than 10 years of life they were to be replaced.

Between 2004 and 2006 TranSystems revised and refined the estimated cost to re-construct the line with a number of different scenarios. The scenarios included signaled vs. unsignaled track, 49 MPH design speed versus 59 MPH, repair the bridges versus rebuild the bridges, the number of sidings, and the steel prices were adjusted for the increased costs. The estimated cost varied from the original $ 137.9 million to $ 171.9 million.

Actual construction cost was between $145 and $150 million. This includes construction of an intermodal facility (Phase 1) near Kendleton, three sidings, and improvements to the connections to the UPRR main line tracks at Victoria and Rosenberg.

Summary

With the complete acquisition of the Tex-Mex in April 2005, the KCS took control of a vital link in KCS' NAFTA rail network, connecting the KCS and the KCSM. The reconstructed 85-mile Victoria and Rosenberg line is another link to that rail network, reducing the need to utilize approximately 152 miles of trackage rights. With the planned increase of NAFTA traffic, the revitalization of the Victoria to Rosenberg line will provide substantial cost savings to the KCS.

   

 

Acknowledgements  The Kansas City Southern Railway Company – Owner City of Rosenberg, Texas City of Kendleton, Texas City of Wharton, Texas City of El Campo, Texas City of Edna, Texas City of Victoria, Texas Fort Bend County, Texas Wharton County, Texas Jackson County, Texas Victoria County, Texas The Texas Department of Transportation TranSystems – Prime Consultant Design Nine, Inc. – Bridge Design Wildlife Technical Services – Environmental Services Kleinfelder – Geotechnical Services Aquaterra – Geotechnical Services Professional Services Industries, Inc. – material testing and testing support Terracon – material testing and testing support Gulf Coast Rail – track contractor Balfour Beatty – track contractor, grade crossing contractor Wilson Company – grade crossing coordination WT Byler – grading contractor Kanza Construction – grading contractor OCCI – bridge contractor Osmose – timber bridge contractor