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TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 2021-2022 EDUCATIONAL SERIES RAIL AND TRANSIT SAFETY

• Freight Rail in

• Railroads in Texas Map

• The South Orient Rail Line

• The South Orient Rail Line Map

• Passenger Rail in Texas

• Texas Rail Plan

• Statewide Rail Safety

• State Safety Oversight

• Connecting You With Texas

TxDOT RESOURCE LINKS Scan the QR codes with your mobile device or click on the resource link buttons located here and at the bottom of every page of this document to direct you to additional resources and more details on the information provided in this document.

Texas Department TxDOT 2021-2022 Visual of Transportation Educational Series Dictionary

TxDOT’s public website for agency TxDOT’s complete 2021-2022 Educational TxDOT’s Visual Dictionary is designed information and resources focused on Series that focuses on a range of to provide better understanding of meeting the needs of drivers, businesses, transportation issues affecting TxDOT and transportation elements, words, and government officials, the state of Texas. concepts. and those who want to learn more about TxDOT.

PUBLICATION DATE: JANUARY 2021 RAIL AND TRANSIT SAFETY

OVERVIEW FREIGHT RAIL IN TEXAS Texas, with a total of 10,539 miles of , has the most rail According to the American Association of Railroads, lines of any state and the most public highway-rail grade shippers currently use rail to move 380.8 million tons crossings, with a total of 9,179 at grade crossings. Three of freight in Texas. The Department of I railroads and 55 Class III short line railroads serve Transportation Bureau of Transportation Statistics the state. Texas’ short line railroads operate on nearly 2,031 estimates that rail tonnage statewide will increase to 421.8 miles of the over 10,000 miles of track, providing critical million tons by 2040. TxDOT anticipates that the greatest links and serving as last-mile connectors. increase in freight movement will occur along the rail lines connecting Fort Worth and El Paso, Fort Worth and In 2005, the Texas Legislature transferred statewide rail Amarillo, and the northeast to southwest United States line planning and safety functions from the Texas Railroad traversing the Texas Panhandle through Amarillo. Commission to the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT). TxDOT’s rail responsibilities focus on the planning While Texas’ extensive rail system is an asset to the state, and implementing freight and passenger rail projects “bottlenecks” along the system, including at-grade highway- and programs, coordinating statewide passenger rail rail crossings, sections of single-track along double-track system activities, and managing state-partnership and lines, and bridges with weight and speed restrictions, can state-owned rail facilities, such as the NETEX Line and severely limit freight rail capacity and mobility and affect the South Orient Rail Line respectively. In regard to rail the efficiency of the system. Connectivity between north- safety, TxDOT provides oversight of state and federal rail south rail connections in West Texas is also a challenge for safety compliance, inspections, and operating practices freight movement. throughout the state. TxDOT is also responsible for the oversight of rail transit safety (see State Safety Oversight section on page 7).

2 2021-2022 EDUCATIONAL SERIES: RAIL AND TRANSIT SAFETY WWW.TxDOT.GOV • GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS DIVISION • (512) 463-6086 RAILROADS IN TEXAS MAP TRAVEL INFORMATION Dial 1-800-452-9292 for travel assistance from a professional Texas travel counselor, including routing in Texas, emergency road condition information, and travel services; or to register a comment or State Railroad Map 2016complaint about department operations.°

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OKLAHOMA NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS FANNIN Class I Railroad [! DALLAM [! PERRYTON NORTH CENTRAL Emergency Contact Numbers STRATFORD HANSFORD LIPSCOMB TEXAS COG

