Life Cycle Cost Analysis of an Underground Freight Transportation (UFT) System in Texas

Life cycle cost analysis is a critical step in feasibility study of infrastructure systems. Life cycle cost analysis of innovative infrastructure systems, such as underground freight transportation (UFT) systems is often challenging since there is not much historical cost information about these systems. Underground freight transportation (UFT) is a class of automated transportation systems in which vehicles carry freight through tunnels or pipelines between intermodal terminals. The objective of this paper is to estimate the capital and annual costs of a UFT system in Texas, designed to transport shipping containers from port of Houston to Dallas via a 25-ft diameter tunnel. The UFT system has major capital cost components including tunnel construction cost, linear induction motor cost, and vehicle cost. The annual cost components of the UFT system are maintenance cost, energy consumption cost, and administration cost. Historical tunneling costs were used to create a regression model to estimate costs of tunnels with various sizes. Quotes from the industry and RSMeans cost data were used to estimate costs of vehicles, propulsion system, UFT maintenance, energy consumption, and administration. The preliminary capital cost estimate for the UFT system is approximately $53 million per mile and the preliminary annual cost is approximately $150 million per year. These results inform transportation planners about estimated construction, maintenance, and operation costs of the UFT system. They also show how life cycle cost of an underground transportation system can be estimated using limited historical cost information.