State Rail Plan
The Vermont Agency of Transportation is updating the State Rail Plan and also the State Freight Plan. These updates are coordinated given the importance to Vermont of freight moved by rail.
It is important to maintain a current, well-thought-through rail plan to
- Support and enhance Vermont’s economy and quality of life
- Provide rail transportation options for intercity and interstate travel
- Meet Federal requirements and remain eligible for certain grant programs
- Support goals such as in the Vermont Long-Range Transportation Plan and Comprehensive Energy Plan.
The Vermont Rail Advisory Council (VRAC) will serve as the sounding board for the update of the Rail Plan. In addition, everyone is invited to participate, and planned events include online options.
Newsletters and Outreach Material
- Interactive web map with useful rail planning contents
- Final Rail Presentation to Vermont Rail Advisory Council (03/25/2021)
- Handout on Initiatives, Analysis, and Recommendations (02/02/2021)
- Video of Town Hall #2 - Held December 17, 2020 (1 hour 16 mins)
- Town Hall #2 Slide Deck (12/16/2020)
- Freight Plan Advisory Committee (FPAC) Meeting #1 - presentation
- Video of Town Hall #1 - Held October 06, 2020 (63mins)
- Town Hall #1 Slide Deck
- Video of Presentation #1 (Extended Version) – Introduction, summary of data trends, how the update process will work, web map, and next steps (31 minutes)
- Presentation #1 Slide Deck (Extended Version)
- Newsletter #3 (Winter 2020)
- Newsletter #2 (Fall 2020)
- Newsletter #1 (Spring 2020)
Technical Memos, Reports, & Resources
- Draft Rail Plan Executive Summary - Final Draft (03/24/2021)
- Draft Rail Plan - Final Draft (03/24/2021)
- Tech Memo #6: Stakeholder Outreach (03/11/2021)
- Tech Memo #5: Prioritization and Investment Program - Draft (03/23/2021)
- Tech Memo #4: Passenger Rail Ridership Forecast
- Tech Memo #3: Vision, Goals, Needs, and Potential Initiatives - Update Draft (03/23/2021)
- Draft Rail Initiative Analysis Workbook (01/07/2021) - changes accepted
- Tech Memo #2: Commodity Flow and Economic Futures
- Vermont Freight Data Trends for FPAC
- Tech Memo #1: Existing Conditions
- Data Trends Summary and Discussion Questions
- 2015 Vermont State Rail Plan
- Federal Guidance for State Rail Plans
Contact
VTrans Planning Coordinator Zoe Neaderland: Zoe.Neaderland@vermont.gov or (802) 793-2778.
Sample of Previous Reports
2015 Vermont State Rail Plan (previous rail plan)
2014 NY - VT Bi-State Intercity Passenger Rail Study that included a service design for intercity passenger rail service linking Rutland VT, Manchester VT, North Bennington VT, and Mechanicville NY to Albany NY and New York NY utilizing rail lines from Vermont Railway, Pan Am, and CSX: Service Development Plan; Preliminary Engineering; Final Environmental Assessment.
2000 and on, Boston/Montreal High-Speed Rail (BMHSR) Corridor studies were launched after Massachusetts, Vermont, and New Hampshire successfully applied to Federal Rail Administration for one of two potential new National corridors: It has since expanded to become the Northern New England Intercity Rail Initiative (NNEIRI). NNEIRI is a conceptual planning study to examine adding more frequent and higher speed rail service on two rail corridors, the Inland Route (Boston-Springfield-NYC) and the Boston-to-Montreal Route: 2003 Phase 1 BMHSR Planning and Feasibility Study; 2016 NNEIRI Summary.