DGNO SPEARMAN [! [! 36°N SHERMAN LIPSCOMB 36°N Union Pacific (UP)...... (800) 848-8715 DALHART OCHILTREE DENTON COLLIN ! [! DECATUR Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF)...... (800) 832-5452 [ [! TXNW DENTON [! MCKINNEY DCTA City ...... (877) 527-9464 AMARILLO CORPUS CHRISTI [! [! DUMAS ROBERTS CANADIAN Number Abbreviation Railroad Operator [! ARANSAS WISE HARTLEY MOORE STINNETT SAN PATRICIO DGNO 01 TIBR Timberrock Railroad Company HUTCHINSON ! HEMPHILL DGNO 02 GRR CHANNING [ [! 03 RSS Rockdale, Sandow & Southern Railroad Company CCTR 04 BLR FWWR [! ROCKWALL POTTER PAMPA WHEELER [! 05 TCT Texas City Terminal Railway CARSON [! CORPUS CHRISTI DGNO PNR DGNO DART 06 TM Company [! DART OLDHAM 07 TMPX Texas Municipal Power Association WHEELER [! GRAY DART ROCKWALL 08 TSE Texas South-Eastern Railroad CORPUS CHRISTI FWWR PANHANDLE VEGA NUECES MPO 09 TXTC Texas Transportation Company [! TRE DART PARKER 12 PTRA Port Terminal Railroad Association AMARILLO [! DALLAS [! 35°N 13 SMGX San Miguel Power Plant TRE 35°N AMARILLO CLAUDE FORT [! [! 14 MMR Martin Marietta Railroad MPO GULF OF WORTH DART DONLEY 15 BNSF Burlington Northern Santa Fe Corporation DEAF SMITH [! 16 SRN Sabine & Northern Railroad CANYON CLARENDON COLLINGSWORTH ARMSTRONG [! TARRANT 19 TN Texas & Northern Railway Company [! KINGSVILLE KAUFMAN RANDALL WELLINGTON KLEBERG 20 PCN Point Comfort & Northern Railroad HEREFORD [! [! FWWR [! 23 USSC United States Steel Corporation KAUFMAN

