Texas Rail

Texas Transportation Commission authorizes funding for Amtrak Heartland Flyer route

Published on 2009-08-29 11:00:00

From Texas Transportation Commission Minutes, August 27, 2009Cooke, Denton, and Tarrant Counties – Authorize an agreement with the National Railroad Passenger Corporation relating to the provision of passenger rail service on the Amtrak Heartland Flyer route and the department’s financial support for the operation of the service (MO) The Heartland Flyer provides daily passenger rail service over the BNSF Railway line between Fort Worth and Oklahoma City. The route has been in service since 1

Texas Requests About $1.8 Billion for High Speed Passenger Rail

Published on 2009-08-29 09:49:00

By TxDOT - August 29, 2009AUSTIN - Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) officials have submitted nine applications to the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) under tracks one, three and four of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Acts (ARRA) High-Speed Intercity Passenger Rail (HSIPR) program. Applications for track two funding are due October 2."An integrated, multimodal transportation system is key to efficiently moving people and goods throughout the state," said Phillip Russell, T

Eddie Bernice Johnson and Chet Edwards seek billions for rails and roads

Published on 2009-06-15 22:35:00

By Associated Press - Sunday, June 14, 2009DALLAS -- Some North Texas lawmakers are lining up huge transportation money requests as a congressional committee readies a highway bill.The Dallas Morning News reported Saturday that U.S. Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson, the highest-ranking Texan on the House Transportation Committee, was asking for nearly $2.5 billion for 25 projects. Eighty percent of the Dallas Democrat's request would be for a dozen transit and rail projects. The remainder is for road

North Texas cities must wait for rail

Published on 2009-06-02 13:40:00

By GORDON DICKSON - Fort Worth Star Telegram - June 1, 2009Cities hoping for help from the state in paying for commuter rail service must now reassess plans after Texas lawmakers killed a proposed law that would have allowed local-option elections to raise taxes and fees for transit.The Fort Worth Transportation Authority, also known as the T, has a service area that only includes about half of Tarrant County’s 1.8 million residents. Cities such as Arlington, North Richland Hills and Burleso

Railroads seek stimulus funds to ease congestionn: Tower 55 in Fort Worth included

Published on 2009-05-17 19:04:00

By Gordon Dickson - Fort Worth Star-Telegram - Friday, May 15, 2009 FORT WORTH, Texas — Two of the nation's largest railroads are seeking $70 million in federal stimulus money to lay tracks at the notoriously congested Tower 55 rail intersection near downtown Fort Worth.Construction of a third north-south rail line at Tower 55 would reduce diesel emissions, speed traffic flow on area roads and improve safety at railroad crossings.Officials from Fort Worth-based BNSF and Union Pacific, based in

Transportation bill clears first hurdle; opposition still lurks

Published on 2009-03-26 10:06:00

By DAVE MONTGOMERY - Fort Worth Star Telegram - March 25, 2009AUSTIN — Legislation aimed at funding billions of dollars in road and rail improvements in North Texas cleared its first hurdle in the Legislature on Wednesday, winning approval from a key Senate committee.The 7-2 vote by the Transportation and Homeland Security Committee sends the bill to the Senate floor for a vote as early as next week."We’ll pass it," Sen. John Carona, R-Dallas, the committee chairman and sponsor of SB 855, sa

An Inventory of Records at the Texas State Archives, 1970-1995 (bulk 1990-1994)

Published on 2009-03-22 17:14:00

Records of the Texas High Speed Rail Corporation in the Archives of Texas

MegaRail High Speed Rail alternative to Trans Texas Corridor

Published on 2009-03-22 16:59:00

Content from MegaRail Corporate websiteNote: Claims have not been verified by DFWRCC or Texas Rail editors120-mph Non-stop Passenger, Automobile & Cargo Service in Single System over Existent Highway Rights of WayLow-cost alternate to costly projects such as Texas Corridor Plan * High-speed, inter-city MegaRail can carry most inter-city passenger, cargo and automobile traffic on a single pair of small, low-cost guideways installed over interstate highway rights of way. * Avoids the very hi

Landowners question high-speed rail

Published on 2009-03-22 16:43:00

By Peggy Fikac - San Antonio Express-News - 2/08/2009AUSTIN — For travelers, a 200-mph train connecting San Antonio, Houston and Dallas-Fort Worth may sound like a dream. But for some landowners along the proposed Texas T-Bone high-speed rail route, it's a question mark that they fear could easily turn into a nightmare.“From a rural, agricultural standpoint, we're very concerned. It just seems like every time we turn around, someone's got us in their cross hairs,” said Central Texas farm

