RLBA was engaged by a major Canadian railway to perform an analysis of the principal issues of track sharing that have arisen in recent years between the freight operators and commuter rail service, including Amtrak. Freight railways are beginning to consider whether private-public partnerships in support of improved or additional rail infrastructure might be a preferred approach to redress modal imbalance between road and rail.

Of particular interest in this analysis is how the issues have been resolved in the recent past by freight railway companies and passenger operators. What has been the degree of success from the point of view of the freight railways? Where have freight railways been significantly harmed? What are the financial arrangements and to what extent is there relative satisfaction with the arrangements between the parties?

The analysis included discussion of the legislative and policy framework, passenger rail subsidies, government investment in rail infrastructure, regulation of surplus rail infrastructure disposition, fees paid by passenger operators for access to freight rail lines, responsibility for capacity enhancements occasioned by the addition of passenger rail service, contractual arrangements, safety and liability, and competition among passenger operators. RLBA examined various models which have been used to provide passenger rail services and recommended a “best practice” model.