24 TXR Texas Rock Crusher Railway Company [! 25 RPRR Rusk Palestine Railroad MEMPHIS SWISHER 26 SSC Southern Switching Company CHILDRESS [! DIMMITT 33 TE XU Texas Utilities General Company [! BRISCOE FWWR 39 DART Dallas Area PARMER TULIA HALL JOHNSON [! ELLIS 41 PVS Pecos Valley Southern Railway SILVERTON CHILDRESS HOOD [! FARWELL CASTRO [! WAXAHACHIE 42 TNMR Texas- Railway Company [! 43 CCTR Corpus Christi Terminal Railroad OK [! QUANAH LA HENDERSON HOM CLEBURNE [! 44 TC Temple & Central Texas Railway [! A 47 SEPC Southwest Electric Power Company MULESHOE LAMB [! HARDEMAN 34°N PLAINVIEW 34°N 50 BSR Big Spring Rail CHILDRESS [! 51 WTUC West Texas Utility Company FLOYD MOTLEY COTTLE VERNON BAILEY LUBBOCK WTJR 54 SHEL Shell Oil Company [! [! FOARD WICHITA HALE [! NEWMEXICO [! 58 TXNW Texas Northwestern Railroad LITTLEFIELD MATADOR PADUCAH WICHITA [! FLOYDADA CROWELL WILBARGER SHERMAN 60 BOP [! FALLS MPO WICHITA FALLS -DENISON AR 61 TRE HENRIETTA K [! GRAYSON MPO A LAMAR KRR N 62 DGNO Dallas, Garland & Northeastern Railroad MORTON [! RED RIVER S 63 TXP F Texas Pacifico Transportation Limited MONTAGUE COOKE FANNIN [! A HOCKLEY LUBBOCK [! S 65 BRG Brownsville & International Railroad CROSBYTON DICKENS KING [! [! MPO [! KNOX BAYLOR ARCHER CLAY [! TNER CLARKSVILLE MONTAGUE SHERMAN [! 66 UP Company ! LWR LUBBOCK [! [! GAINESVILLE [ ! [! [! NEW TNER [ DICKENS GUTHRIE [! BONHAM [! 67 CMTY Capitol Metropolitan Transportation Authority COCHRAN LEVELLAND PMSW BENJAMIN SEYMOUR ARCHER CITY PARIS TEXARKANA DGNO BOWIE MPO 69 KRR Company CROSBY DELTA 70 FWWR Fort Worth and Western Railroad LUBBOCK [! WICHITA COOPER 71 SPLR South Plains Lamesa Railroad SPLR FRANKLIN DENTON TITUS 72 STPX South Texas Project Railroad HUNT MOUNT GARZA JACK DGNO COLLIN VERNON LWR FALLS MOUNT PLEASANT JAYTON DECATUR HOPKINS [! 74 PMSW Plainsman Switching Company LYNN [! [! [! SULPHUR SPRINGS BLR [! PLAINS THROCKMORTON [! DENTON [! MCKINNEY TEXU MORRIS [! STONEWALL HASKELL BLR [! 75 LWR Lubbock & Western Railway [! [! YOUNG DCTA [! 33°N BROWNFIELD [! POST [! JACKSBORO CASS [! DAINGERFIELD 33°N KENT ! GREENVILLE 77 SWRR Southwestern Railroad Company YOAKUM TAHOKA [ THROCKMORTON [! [! HASKELL [! [! LINDEN 79 KCS Kansas City Southern Railway TERRY ASPERMONT GRAHAM WISE 80 WTJR Wichita, Tillman & Jackson Railway Company, Incorporated FORT NORTH DGNO PITTSBURG CAMP TN ROCKWALL CENTRAL DART [! RAINS 81 TNER Texas Northeastern Division [! TEXAS COG FWWR DART UPSHUR MARION 82 ANR Angelina & Neches River Railroad WORTH ROCKWALL QUITMAN PARKER EMORY [! [! 83 PNR Panhandle Northern Railroad Company GAINES DAWSON BORDEN TRE JEFFERSON ABILENE PALO PINTO [! [! GAIL SCURRY WEATHERFORD FORT DALLAS GILMER 86 HTR Heart of Texas Railway ANSON BRECKENRIDGE ! WORTH [! WOOD [! ROBY SHACKELFORD ! [ [! [! [! [! [! [ 88 TUEX TU Electric Big Brown Steam Electric Station Rail Spur [! [! PALO PINTO LONGVIEW HARRISON LAMESA TARRANT KAUFMAN ALBANY DALLAS 90 GVSR L.P. SNYDER STEPHENS MPO MARSHALL [! FISHER JONES [! CANTON [! SEPC 91 RVSC Rio Valley Switching Company [! FWWR KAUFMAN SMITH 94 TXGN Texas Gonzales & Northern Company GREGGLONGVIEW HOOD FWWR VAN ZANDT 99 MCSA , Camden & San Augustine Railroad [! ABILENE [! [! DALLAS ! [! CITY SWEETWATER BAIRD [! GRANBURY [ TYLER [! [! ERATH TEXU WAXAHACHIE ANDREWS SSC EASTLAND [! PANOLA [! MARTIN HOWARD CLEBURNE ABILENE FWWR JOHNSON TYLER BLR TEXU MPO CALLAHAN MPO [! [! MITCHELL NOLAN TAYLOR EASTLAND [!GLEN ROSE [! ATHENS [! CARTHAGE ANDREWS [! ELLIS BSR BIG SPRING NEW MEXICO FWWR SOMERVELL CORSICANA HENDERSON STEPHENVILLE 32°N STANTON HENDERSON 32°N [! [! HILL TYLER RUSK L BOSQUE [! EL PASO [! COMANCHE NAVARRO O BASIN HILLSBORO SHELBY ECTOR MPO MIDLAND GLASSCOCK U EL PASO LOVING [! ANDERSON [! STERLING [! KERMIT ROBERT LEE [! I MPO [! [! RUNNELS MERIDIAN [! S EL PASO ODESSA [! [! NACOGDOCHES CENTER ! COMANCHE RUSK IA GARDEN CITY [ [! COLEMAN BROWN FWWR TUEX PALESTINE [! COKE RPRR MENTONE WINKLER MIDLAND STERLING CITY [! CHEROKEE N ! TNMR BALLINGER BROWNWOOD HAMILTON [ [! FAIRFIELD HUDSPETH [! [! WACO [! NACOGDOCHES A LIMESTONE SAN TXR HAMILTON FREESTONE AUGUSTINE [! [! COLEMAN MCLENNAN MILLS [! REEVES MONAHANS WACO GROESBECK [! SABINE SAN ANR CULBERSON [! LUFKIN HEMPHILL PECOS WARD [! ANGELO BROWNWOOD GATESVILLE WACO MPO ANR [! EL PASO [! PAINT ROCK GOLDTHWAITE [! ! UPTON [ TSE [! [! MPO SAN ANGELO CROCKETT SAN [! TSE LUFKIN CRANE AUGUSTINE IRION MARLIN LEON REAGAN CORYELL [! SIERRA BLANCA [! [! ANGELINA PVS RANKIN MERTZON ! TOM GREEN CONCHO MCCULLOCH TEXU CENTERVILLE [ HTR TRINITY [! BIG LAMPASAS [! [! FALLS 31°N BELL 31°N SAN SABA ROBERTSON [! [! SAN [! BELTON NEWTON ODESSA BRADY LAMPASAS GROVETON VAN HORN SAN SABA [! [! [! JASPER KILLEEN - FRANKLIN MADISON [! MCSA TEMPLE TC NEWTON ANGELO [! [! MPO MADISONVILLE SCHLEICHER MENARD MILAM BRYAN JASPER [! [! WOODVILLE BRYAN - COLLEGE ! FORT STOCKTON BURNET [! WALKER POLK [ [! STATION MPO TIBR CAMERON EL PASO JEFF DAVIS ELDORADO [! MENARD BURNET [! TYLER MASON LLANO [! BRAZOS [! [! HUNTSVILLE LIVINGSTON OZONA WILLIAMSON PECOS [! [! COLDSPRING GRR TMPX MASON BRYAN [! FORT DAVIS RSS [! LLANO CMTYCMTY [! BEAUMONT GRIMES CROCKETT SONORA GEORGETOWN SAN [! KIMBLE [! SRN CALDWELL [! JACINTO KOUNTZE MONTGOMERY [! ANDERSON [! SRN EL PASO MPO SUTTON BURLESON JUNCTION AUSTIN HARDIN [! CONROE MARFA TRAVIS LEE [! [! ALPINE TERRELL BLANCO CMTY LIBERTY GILLESPIE CMTY SOUTH SRN ! [! [! AUSTIN [ TEXAS RPC [! FREDERICKSBURG BRENHAM BEAUMONT [! ORANGE EL PASO EL PASO JOHNSON CITY CAPITAL [! GIDDINGS [! [! EDWARDS ORANGE 30°N [! SANDERSON AREA [! HEMPSTEAD [! 30°N ! [ BASTROP HAYS MPO LIBERTY PRESIDIO KERRVILLE BASTROP KERR [! AUSTIN ROCKSPRINGS [! [! BELLVILLE JEFFERSON LA GRANGE KENDALL SAN WALLER VAL VERDE [! MARCOS [! HARRIS BREWSTER REAL [! [! COMAL LOCKHART [! ANAHUAC BOERNE FAYETTE HOUSTON - [! HOUSTON C BANDERA CALDWELL COLUMBUS GALVESTON LEAKEY NEW [! CHAMBERS H [! [! BRAUNFELS[! AREA COUNCIL BANDERA I TXGN RICHMOND H [! COAHUILA BEXAR COLORADO U SAN [! A SEGUIN GALVESTON ALAMO AREA [! H GUADALUPE GONZALES YOAKUM FORT BEND U KINNEY ANTONIO MPO [! A MEDINA [! HALLETTSVILLE DEL RIO UVALDE [! ! GONZALES [! HOUSTON GALVESTON [ MMR [! LAVACA BRACKETTVILLE WHARTON WHARTON [! HONDO BRAZORIA SAN ANTONIO - BEXAR COUNTY WILSON [! [! ANGLETON 29°N UVALDE FLORESVILLE 29°N [! BLANCO HAYS [! CUERO JACKSON