High speed rail plan put to sniff test

Published on 2008-07-07 22:00:00

By Paul A. Romer - The Temple-Telegram Staff Writer - July 6, 2008 BELTON - The best way to describe a meeting between high speed rail proponents and Bell County commissioners last week may be to compare them to two dogs that approach each other, sniff around for a while and then choose to go in different directions. Officials from both organizations used careful language after the Monday meeting to describe exactly what occurred but their words were measured, possibly to preserve political re

CONGRESSWOMAN SHEILA JACKSON LEE HOLDS HEARING TO STRENGTHEN RAIL SECURITY

Published on 2008-06-26 11:11:00

Jackson Lee Holds Hearing In New York City, Examining Rail Systems To Enhance Rail Security Nationwide By Office of Congresswoman Shelia Jackson Lee - April 25, 2008Brooklyn, New York- Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, Chair of the House Homeland Security Subcommittee on Transportation Security and Infrastructure Protection, released the following statement at a hearing, at the Brooklyn Public Library, Grand Army Plaza Branch, in New York City entitled “Protecting the Mass Transit Critical In

DART sees 5 percent rise in train passengers

Published on 2008-06-25 17:04:00

By JUSTIN FARMER - WFAA-TV - Wed., June 25, 2008DALLAS - The rising price of gasoline has more people in the Dallas area relying on mass transit. That pleases DART but also offers challenges as it tailors routes to riders' needs. North Texans love their trucks and SUVs but maybe with gas at $4 a gallon, habits are changing. The number of passengers on DART trains was up 5 percent last month. The number of passengers on the TRE which runs between Dallas and Fort Worth was up 7 percent. May repres

Suburban rail network causes friction

Published on 2008-04-25 12:04:00

By MICHAEL A. LINDENBERGER - The Dallas Morning News - Friday, April 11, 2008Elected officials and business leaders appeared no closer to a consensus Thursday over how to find at least $400 million it would take annually to pay for a huge suburban rail network. A push to get the Legislature to permit cities to increase sales taxes by up to a penny to pay for the 239-mile rail network has failed in the past two sessions, but supporters insist the plan is more necessary than ever. Many of its key

European rail logistics firm buys Texas Railcar Leasing Co. (TRLX)

Published on 2008-01-19 22:59:00

ProgressiveRailroading.com news Updates from Texas Railcar Leasing, Alstom, TÜVRheinland, David J. Joseph Co. and Brookville EquipmentRail industry suppliers and service providers continue to be active in the United States and abroad:• European rail logistics firm VTG Aktiengesellschaft has acquired Texas Railcar Leasing Co. (TRLX), which leases rail cars to railroads and shippers in the United States, Mexico and Canada. Investment bank Citi Capital Strategies served as financial advisor to

Transit authority to spend $51,000 to repair faulty signs

Published on 2008-01-18 17:06:00

By GORDON DICKSON - Star-Telegram Staff Writer - Jan. 18, 2008At every train station in Tarrant County, electronic message boards hang from the platform ceilings. The signs are supposed to project helpful messages to Trinity Railway Express riders, such as "The next eastbound TRE will depart in 11 minutes."But the signs have been dark for most of the past year because of mechanical problems, Fort Worth Transportation Authority finance officer Rob Harmon said.On Thursday, the T board agreed to sp

ACTION ALERT: Tx House Committee on Transportation Public Hearing on role of MPO and Rural Planning Authorities within COGs

Published on 2008-01-18 16:27:00

Texas House of Represenatives Meeting Notice - Jan. 18, 2008TEXAS HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING COMMITTEE: Transportation SUBCOMMITTEE: Planning Authorities TIME & DATE: 10:00 AM, Wednesday, February 06, 2008 PLACE: E2.012 CHAIR: Rep. Fred Hill The Subcommittee will meet to consider the following: Charge #5: Examine the role of metropolitan planning authorities in state law, as well as the creation of rural planning authorities to address the planning needs outside of metropo

ACTION ALERT: Comments for Sunset Review of TxDOT due by Jan. 7, 2008

Published on 2007-12-06 18:51:00

December 5, 2007 Dear Recipient: The Sunset Advisory Commission would like your help in reviewing and improving the State’s transportation system. The Legislature, through the Texas Sunset Act, has charged our Commission with reviewing the mission and performance of the Texas Department of Transportation. In general, the Sunset Commission periodically evaluates state agencies to determine if the agency is needed, if it is operating effectively, and if state funds are well spent. Based on the r

