TEXAS

Dallas Area Rapid Transit

Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) is the public transportation authority for Dallas and 12 surrounding cities delivering light rail, commuter rail (Trinity Railway Express, in partnership with the Fort Worth Transportation Authority), bus and paratransit services. Light-rail service was launched in 1996.

Route miles: 90
Rolling stock: LRVs, 163; average age, 12 years
Annual ridership: 29.5 million (FY2014)
Annual operating cost: $163 million (FY2015)
Annual capital cost: $142 million (FY2015)
Number of stations: 62

DART’s rail-related capital improvement projects include the 3-mile Blue Line light-rail extension from Ledbetter Station to the Dallas campus of University of North Texas. The extension is scheduled to open in calendar year 2016. The Dallas Streetcar extension is scheduled to open in summer 2016.

Denton County Transportation Authority

Formed in 2002 and funded in 2003, the Denton County Transportation Authority (DCTA), Denton County;s primary transit authority, has been focused on an aggressive service implementation strategy to address the mobility needs of Denton County residents.
Launched service: Commuter rail, 2011
Route miles: 21.3
Rolling stock: 11 rail cars; average age, 3 years. Type: GTW DMU, manufactured by Stadler
Annual commuter-rail ridership: 568,338
Annual operating cost: $12,402,812
Annual commuter-rail capital cost: $1,691,150
Number of stations: 5
Major rail-related capital improvement projects underway or scheduled to begin within the next year include Phase I of the Lewisville Hike and Bike Trail, which is underway. The prime contractor is Quality Excavation. The project consists of construction of approximately 3 miles of Hike and Bike Trail with a capital budget of approximately $3 million.

Also, DCTA is awaiting an award of the funding for the next mile of the Hike and Bike Trail at which time the project will be let. The engineer’s estimate for this section is approximately $1.2 million. The remaining 1.5-mile section of the trail is not yet funded, but DCTA continues to seek grant funds to complete the project.

Fort Worth Transportation Authority (The T)

The T provides public transportation for Tarrant County and Western half of the North Central Texas region, including Fort Worth, Richland Hills and Blue Mound with more than 10 million passengers (FY 2015) on bus, paratransit vans, rubber-tired trolleys, vanpools and the Trinity Railway Express, a commuter-rail in partnership with Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART).

The T soon will begin construction of TEX Rail, a commuter-rail service scheduled to begin revenue service in late 2018. The 27-mile commuter-rail service will extend from downtown Fort Worth, across northeast Tarrant County to Grapevine and into Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport. TEX Rail is projected to serve more than 10,000 daily riders by end of first year in service. The project has received Federal Transit Administration approval to enter engineering and is expected to receive a full funding agreement during the first quarter of 2016. In addition to new stations, the project will feature new tracks and passing sidings, as well as installation of a train control system that will include positive train control.

Once operational, TEX Rail will have 30-minute operating intervals in peak hours, with off-peak hours expected to begin with 60-minute intervals.

Quiet zones will be implemented at most of the grade crossings along the alignment. Contractors for the project include CH2M Hill, Stadler Bussnang, Archer Western-Herzog JV, Parsons-TranSystems and Huitt-Zollars.
Service launch: 2018 (anticipated)
Route miles per mode: 27.2 (commuter)
Rolling stock: eight DMUs ordered, with 2018 expected delivery. Manufacturer is Stadler Bussnang. Each DMU is capable of carrying 250 riders.
Annual ridership: 2,750,000 (projected in first year)
Annual operating cost: $10.5 million
Initial capital cost: $998 million
Number of stations: 10

Trinity Railway Express (TRE)

TRE is a commuter-rail line jointly owned by DART and The T. The 34-mile line links the downtowns of Dallas and Fort Worth.

Service launch: 1996
Route miles: 34
Rolling stock: 9 locomotives, average age 21 years; 17 rail cars, average age 21 years
Annual ridership: 2.3 million (FY 2014)
Annual operating cost: $25.4 million (FY 2015)
Initial capital cost: $12.8 million (FY 2015)
Number of stations: 10

Major projects include the TRE's Valley View project, which will add 1.4 miles of Class 4 double track and connect existing double tracks from West Irving Station to CentrePort Station. The project is in the design phase. Construction schedule is expected to begin in first-quarter 2016, with proposed completion in third-quarter 2017. The project will include a new bridge structure at Bear Creek, as well as a double track at grade crossing of Valley View Drive.

Part 1: Progressive Railroading's Passenger Rail at a Glance 2015: Preface

Part 2: Progressive Railroading's Passenger Rail at a Glance 2015: Amtrak and transit agencies in Arizona & California

Part 3: Progressive Railroading's Passenger Rail at a Glance 2015: Colorado, Florida and Georgia

Part 4: Progressive Railroading's Passenger Rail at a Glance 2015: Illinois and Missouri

Part 5: Progressive Railroading's Passenger Rail at a Glance 2015: New Jersey, New York, and Ohio

Part 6: Progressive Railroading's Passenger Rail at a Glance 2015: Oregon and Pennsylvania

Part 7: Progressive Railroading's Passenger Rail at a Glance 2015: Texas