Herzog Transit Services, Inc. (HTSI) began passenger rail operations last week on the newest commuter rail addition within the Dallas/Ft. Worth metropolitan area. TEXRail now offers riders a trip from downtown Ft. Worth to DFW Airport in less than an hour.
Under construction by the Archer Western Herzog (AWH) CM/GC joint venture since 2016, the 27-mile TEXRail commuter rail line opened to the public on Thursday, January 10th after months of pre-revenue service testing. The new corridor provides a critical link for commuters across North Texas seeking an alternative to the city’s congested roadways. Riders can enjoy their commute for free until the end of January when ticketed pricing goes into effect.
AWH Deputy Project Manager Craig Ebersold of Herzog Contracting Corp. (HCC) has anticipated the opening of the line for some time. “I am proud to have been a part of this project. Our partnership with Trinity Metro helped us to successfully meet the project goal of running the inaugural train on New Year’s Eve.”
The TEXRail line includes nine stations, two of which offer transfers to the Trinity Railway Express (TRE), also operated by HTSI. The station at the DFW Airport will also serve as a future connection to the DART Cotton Belt, a design-build rail construction project newly awarded to the same AWH joint venture, that will extend service to Plano, TX by 2022.
As construction work reduces to a final punch list of items, HCC passes the baton to its sister companies, HTSI and Herzog Technologies Inc. (HTI). HTSI was awarded a contract for passenger rail operations and rail transit maintenance for the line in 2017. HTI is providing ongoing PTC Hosting to support safe train movements within the corridor.
“We look forward to providing safe, efficient and on-time passenger rail service to the patrons of TEXRail for many years to come,” said Doug Bourne of HTSI and General Manager for the TEXRail service. “Sincere congratulations to Trinity Metro, FRA, FTA, AWH, and all the organizations and individuals who worked diligently to bring the TEXRail service to the citizens of the Dallas/Ft. Worth region.”