Easing Fort Worth's Rail Jam

Published on 2007-11-23 12:09:00

By 5hd NBC5i.com, November 14, 2007FORT WORTH, Texas -- Tower 55, the busiest at-grade railroad intersection in the United States, is the subject of an environmental assessment that could find ways to improve air quality, safety, and movement at the congested spot. Named for a two-story wooden railroad building on the edge of downtown Fort Worth, the Tower 55 intersection is typically backed up with idling locomotives that sit there emitting clouds of diesel exhaust into the air.The North Centra

Metro Rail of Austin receives two rail cars

Published on 2007-11-03 21:49:00

By Ed Sterling - Wilson County News - Oct. 31, 2007Swiss trainsAustin’s Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority accepted delivery of two rail cars shipped in pieces from Switzerland. Four more cars are on order.“MetroRail” is scheduled to begin in about a year, carrying passengers from Leander, north of Austin, to downtown Austin, with a few stops in between. What’s more, Austin Mayor Will Wynn is proposing a separate project — a light rail line — to connect Austin Bergstrom ai

Stop FTA's Plan to Raid Federal Transit Funding for Roads!

Published on 2007-10-26 00:02:00

Commentary by The Overhead Wire • September 2007The following commentary has been adapted from entries originally posted to The Overhead Wire Weblog on 10 September 2007 and the Daily Kos on 11 September 2007. The US Federal Transit Administration (FTA) has issued an extremely ominous and potentially retrogressive Notice of Proposed Rule-Making (NPRM) for the New and Small Starts programs. These programs provide the basic new-starts funding for major fixed-guideway capital projects such as lig

Capital Metro Rails Rails first commuter rail cars arrive

Published on 2007-10-25 23:37:00

First commuter rail cars arriveBy News 8 Austin Staff - Oct. 23, 2007Two of the six rail cars that will make up the commuter rail service Capital MetroRail arrived Monday evening from Switzerland. By fall 2008, the commuter rail line will run from Leander to downtown Austin, making nine stops along the way.The 50-minute, 32-mile ride will stop at Plaza Saltillo in East Austin, MLK Boulevard, Highland Mall, North Lamar, Burnet Road at Braker Lane, Howard Lane and then Lakeline Boulevard before hi

Proposed Austin Bergstrom Light Rail plan resurrected

Published on 2007-10-25 23:30:00

Wynn to resurrect light railAUSTIN News 8 Austin Staff - 10/25/2007 Austin Mayor Will Wynn is calling for a November 2008 election to build a Central Austin passenger rail system.The announcement happened at the Mayor's annual State of Downtown luncheon on Thursday. "Every peer city that's worth their salt has passenger rail service," he said.The proposed rail line would connect Austin Bergstrom International Airport, downtown and the University of Texas, along with the Triangle and Mueller deve

Local transit officials optimistic they can win federal funds, put project on fast track

Published on 2007-10-25 22:29:00

By GORDON DICKSON - Star-Telegram Staff Writer - Officials with the Fort Worth Transportation Authority are counting on Washington to pay nearly half the proposed $390 million needed to extend a commuter rail line from southwest Fort Worth to Northeast Tarrant County.But securing federal money for such projects is so arduous, some transit agencies don't even bother applying for it.Congress sets aside an average of about $1.7 billion a year for so-called new starts, an industry term for new rail

Texas Rail Advocates board meeting scheduled in Dallas Nov. 12th

Published on 2007-10-25 15:27:00

By Texas Rail Advocates - Oct. 2007The next TRA Board Meeting will be held on Monday, November 12th, a Lincoln Center #1 (by the Hilton), 5400 LBJ Frwy, Suite 1300, Dallas, TX 75240 (if you get lost, phone Taylor Sharpe's cell phone at 214-522-5525). Friends and members are welcome to attend. Call Paul Mangelsdorf for more information at (214) 823-4963. The last meeting was held Oct. 1st. Minutes are available for the Sept. 17th meeting.2008 Corridor Conference to be held February 1st The 2008 S

Passenger rail privatization: A lesson from Japan

Published on 2007-10-20 12:27:00

By Robert A. Letteney - TheHill.com - April 07, 2005The Hill is a congressional newspaper that publishes daily when Congress is in session, with a special focus on business and lobbying, political campaigns ... Even though passenger rail is supported by national governments in the rest of the world, the Bush administration has recently proposed shutting down U.S. intercity passenger rail service by zeroing out funding for Amtrak in fiscal year 2006.The Bush budget proposal comes during a fierce