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91 The A-train corridor follows the east side of Interstate 35 East and connects downtown Denton to Carrollton in Dallas County. The A-train serves fi ve stations (two in Denton and three in the greater Highland VillageâLewisville area) and a transfer station at the Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) Trinity Mills Station in Carrollton, where passengers can connect with the DART Green Line (light rail). DCTAâs fi ve rail stations are served by fi xed-route bus service. DCTA owns a fl eet of 11 Stadler GTW 2-6 diesel multiple units (DMUs). DCTA selected the DMU over traditional commuter rail equipment to off er more effi cient operations and smoother travel for customers. The DMU vehicles provide level (low-fl oor) boarding. The Dallas, Garland, and Northeastern Railroad moves freight on the A-train tracks, primarily for three local businesses (a metal processor, a lumber yard, and a peanut plant). Freight transportation is temporally separated from commuter rail, operating nights and Sundays. A-train Denton County Transportation Authority Denton County, TX HISTORY 2003 2004 2005 2009 2010 2011 2012 Voters of Denton County approved DCTA in three cities: Denton, Highland Village, and Lewisville, Texas. The Long Range Service Plan for DCTA included rail service connecting Denton County with DART light-rail transit facilities. DCTA began an alternatives analysis study to evaluate alignment and technology alternatives for rail service. DCTA selected the former MissouriâKansasâTexas Railroad line that is parallel to Interstate 35 East as the preferred alignment. Construction began for the 21-mile A-train rail line. DCTA contracted with railcar manufacturer Stadler for 11 DMUs. DCTA reached an agreement with DART to operate the A-train over a portion of DART-owned rail right- of-way. The A-train will terminate at the Trinity Mills Station on the DART Green Line. Construction for the A-train rail line was completed. DCTA began A-train operations using railcars leased from TRE. New DMU railcars were placed into service. Midday service began. The A-train is a 21-mile commuter rail line provided by the Denton County Transportation Authority (DCTA). DCTA provides transit services within Denton County, Texas, north of Dallas County. In addition to the A-train, DCTA operates 21 fixed-route buses, demand-response service for the general public, vanpool service, and the Americans with Disabilities Act paratransit service. A-train service operates daily, except Sundays and holidays. The A-train weekday schedule off ers 30 northbound trains and 30 southbound trains. Service is generally available from 4:30 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. on weekdays. Extended Friday evening service consists of one northbound and one southbound train in operation past the regular weekday commute times. On Saturdays, nine trains operate northbound and nine trains operate southbound, with service beginning just before 8:00 a.m. and running until midnight.
92 Contracting Commuter Rail Services, Volume 2: Commuter Rail System Profiles DCTA is governed by a 14-member board. The members represent Denton County and are appointed by respective city councils or the Denton County Commissioners Court. Board members must have professional experience in the fi eld of transportation, business, government, engineering, or law. In accordance with DCTA bylaws, the board adopts the annual operating budget and sets policy. The board appoints the DCTA president, who oversees day- to-day operations and implements policies set forth by the board. GOVERNANCE When A-train service began in 2011, DCTA partnered with the Trinity Railway Express (TRE), a joint venture of DART and the Fort Worth Transportation Authority. TRE modifi ed an operations and maintenance contract with Herzog Transit Services, Inc., (HTSI) to add the A-train. The agreement with HTSI expired September 30, 2015. DART conducted a competitive procurement for a new contract for operations and maintenance of TRE eff ective October 1, 2015. DCTA extended the existing contract with HTSI for the A-train until October 1, 2016. DCTA conducted an independent procurement for bundled services (train operations, dispatch, maintenance of equipment, and maintenance of infrastructure) for the A-train. DCTA awarded a new contract to First Transit, effective October 1, 2016. The base contract term is 9 years with an option for an additional 5 years. Under a separate contract, First Transit provides transit management for DCTA bus service. A-train commuter rail operations are subject to oversight from the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) for safety and operations. The A-train currently operates under an FRA waiver for the crashworthiness of the DMU cars. DCTA relies on First Transit to be responsible for complying with numerous FRA regulations. DCTA is responsible for oversight on the A-train. DCTA is responsible for meeting Federal Transit Administration (FTA) obligations. DCTA reports data to the FTA National Transit Database (NTD) for commuter rail on the A-train. CONTRACTED SERVICE PERFORMANCE STATISTICS Past Trends 2012â2016 Service Data in RY* 2016 Data source: NTD *Report year: for each report year, NTD collects data refl ecting the reporterâs operation in the same fi scal year. Annual Operating Cost: $12,757,014 Total Directional Route Miles: 43 Passenger Car Revenue Miles: 644,711 Unlinked Passenger Trips: 545,250 Annual Total Passenger Miles: 8,000,309 $19.79$20.63$19.87$18.93$19.60 20162015201420132012 Operating Cost per Passenger Car Revenue Mile Operating Cost per Passenger Passenger Trips per Passenger Car Revenue Mile Passenger Miles per Passenger Trip $23.40$24.18 $21.82$22.16 $25.32 20162015201420132012 0.850.85 0.91 0.85 0.77 20162015201420132012 14.6714.7214.6714.9514.79 20162015201420132012 General Contracted Service Informa on Oversight and Responsibili es
A-train 93 AâAgency; BâHost Railroad (RR); CâAmtrak; DâIndependent Contractors (RR or Non-RR)Notes for Matrix: 1. The Downtown Denton Transit Center (DDTC) is the only station on the A-train that is staff ed. DDTC operations and maintenance are the responsibility of the DCTA bus management contractor, First Transit. 2. Purchased materials are owned by DCTA. 3. DCTA is responsible for customer service and communication but delegates certain functions. First Transit conductors onboard trains provide customer service and communication. First Transit provides customer service representatives to take customer calls and answer questions at the DDTC. 4. Tickets are available through ticket-vending machines (provided by DCTA), First Transit customer service representatives at the DDTC, DCTA outlets, and the regional mobile-ticketing app. 5. Denton County Sheriff âs offi cers and supervisors (First Transit) ride the A-train to ensure those aboard are riding with proper fare. 6. First Transit leads accident investigations and writes the incident report. DCTA reviews the report and provides any required reports to FRA and the National Transportation Safety Board. A B C D Train Operations Maintenance of Infrastructure Maintenance of Equipment Specifi cally: Train Dispatching Services Train Operations Maintenance of Equipment Facilities Maintenance Maintenance of Way Provision of Electric Traction (na) Signals and Communication Positive Train Control Maintenance Station Operations and Maintenance (1) Non-revenue Equipment Provision Safety Management Security Services Environmental Services Management/Oversight Services Materials Management Services (2) Risk Management Assessment Customer Service Functions (3) Marketing Communications (3) Ticketing/Sales (4) Revenue Collection (5) Information Technology Systems Accident/Fatality Investigations/Support (6) Supplemental Work (na) Other: Oversight for Bridge Management Contracted Service Matrix The matrix below illustrates the responsibility for major service functions for the A-train. The capital letters A and D represent in-house staff (DCTA) and the independent contractor (First Transit), respectively. In this case, B for the host railroad and C for Amtrak are not applicable.