ATASCOSA BAY CITY [! KENDALL DE WITT [! FRIO VICTORIA EDNA HOUSTON - GALVESTON JOURDANTON SAN CALDWELL KARNES CITY [! STPX MARCOS [! [! [! ZAVALA [! MAVERICK PEARSALL VICTORIA [! VICTORIA ANDERSON SAN JACINTO KARNES

MPO PCN

BOERNE COMAL GOLIAD [! [! EAGLE PASS CRYSTAL CITY [! [! MATAGORDA GRIMES [! PORT LAVACA NEW CONROE CORPUS GOLIAD BRAUNFELS HARDIN CARRIZO SPRINGS O BANDERA [! [! [! IC [! TILDEN CHRISTI CALHOUN SOUTH EAST [! BEEVILLE ALAMO AREA COTULLA [! EX GUADALUPE MONTGOMERY TEXAS RPC REFUGIO M MPO LIBERTY [!GEORGE WEST DIMMIT MCMULLEN [! F [! BEE REFUGIO SEGUIN LA SALLE LIVE OAK FO 28°N L 28°N SAN ARANSAS LIBERTY ROCKPORT BEXAR LAREDO [! U [! PATRICIO[! SINTON G SAN JIM WELLS ANTONIO [! CORPUS CHRISTI MPO CCTR MEDINA WEBB [! WALLER SAN DIEGO [! [! CORPUS CHRISTI ALICE N DUVAL CHAMBERS U LAREDO URBAN NUECES HARRIS L TRANSPORTATION STUDY WILSON E E V LAREDO [! O [! ! O KINGSVILLE [ ANAHUAC N [ COUNTY SEATS ! FLORESVILLE [ KLEBERG ATASCOSA [! HOUSTON PTRA PTRA [! UP HEBBRONVILLE [! [! SARITA FALFURRIAS BNSF 27°N LOWER RIO GRANDE VALLEY 27°N TXPF ZAPATA [! RICHMOND JIM HOGG BROOKS ZAPATA KENEDY KCS STARR [! HIDALGO [! RAYMONDVILLE FORT BEND PHARR Other Railroads WILLACY HIDALGO GALVESTON County Boundary COUNTY MPO

TCT National or State Boundary STARR [! [!GALVESTON GVSR [! EDINBURG HARLINGEN-SAN HIDALGO RAYMONDVILLE RVSC [! District Boundary RIO GRANDE CITY WILLACY BENITO MPO [! HIDALGO BOP BRAZORIA WHARTON TA COUNTY MPO HARLINGEN - O [! C EDINBURG SAN BENITO TMA Metropolitan Area Boundary RVSC XI M BOP RVSC CAMERON RVSC E MPO [! M RVSC RVSC BROWNSVILLE 26°N ANGLETON F A 26°N CAMERON O U MPO Non - TMA Metropolitan Area Boundary LF L BROWNSVILLE U I T G PA AM MATAGORDA S AU S LIPA [! BRG

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Copyright 2016 TEXAS Map Scale Texas Department of Transportation TRANSPORTATION Texas Department of Transportation COMMISSION Transportation Planning and Programming Division 0 10 20 40 60 80 100 Miles Tryon D. Lewis Chair Data Analysis, Mapping and Reporting Branch Notice This map was produced for internal use Jeff Austin, III Commissioner Inset Scale in cooperation with the J. Bruce Bugg Jr. Commissioner within the Texas Department of Transportation. Jeff Moseley Commissioner U.S. Department of Transportation Accuracy is limited to the validity of available Victor Vandergriff Commissioner 0 4.75 9.5 19 28.5 38 47.5 Miles Federal Highway Administration data as of December 31, 2015.

TXDOT RAIL RAILROADS IN TEXAS MAP

For more To view a full information sized map of about TxDOT the Texas Rail rail operations System. and oversight.

https://www.txdot.gov/inside-txdot/division/rail.html https://ftp.txdot.gov/pub/txdot-info/tpp/maps/2016- railroad.pdf

