The paralleling of existing rail lines in excess right-of-way (R/W) and/or the re-use of corridors first used by railroad companies has long been a method for acquiring linear corridors for other transportation uses. The practice of re-using rail alignments is a logical one given that railroads steered development patterns in the United States prior to the highway era and the corridors that served the railroads also effectively serve existing population centers. The long period of railroad consolidation since the end of World War II resulted in the abandonment and loss of many rail corridors that would now have been extremely valuable for transportation development. Preserving former rail corridors is beneficial to transportation planners at the local and state level, as they can be employed for new transportation uses or multiuse recreational trails. This paper discusses the findings of a multifaceted research project that examined issues associated with acquisition, preservation, and re-use of abandoned rail corridors in Texas. The paper summarizes the legal and policy review that analyzed Texas, Federal, and other state abandonment policies to determine what, if any, changes would be necessary for the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) to take advantage of future opportunities to acquire and preserve these corridors. The paper also reviews results that identified and documented past Texas rail abandonments and identification of potential uses for existing/prospective abandoned corridors. The paper concludes with an overview of the findings of this study which noted that as the state’s population continues to grow, preserving all potential transportation corridors for rail or alternative uses will grow in importance.

A smoothly functioning freight transportation network is part of the nation’s critical infrastructure and is essential to the operation of the U.S. economy. Rail is a significant component of this infrastructure. There are serious threats to American’s freight rail system caused in large part by intrusion of incompatible land uses, especially in America’s burgeoning megapolitans. Population growth, rising incomes, and other aspects of economic growth have all led to increased competition for the land resources around the freight rail network. Incompatible land uses around freight rail corridors and facilities often results in conflicts between those uses and barriers to efficient freight transportation. This paper discusses the research results from Transportation Research Board (TRB) Project NCFRP 24 that developed a website, www.EnvisionFreight.com, and a report outlining tools and strategies for better planning and design of residential and other structures in proximity to freight corridors and facilities. The paper initially discusses the benefits and importance of an integrated multimodal freight system, and the value of a smoothly functioning freight transportation network. This includes discussion of the freight rail network’s part in the nation’s critical freight transportation infrastructure. The paper then reviews the conflicts and barriers that often occur between incompatible land uses and freight rail assets. Case studies that were conducted during the research are also utilized to show current practices in planning for freight. Finally the paper discusses strategies for preserving and evolving the network of freight rail corridors and access points, which requires foreseeing future areas of conflict and acting proactively in an economically rational manner. Our research found four areas of tools and preservation and protection strategies to minimize and resolve conflicts between freight and other land uses: long-range planning, zoning and design, mitigation, and education and outreach. The research found that tremendous potential exists to significantly affect decision making that impacts freight. With the likely emergence of freight mega-regions that do not respect state or even national boundaries, a new planning dialogue is required to prepare for the next generation freight system to support these regions. Planning decisions that will be made over the next decade will be critical to our future transportation system efficiencies and regional competitiveness. Local and regional freight planning in this context will require highly skilled freight transportation planners, new planning strategies and tools, community support, longer-term regional visioning, and legislative authority.