Contracting Commuter Rail Services, Volume 2: Commuter Rail System Profiles (2018)

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99 The Trinity Railway Express (TRE) is a 36-mile commuter rail service linking downtown Dallas and downtown Fort Worth. Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) and the Fort Worth Transportation Authority (FWTA) jointly own and operate TRE under an interlocal agreement (ILA). DART is a regional transit agency serving Dallas and 12 surrounding cities with 140 bus or shuttle routes, nine demand-response zones for on-call service, paratransit service for people with disabilities, 93 miles of light-rail transit, and TRE. DART light rail is the longest light-rail network in the United States. FWTA is a regional transportation authority serving Fort Worth and three surrounding cities in Tarrant County. FWTA provides bus routes, paratransit service for people with disabilities, vanpools, and TRE. FWTA is also developing TEX Rail, a new commuter railroad scheduled to begin operation in early 2019. The TRE track is jointly owned by DART and FWTA and controlled by the TRE operations center, which allows use of the tracks by short-line freight trains and Class I railroads, such as BNSF Railway and Union Pacifi c Railroad. These railroads use the tracks to ship freight loads at off -peak times. The revenues for trackage fees from freight railroads are paid to DART and are used to off set the operating expenses for TRE. TRE operates bidirectional (east–west) service Monday through Saturday connecting 10 stations between downtown Fort Worth and downtown Dallas. Service is available Monday through Friday from 5:00 a.m. to 11:35 p.m. on an approximately 20–30 minute peak and 60–90 minute off -peak schedule. Service is available Saturdays every 1.5 to 2 hours from around 9:00 a.m. to 11:35 p.m. The trip from Union Station to T&P Station takes just over an hour. TRE provides service to DFW Airport from CentrePort/DFW Airport Station Monday through Saturday. The airport’s shuttle bus service provides connections every 15 minutes between the station and airport terminals. Within the Dallas area, TRE passengers have the opportunity to transfer to DART light rail at shared stations (Union Station and Victory Station). Transfers to Amtrak intercity passenger rail are available at Union Station in downtown Dallas and the Intermodal Transit Center (ITC) in downtown Fort Worth. TRE Trinity Railway Express Dallas Area Rapid Transit and Fort Worth Transportation Authority Dallas–Fort Worth, TX HISTORY 2009 2001 2000 1998 1997 1996 1983 TRE began regularly scheduled service to Victory Station. TRE service was extended to the ITC and T&P Stations in downtown Fort Worth, completing the rail connection between Dallas and Fort Worth. TRE service was extended west to include four new stations at West Irving, CentrePort, Bell, and Richland Hills. TRE added Saturday service to the schedule. TRE began operating midday and evening service. DART contracted with HTSI to provide TRE commuter rail train operations, dispatching services, maintenance of equipment, and maintenance of way. The Cities of Dallas and Fort Worth purchased the corridor and tracks from the trustees of the bankrupt Rock Island Railroad for future passenger rail service. DART and FWTA jointly own the tracks. TRE opened for service. DART opened the fi rst 10-mile segment of TRE linking Dallas Union Station, Medical/Market Center Station, and South Irving Station (now Downtown Irving/Heritage Crossing Station).

100 Contracting Commuter Rail Services, Volume 2: Commuter Rail System Profiles DART and FWTA jointly provide TRE service. Both DART and FWTA are regional transit agencies authorized under Chapter 452 of the Texas Transportation Code and approved by voters in 1983. DART’s board of directors consists of 15 members: seven members representing the City of Dallas and eight members representing other cities around Dallas. FWTA is governed by a nine-member board of directors, with eight members appointed by the City of Fort Worth City Council and one member by Tarrant County. Other DART staff for TRE includes the chief administrative offi cer, chief engineering offi cer, manager for maintenance of way, two project managers, and a business analyst. FWTA employs the chief operating/chief mechanical offi cer, safety manager, and administrative assistant. Salaries and related expenses, including overhead for all staff except the vice president and one project manager, are shared by DART and FWTA. DART is responsible for the vice president, and FWTA is responsible for one project manager. The two transit agencies participate on a TRE Advisory Committee composed of three representatives from each agency. The TRE Advisory Committee meets quarterly with the chief executive offi cers from DART and FWTA and prior to recommending any action to the agency boards for approval. Expenses for providing TRE services are shared by DART and FWTA based upon a cost-sharing formula established in 2003 and incorporated in the ILA. Operating and maintenance expenses are generally shared based on revenue miles by county (Dallas County to DART and Tarrant County to FWTA). Some maintenance-of-way and maintenance-of-equipment expenses are allocated 50/50. The costs for major capital projects are assigned to the jurisdiction according to the location of the project. TRE owns nine locomotives [seven Electro-Motive Diesel (EMD) locomotives acquired from GO Transit and overhauled in 2010 and two new EMD locomotives], and 25 passenger cars manufactured by Bombardier Transportation and Hawker Siddeley (17 bi-level coaches and 8 bi-level cab cars). GOVERNANCE PERFORMANCE STATISTICS Past Trends 2012–2016** Service Data in RY* 2016 **One source of data for TRE is available after 2010 when DART began to report to NTD on behalf of both transit authorities. (Data source: NTD) *Report year: for each report year, NTD collects data refl ecting the reporter’s operation in the same fi scal year. Annual Operating Cost: $27,968,775 Total Directional Route Miles: 72 Passenger Car Revenue Miles: 1,164,706 Unlinked Passenger Trips: 2,054,001 Annual Total Passenger Miles: 40,270,227 Operating Cost per Passenger Car Revenue Mile Operating Cost per Passenger Passenger Trips per Passenger Car Revenue Mile Passenger Miles per Passenger Trip 1.76 1.881.981.83 2.03 20162015201420132012 19.6119.1419.0719.1919.18 20162015201420132012 $24.01 $20.81 $22.47$23.56$23.31 20162015201420132012 $13.62 $11.04$11.33 $12.89 $11.49 20162015201420132012 TRE was established by the ILA between DART and FWTA. Each transit authority owns 50% of the joint rail project. DART administers the contract for operations and maintenance and provides financial management for TRE. DART employs the director/vice president of commuter rail/railroad management to provide day-to-day leadership of TRE. The vice president is also responsible for managing over 200 miles of DART-owned freight rail corridors.