2021-2022 EDUCATIONAL SERIES: RAIL AND TRANSIT SAFETY 3 WWW.TxDOT.GOV • GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS DIVISION • (512) 463-6086 LEGAL OVERSIGHT THE SOUTH ORIENT RAIL LINE TxDOT monitors potential rail line abandonments and In 2001, as directed by the Legislature, TxDOT completed coordinates the state’s involvement in and response to the acquisition of the South Orient Rail Line in response abandonment filings. If a rail line owner abandons a rail line to an abandonment application by the prior owners. The due to low traffic volumes, TxDOT analyzes whether the South Orient Rail Line is 391-miles long extending from abandoned line could serve the state as a rail facility, future San Angelo Junction, a few miles southwest of Coleman, roadway, or expansion of an existing road. through San Angelo to Presidio at the Texas-Mexico border. TxDOT is responsible for administering lease and operating The South Orient Rail Line is one of only seven rail gateways agreements on state-owned facilities and operating located between the United States and Mexico. agreements on state-supported passenger routes. TxDOT TxDOT also entered into an initial 40-year lease agreement also manages state and federally funded construction with Texas Pacifico Transportation, Ltd., in 2001 for the project contracts on both state- and privately-owned rail maintenance and operation of the rail line. The agreement facilities such as the South Orient Rail Line in West Texas contains a provision for up to five additional 10-year and the recently-completed Broadway double-track bridge extensions if both TxDOT and Texas Pacifico agree to the project in Houston. extensions. When TxDOT acquired the South Orient Rail Line, the rail infrastructure was severely deteriorated due to deferred maintenance by the previous owners. Additionally, the previous owners constructed the rail gateway at the Presidio-Ojinaga International Rail Bridge, which was damaged by a fire in 2009, to connect with the rail system at Presidio. Under the agreement, Texas Pacifico was responsible for the reconstruction of the Presidio Bridge, which was completed in 2019. The only remaining aspect of the bridge is the installation of the rail track, which will be completed in the fall of 2020 as part of the FASTLANE rehabilitation project. TxDOT, Texas Pacifico, and the United States Customs and Border Patrol Protection agency are currently working to identify federal requirements and potential funding sources to construct an inspection station to fully open the bridge for rail traffic.

Late in 2009, TxDOT and Texas Pacifico began the rehabilitation of the line from near Coleman and westward. The ongoing rehabilitation has resulted in a dramatic

THE SOUTH ORIENT RAIL LINE MAP

4 2021-2022 EDUCATIONAL SERIES: RAIL AND TRANSIT SAFETY WWW.TxDOT.GOV • GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS DIVISION • (512) 463-6086 increase in rail freight traffic. In 2017, annual carloads COMMUTER AND SERVICE totaled over 43,000. Much of the increased freight is in Capital Metro in Austin, Fort Worth Transit Authority support of the regional oil and gas industry. Funding for (), Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART), McKinney the rehabilitation program has included state, federal, Avenue Transit Authority in Dallas, , Denton and private participation. TxDOT and Texas Pacifico are County Transportation Authority, in El Paso, developing additional projects to continue the rehabilitation in Galveston, and all have a of the South Orient Rail Line. rail transit component within their systems.

