HART breaks ground on Honolulu stations, marks arrival of rail cars

The Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation (HART) last week broke ground on the West Oahu Station Group for its 20-mile passenger-rail project.

The ceremony took place at the future site of the University of Hawaii West Oahu Station in Kapolei. State and city officials attended the event, HART officials said in an emailed newsletter.

The station group includes stops at the University of Hawaii station, East Kapolei and Hoopili. 

Nan Inc. is the contractor for the West Oahu Stations, which are slated for completion in 2018.

Meanwhile, HART's first four rail cars arrived in Hawaii and have been transported to the agency's rail operations center in Waipahu. An initial pair of cars was delivered March 24, with a second set arriving last week.

The cars were trucked from the Hitachi Rail factory in Pittsburg, Calif., and then shipped to the island of Oahu.