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• Review and assess the 2013 Decatur Area Transportation Efficiency Study(DATES)RTC rail simulation <br /> model: determine whether the RTC network model built for that study—which includes NS,CN,and CSX <br /> operating data and simulates the Decatur area network—can be updated with current operating data as the <br /> baseline for this analysis,or whether a new baseline model must be built;document the approach in the <br /> technical proposal <br /> • Establish updated at-grade crossing baseline data for priority NS crossings in the Brush College Road <br /> corridor—focusing on the ADM East Plant crossing and any remaining at-grade crossings—using current <br /> FRA crossing inventory records,field observation,and NS operating data from STB discovery.Note: a grade <br /> separation has been constructed at Brush College Road and Faries Parkway since the 2013 DATES study;the <br /> analysis should document current conditions at the remaining crossings and assess whether the merger <br /> operating plan affects the adequacy of the completed grade separation or changes operating conditions <br /> beyond those it was designed to accommodate <br /> • Assess whether the merger's projected changes in NS flat yard and switching activity affect the second,not- <br /> yet-constructed segment of the Brush College Road corridor plan—an overpass proposed a few blocks south <br /> of Faries Parkway over an NS-owned rail yard,intended to replace a functionally obsolete underpass—and <br /> note any implications for that project's design assumptions,justification,or timing(per the City's Brush <br /> College Road/Faries Parkway grade separation grant application) <br /> • Analyze the merger operating plan as filed and as supplemented by the July 27,2026 UP/NS filing: document <br /> the projected approximately 161-car-per-day flat yard volume reduction,its operational basis,and its <br /> implications for yard staffing and local service <br /> • Evaluate locomotive shop scenarios:reconcile against the redesignated Employee Impact Exhibits <br /> (Appendices A and B to Applicants'Amended Application,filed July 27,2026),which report Decatur- <br /> specific position changes by craft and management category across the three operating scenarios Applicants <br /> filed; identify functions at risk of relocation or consolidation,trigger conditions,and the timeline implied by <br /> the merger operating plan <br /> • Model projected changes in train volumes, lengths,and routing on the Decatur–Kansas City corridor(ex- <br /> Wabash,approximately 404 miles)under the merger plan,with reference to at least one alternative routing or <br /> operating scenario from the STB application <br /> • Model crossing gate-down frequency and duration at priority Decatur crossings under projected merger traffic <br /> conditions,compared to current baseline—focus on crossings affecting emergency response corridors and <br /> major arterials <br /> • Identify switching,dispatching,or interlocking changes affecting local industry rail access and assess <br /> implications for shipper service reliability <br /> Note: The Decatur Area Transportation Efficiency Study(DUATS, December 2013)is available as <br /> background context on the local transportation network and may assist proposers in <br /> understanding crossing geography and freight patterns. It does not constitute current baseline <br /> data for STB purposes and should not be relied upon as a primary source. Proposers should <br /> identify what current data—including STB filed waybill data, FRA crossing inventory records, <br /> and NS operating timetables — they propose to use to establish the current baseline. <br /> Workstream 2 — Economic and Employment Impact Analysis <br /> Objective: Quantify the direct economic and employment consequences of the merger for city of <br /> Decatur, focused on the harms most directly traceable to the merger operating plan and suitable for <br /> inclusion in STB comments. <br /> • Quantify current NS railroad employment in Decatur by facility(flat yard,locomotive shop,other functions) <br /> and craft category;estimate total compensation and direct supplier spending in the local economy as an <br /> economic baseline <br /> 11 <br />