Riders on a proposed commuter rail line stretching from southwest Fort Worth to DFW Airport could enjoy sleek, modern rail cars in 2016, but only if the Fort Worth Transportation Authority gets a lot of help from its neighbors.
On Thursday, the authority commonly known as the "T," will ask member cities of the Regional Transportation Council to pay up to $100 million to buy as many as nine sets of the cars even though details of a final plan are still being worked out.That cash commitment could also help lure a rail manufacturer to the region, providing jobs and boosting the economy, officials believe. The request is scheduled to be discussed today by the Fort Worth City Council.The T plans to repay the money, and is applying for federal funds to pay for up to half of the estimated $960 million needed for the project. But the agency needs to order the cars now to ensure they'd be ready in time for the TEX Rail/Cotton Belt line's launch three years from now."If these vehicles are going to be here by the 2016 time frame, they need to be procured," said Michael Morris, transportation director for the North Central Texas Council of Government. "I think the RTC is willing to take a risk, and we will somehow get the project across the goal line."The Cotton Belt Rail Line is a planned 62-mile commuter rail route connecting Dallas, Tarrant, and Collin counties. Dallas Area Rapid Transit is responsible for building part of the line, with the Fort Worth T in charge of the 37-mile Tarrant County portion.The RTC is the region's official planning body, and it's made up of 43 members from cities and counties across the Metroplex. Its members decide how to spend transportation funds from a variety of sources, including state and federal dollars and regional toll revenue.Each set of rail cars would consist of two self-propelled vehicles, known as diesel multiple units that would be attached back-to-back and run on diesel fuel -- at far more efficiency than traditional freight locomotives.The rail cars can be operated at either end, making it unnecessary for the operator to turn the train around at the end of the line.Luring a manufacturerThe RTC is trying to speed up construction of the commuter rail line and also extend it an additional 25 miles to Plano or Wylie, and is trying to accomplish that by bringing in an outside developer, which could be revealed at its meeting Thursday.Regional planners are trying to lure a rail car manufacturer to the area because they believe such a facility would not only make it easier to supply the region's growing transit system, but also would become a major employer. It could supply various agencies in Texas and other states with commuter rail cars, as well as modern streetcars like those being used increasingly in Dallas.Until now, most commuter rail cars that would fit the type of system envisioned in the TEX Rail/Cotton Belt plan were bought overseas.But if a manufacturer were lured to North Texas, trains could be built with a "made-in-the-USA" label, which would make them more desirable for transit agencies seeking to buy cars with federal funds that require the use of American products when possible."I think it could be a major deal changer, not only enhancing the vehicles [running on the rail line] but leading to the attraction of a rail manufacturer," Morris said last week.State's expanding roleAt Thursday's meeting, the growing role of the Texas Department of Transportation in building a bigger transit system in Dallas-Fort Worth will also be discussed. The agency is being asked to kick in additional money for the TEX Rail/Cotton Belt project, Texas Transportation Commission member William "Bill" Meadows of Fort Worth said."The Texas Department of Transportation is a transportation agency. We're not just the highway department anymore," Meadows said. "We certainly recognize the impact of commuter rail to this region. We have been in conversations with local leaders about additional financial participation in the project."Pending local action Thursday, T officials plan to contact the Federal Transit Administration to ensure that buying the rail cars ahead of time doesn't jeopardize the T's application for approximately $480 million in federal new-starts funding to get the commuter rail line up and running, T president Dick Ruddell said."If we do it without federal funding, then yes, we believe we can purchase them," Ruddell said. "Still, we wouldn't want to do it without involving the Federal Transit Administration."The type of rail cars the T has in mind for the TEX Rail/Cotton Belt project are similar to those built by Switzerland-based Stadler Rail, which provided the rolling stock for the A-train in Denton County as well as a new commuter line in the Austin area.The A-train cars have a multicolor paint job, panoramic window views, and plush seats and enhanced air conditioning. The cars also are engineered to disperse energy in a crash to minimize injuries to passengers and crew.New technologyThe RTC, which had previously penciled in a $90 million contribution to the rail project, also is expected to contribute funding for what's known as a "positive train control" system for the proposed TEX Rail/Cotton Belt line, as well as for the existing Trinity Railway Express line connecting downtown Fort Worth to Dallas.Positive train control makes it possible to intervene remotely when two trains are headed toward a collision. By Dec. 31, 2015, such systems will be required by federal law for all passenger and freight systems.Details of the RTC's contribution haven't been disclosed, but in previous interviews Morris has said a positive train control system for passenger rail likely would cost the North Texas region $50 million.Gordon Dickson, 817-390-7796Twitter: @gdicksonHave more to add? News tip? Tell us
