Media Relations Contact:
Morgan Lyons
Mark A. Ball

January 28, 2010

Trinity Railway Express track project receiving $7 million in federal funds

Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) and the Trinity Railway Express (TRE) will receive nearly $7.2 million in federal funds to help complete the construction of a five-mile section of double-track rail line between West Irving and CentrePort/DFW Airport stations.

The funds are from the Federal Railroad Administration's 2009 appropriation for passenger rail service.

That section of the TRE corridor is currently single-tracked, which limits the number and frequency of trains. By adding the second track more trains, including Amtrak passenger trains, can operate in the corridor. Such a move potentially eases congestion on other North Texas rail corridors currently used by Amtrak.

The federal funds represent almost half of the budget for the $14.4 million project. DART is scheduled to issue invitations for bid in February and award a construction contract in late spring/early summer. Construction is scheduled to be complete in summer 2011.

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