• Dallas Area Rapid Transit and Trinity Metro, via an PASSENGER RAIL IN TEXAS interlocal agreement, established the Trinity Railway Under Chapter 201, Texas Transportation Code, TxDOT Express (TRE) to serve customers with stops between “shall coordinate activities regarding the planning, Dallas and Fort Worth. Dallas Area Rapid Transit operates construction, operation, and maintenance of a statewide the nation’s longest system (90 miles), providing passenger rail system as well as with other entities involved service to destinations in Dallas, Carrollton, Farmers with passenger rail systems, including governmental Branch, Garland, Irving, Plano, and Richardson. Riders entities, private entities, and nonprofit corporations.” can access the Dallas Fort-Worth International Passenger rail categories include high-speed rail, intercity and downtown Fort Worth through both Dallas Area rail, commuter and regional rail, light rail, and trolley and Rapid Transit and Trinity Railway Express connections. tourism rail. While definitions may vary, high-speed rail runs at speeds greater than 110 mph on a dedicated track. • The Trinity Railway Express service extends from Intercity rail primarily provides commuter service and in to the T&P Station operates at speeds slower than high-speed rail. Commuter in downtown Fort Worth. It has Dallas County stops at and regional rail serve customers on daily trips between Medical/Market Center and downtown Irving, as well suburban and urban areas and may run on freight corridors. as Tarrant County stops in Richland Hills and at the Fort Light rail generally serves commuters typically within urban Worth Intermodal Transportation Center. areas on dedicated corridors with specialized equipment. • The Dallas Streetcar provides streetcar service in downtown Dallas from the Eddie Bernice Johnson Union INTERCITY PASSENGER RAIL Station to the Bishop Arts District. is the sole provider of intercity passenger rail service in Texas, offering three service routes. These routes • The McKinney Avenue Transit Authority provides historic serve most major metropolitan areas throughout the state trolley service connecting the Dallas Area Rapid Transit and Amtrak partners with motor coach services to City Place Station to the downtown Central Business provide connections to other areas that Amtrak does not District. directly serve. • Sun Metro operates historic streetcar service through El Amtrak fully funds two of the Texas routes: the Texas Paso’s uptown and downtown areas. Eagle (San Antonio to ) and the ( to ). TxDOT and the • Capital Metro’s 32-mile MetroRail commuter rail line Department of Transportation jointly provide financial extends from Leander, a suburb north of Austin, to support to the third Amtrak route, the (Fort downtown Austin and the Austin Convention Center. Worth to ). Texas’ share of the annual subsidy for this route increased over the years from the original $1.8 • Island Transit in Galveston anticipates resuming historic million in 2007 to an estimated $3.12 million in 2015. For trolley service in November 2020. The historic trolley fiscal years 2018 and 2019, the Texas Legislature has limited service will operate on Galveston’s Downtown the state’s financial participation to $2.5 million per year. between The Strand and the Seawall. The Heartland Flyer provides once-daily service in each direction between Fort Worth and Oklahoma City, with • Houston’s METRO Rail light rail connects stops in Gainesville, Texas, and in four Oklahoma cities. The to the Houston Medical Center and Heartland Flyer operates on tracks owned by BNSF Railway. averages over 26 million boarding’s per month. Travel TxDOT is conducting a Texas-Oklahoma Passenger Rail Study time from end-to-end of the line is 50 minutes. Houston using federal funds to evaluate a range of passenger rail METRO recently opened its METRO Rail purple and green service options in an 850-mile corridor from South Texas to lines, providing service from downtown to the University Oklahoma City. The study will produce an environmental of Houston. document and service development plan for the corridor, which can serve as a business prospectus for private investors to develop passenger rail services in the corridor.

2021-2022 EDUCATIONAL SERIES: RAIL AND TRANSIT SAFETY 5 WWW.TxDOT.GOV • GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS DIVISION • (512) 463-6086 HIGH-SPEED RAIL Texas has no high-speed passenger rail service. However, a private entity is currently conducting federal planning and environmental studies between Dallas and Houston. TxDOT has limited involvement and oversight of this privately-funded project. In July of 2020 the Surface Transportation Board found that the proposed rail line could be constructed and operated as part of the interstate rail network and therefore subject to the Board’s federal jurisdiction.

HIGH-SPEED RAIL EXPENDITURES REPORT

To view TxDOT’s High-Speed Rail Expenditures Report.

https://www.txdot.gov/inside-txdot/forms-publications/ publications/reports.html

STATEWIDE RAIL SAFETY TEXAS RAIL PLAN HIGHWAY-RAIL SAFETY IMPROVEMENTS In 2019, TxDOT updated the Texas Rail Plan. TxDOT TxDOT administers federal and state programs to improve developed the plan in conjunction with stakeholders and highway-rail grade crossings by partnering with railroads the Federal Rail Administration to address existing and to install and maintain crossing signals and gates, improve future passenger and freight rail services in Texas. The crossing surfaces on state highways, consolidate and close updated rail plan includes establishing the vision, goals, redundant crossings, and construct highway-rail grade and objectives for the rail system and its integration into separations. TxDOT is also responsible for facilitating the state’s multimodal transportation system. The plan railroad involvement with TxDOT highway construction also includes an inventory of freight and passenger rail projects. TxDOT executes more than 250 agreements infrastructure and an overall needs assessment. annually with railroad companies for safety, maintenance, and construction activities involving railroad rights of way. TxDOT also administers several programs to improve safety and operations on and around railroad rights of way. TxDOT TEXAS RAIL PLAN has begun leveraging federal railroad-highway crossings safety funds and negotiating with the Class I railroads for their cost participation in these safety construction For more projects. information Funding for the highway-rail safety program includes: about Texas Rail Plan 2019. • $15 million per year ─ Federal Railroad-Highway Crossing Safety & Signal;

https://www.txdot.gov/inside-txdot/projects/studies/ • $25 million per year ─ Federal Railroad ; statewide/texas-rail-plan.html • $3.5 million per year ─ State Railroad Grade Crossing Re- planking (Re-Surfacing); and

• $1.1 million per year ─ State Railroad Signal Maintenance.

