TEX Rail
| TEX Rail | |
|---|---|
| Overview | |
| Other name(s) | Tarrant Express Railway |
| Type | Commuter rail |
| System | Fort Worth Transportation Authority |
| Status | under construction |
| Locale | Tarrant County Texas, USA |
| Termini |
DFW Airport Station T&P Station |
| Website | TEX Rail |
| Operation | |
| Owner | The T |
| Technical | |
| Track gauge | 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge |
TEX Rail (also known as the Tarrant Express Railway, formerly known as the Southwest-to-Northeast Rail Corridor) is an under-construction commuter rail line in Tarrant County, Texas, United States that will provide service from southwest Fort Worth to DFW International Airport via Grapevine and other Tarrant County communities. It is being constructed by the Fort Worth Transportation Authority ("The T") and is scheduled to open in 2018. The new line is expected to cost $330 million, of which 10 percent would be Grapevine's share. This segment of the Cotton Belt Rail Line will be operated independent of the other two segments, as it is being built by the T, instead of DART, who will be building the other segments.
Officials with the T are hoping the new rail line will entice non-T member cities along the line to join the transit agency in its quest to become a regional transit entity. Cities along the route include Colleyville, Haltom City and North Richland Hills. The route also goes through small parts of Hurst and Southlake. Unlike Grapevine, those cities do not have room under the state-mandated 8.25% sales tax cap for the 1/2 cent need to join. The T will not build a station along the line in those cities unless they become a member city first.
Opening Day stations (to open in 2018):
The T plans to provide TEX Rail service using self-propelled Diesel Multiple Units capable of carrying up to 450 passengers. The T's request for proposal, issued on May 16, 2014, seeks procurement of DMUs which feature level boarding, onboard toilets, and Wi-Fi connectivity, and are capable of operating at speeds up to 79 mph. The T awarded a contract for the procurement of an initial 8 DMUs, with an option for up to 24 additional DMUs, in November 2014. In April 2015, Stadler Rail was awarded the aforementioned contract for eight 4-car articulated FLIRT3 DMUs, signed at a ceremony on June 9, 2015 at the Fort Worth Intermodal Transportation Center (ITC) by the Chairman of the T (Mr. Scott Mahaffey), the CEO of the T (Mr. Paul Ballard) and the CEO of Stadler Rail (Mr. Peter Spuhler). The contract is valued at $US 106.7m, and includes the supply of components for 10 years. The contract also includes an option for an additional 24 DMU's.
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