TRE 101 TRE commuter rail operations are subject to oversight from the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) for safety and operations. TRE relies on HTSI to be responsible for compliance for a number of the many FRA regulations that are audited by FRA. TRE-assigned staff (from DART and FWTA) provide oversight to ensure the contractor meets FRA regulations. The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) promulgates regulations for funding and planning. DART and FWTA report data to meet the requirements of the FTA National Transit Database (NTD). Since inception, TRE has contracted for commuter rail operations and maintenance. The original contract with Herzog Transit Services, Inc., (HTSI) expired September 30, 2015. The contract was modifi ed in 2011 to include operations and maintenance for the Denton County Transportation Authority (DCTA) A-train in the scope of services. On behalf of the three transit agencies, DART conducted a competitive procurement for a new contract eff ective October 1, 2015. The scope of the procurement included TRE and A-train, with an option for TEX Rail. After the procurement process was completed, DCTA elected to pursue a separate avenue to provide A-train operations and maintenance activities. This contract was awarded to HTSI by DART and FWTA doing business as TRE. In the new contract, the regional commuter rail operators (TRE and TEX Rail) revised the manner in which the commuter services are provided and billed by the contractor. For instance, routine capital maintenance is now included in the base cost. Additionally, TRE was billed a blended car-mile rate for passenger cars and locomotives. The new contract includes a separate car- mile rate for passenger cars and locomotives. The initial term for this contract is 10 years. There is a provision for an additional 10-year extension at the option of the regional transit partners. The services provided by this contract include • General management for all commuter rail operations • All train operations, including crews and dispatching personnel • All maintenance of equipment on authority-owned rolling stock • Commuter rail train dispatching • All maintenance of right-of-way Additional options that could be exercised include fare enforcement and TRE Sunday service. CONTRACTED SERVICE General Contracted Service Informaon Oversight and Responsibilies

102 Contracting Commuter Rail Services, Volume 2: Commuter Rail System Profiles A—Agency; B—Host Railroad (RR); C—Amtrak; D—Independent Contractors (RR or Non-RR) 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 (PTC) Maintenance (1) Station Operations and Maintenance (2) Non-revenue Equipment Provision Safety Management Security Services (3) Environmental Services (4) Management/Oversight Services (5) Materials Management Services Risk Management Assessment Customer Service Functions (6) Marketing Communications Ticketing/Sales Revenue Collection (7) Information Technology Systems (8) Accident/Fatality Investigations/Support (9) Supplemental Work (na) Other: Capital Projects Contracted Service Matrix Notes for Matrix: 1. TRE is pursuing several contracts for implementation of PTC. When PTC is installed, HTSI will be responsible for maintenance. 2. Stations are maintained by DART in Dallas County and by FWTA in Tarrant County. Union Station in Dallas is staff ed by DART, and the ITC in Fort Worth is staff ed by FWTA. Amtrak is also located at Union Station and the ITC. 3. TRE staff , with the support of DART, FWTA, and county and local police departments, provides security for TRE. 4. DART provides environmental services. 5. Staff from DART and FWTA provides TRE management and oversight services. See the Governance section for the description of specifi c staff responsibilities. 6. On behalf of TRE, DART is primarily responsible for customer service and communicates train service information to the public; FWTA also provides customer service assistance and posts train service information. The contractor’s conductors on board trains are key to customer service and communication. 7. DART’s fare enforcement offi cers (in Dallas County) and Tarrant County Sheriff ’s offi cers ride TRE and inspect passengers’ fares to ensure that those aboard are riding with proper fare. The new contract with HTSI includes an option for fare enforcement. 8. TRE installed next train technology and automated passenger counters. DART is responsible for maintenance of on-vehicle equipment. 9. The contractor leads accident investigations and writes the incident report. TRE reviews the report and provides any required reports to FRA and the National Transportation Safety Board. The matrix below illustrates the responsibility for major service functions for TRE. The capital letters A, C, and D represent in-house staff (TRE by DART and FWTA), Amtrak, and the independent contractor (HTSI), respectively. In this case, B for the host railroad is not applicable.