The purpose of the Cabinet’s Railroad Coordination Program is to negotiate coordination efforts with railroad companies directly affected by a Cabinet road construction project. When a road project adjoins or encompasses a railroad facility (such as a railroad track or railroad right of way), that facility owner becomes an active partner in the project’s development. The Cabinet is obligated to negotiate the terms of the project’s design as it impacts that owner and to compensate the owner for their involvement in the project as a whole.
The Cabinet’s railroad coordination process is designed to be as flexible as possible to allow railroad companies to utilize their own planning, design, inspection, and accounting procedures to the greatest extent. The terms of the project’s coordination are outlined in a term contract with the railroad owner, guaranteeing specific items required by statute, regulation, or legal opinion are present.
Proactive railroad coordination early in the project life cycle will minimize the amount of effort needed later in the project or during the construction of a project, and helps avoid costly and potentially time-consuming unexpected issues. The Utilities and Rail Branch’s railroad coordinator focuses on early and proactive communication, encouraging avoidance of rail facilities, but, most often, avoidance is not feasible. For these situations, the staff will work to provide the design team information and feedback from the railroad.
The process emphasizes communication among all those whose work impacts the railroad coordination in transportation projects including communication between the Utilities and Rail Branch and the railroad owner to accurately identify and resolve issues. The railroad coordinator provides information about future transportation projects to the railroad companies as part of their long-term and short-term planning.
