FTA gives green light to TEX Rail's engineering phase

The Fort Worth Transportation Authority (The T) received approval from the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) to advance the proposed TEX Rail commuter line into the engineering phase, the Texas agency announced yesterday.

Entering the engineering phase immediately precedes the start of construction, The T officials noted in a press release. Reaching the phase also means The T can place an order for the manufacture of rail vehicles. The units will need to be completed, delivered and tested prior to TEX Rail's official opening in 2018.

As proposed, TEX Rail will operate along a 27-mile corridor, with 10 stations from downtown Fort Worth through Tarrant County and into the Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, The T officials said.

The T Chairman Scott Mahaffey expressed appreciation for the Fort Worth FTA Region VI, as well as other design teams and stakeholders who helped with the project.

"It was all of these entities working together that resulted in TEX Rail accomplishing this timely goal," Mahaffey said.