Economic Benefits of Freight Rail Investment on the Gulf Coast (Texas)

The analysis assessed the potential cost savings to businesses based on projects described as Planning Cases 1 and 2 of the Houston Rail Freight Study (HRFS). The study related improvements in delay ratios and other operating performance measures of the rail system – including proposed improvements identified as part of the regional rail plan – to the estimated economic benefits associated with proposed investments. The assessment also compared the potential benefits of improved reliability with benefits attributable to traditional benefit-cost assessments (e.g., travel time savings, safety and environmental/emissions improvements) and focused on quantifying the benefits of rail system infrastructure that improved the cost competitiveness of major rail-reliant industries in the greater Houston region. TREDIS was used to assess the regional economic impacts of proposed improvements on rail-reliant businesses in the region and for the benefit-cost assessment. Lodestar Logistics Corporation, a Houston-based logistics firm, assisted EDR Group in interviewing and assessing rail logistics for the Houston region.

To see a copy of this report and related Gulf Coast Rail District studies, click here. The EDR Group study, "Economic Benefits of Rail Systems Improvements: for Shippers in the Houston-Galveston Region", is listed under Studies/Plans/Documents.