Abstract Manager

The transportation of goods by rail is vital to Canada’s competitiveness and standard of living. Freight rail can also offer benefits in terms of greenhouse gas emissions, air pollution and safety. Accordingly, governments across Canada are interested in facilitating greater movement of goods by rail. A better understanding of the value of freight rail travel time improvements can help make the case for infrastructure investments, such as supporting removing at-grade crossings or capacity improvements. It can also be used to help consider trade-offs with policy decisions (e.g., rail relocation studies, the introduction of passenger rail, etc.). Despite the importance of existing freight rail corridors and the potential for trade-offs, there are few published methodologies in Canada for valuing freight rail travel time improvements or declines. Such valuation methodologies are an essential component of carrying out cost-benefit analysis. The objective of this presentation is to summarize potential methodologies to value freight rail travel time improvements/declines, including impacts to shippers. We will summarize the results of a literature review of methodologies used to value freight travel time improvements/declines, predominantly in North America. We will also summarize potential methodologies employed by CPCS used to value freight rail travel time improvements/declines based on data availability, as well as present possible values for travel time improvements that could be used in cost-benefit analysis.