6 2021-2022 EDUCATIONAL SERIES: RAIL AND TRANSIT SAFETY WWW.TxDOT.GOV • GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS DIVISION • (512) 463-6086 RAILROAD SAFETY COMPLIANCE STATE SAFETY OVERSIGHT INSPECTIONS In 1996, the directed the Federal The Federal Rail Administration (FRA) certifies TxDOT Transit Administration to establish the State Safety railroad investigators to conduct investigative and Oversight Program to oversee safety at rail fixed guideway surveillance activities to ensure that railroad operators public transportation systems. In 1997, the Texas Legislature comply with federal rail safety regulations, orders, and designated TxDOT as the administering agency for Texas. standards. State railroad investigators conduct safety In 2017, the Texas Legislature updated state law to bring compliance inspections of railroad facilities and equipment, TxDOT into compliance with additional Federal Transit as do the Federal Rail Administration railroad inspectors, Administration State Safety Oversight regulations. State to establish a uniform body of regulation and enforcement. Safety Oversight requirements include the development State railroad investigators monitor compliance with of Public Transportation Agency Safety Plans, accident both state and federally mandated safety regulations in notification and investigation, hazard management, the areas of hazardous materials, operating practices, corrective action oversight, on-site reviews, audit programs, locomotive power and equipment, crossing signals, and and annual certifications. track conditions. Currently, there are six Rail Transit Agencies subject to the Since 1982, the State of Texas has supported railroad provisions of the State Safety Oversight program in Texas: safety compliance inspection efforts under the Federal Rail Administration State Rail Safety Participation Program. 1. Dallas Area Rapid Transit; Currently, 30 states and the District of Columbia participate 2. Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County; with the Federal Rail Administration program. State railroad investigators conduct compliance inspections of rail track, 3. The Dallas Streetcar; freight car safety standards, safety appliance, locomotives, signals, and hours of service. States also perform rail 4. McKinney Avenue Transit Authority; hazardous materials inspections and ensure that railroads are properly testing, inspecting, and maintaining automated 5. ; and warning devices at grade crossings. These devices include 6. Trolley. flashing lights, gates, bells, and related circuitry. As the program administrator, TxDOT works with and Freight railroad companies pay an annual assessment, provides oversight to these agencies to ensure that they referred to as the State Rail Safety Program Fee, based on meet federal safety standards. gross ton-miles. These fee revenues fund the State Rail Safety Inspection Program. STATE SAFETY OVERSIGHT PROGRAM STANDARD

For more information about State Safety Oversight Program Standard

https://www.txdot.gov/inside-txdot/division/public- transportation/state-safety-oversight.html

2021-2022 EDUCATIONAL SERIES: RAIL AND TRANSIT SAFETY 7 WWW.TxDOT.GOV • GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS DIVISION • (512) 463-6086 CONNECTING YOU WITH TEXAS TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Project Tracker

Project Tracker is the gateway to up-to- date information about TxDOT highway TxDOT is committed to your safety and to the reliability improvement projects, providing of the information contained on this site. While road 24/7-access to the public, conditions can change rapidly, DriveTexas.org is an employees, and elected industry leader in providing some of the most accurate officials. and up-to-date travel-related information currently available to drivers in Texas. Information presented here is as close to real time as possible. For those who use our roads, please do not use this site while operating a motor vehicle.

Be Safe. Drive Smart. Thank you!

TEXAS DEPARTMENT TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 2021-2022 Educational Series OF TRANSPORTATION Government Affairs TxDOT’s complete 2021-2022 Educational Series that focuses on a range of transportation issues affecting TxDOT’s Government Affairs Division works closely with TxDOT and the state of Texas. government on both the state and federal levels though the State Legislative Affairs and Federal Affairs sections.

8 2021-2022 EDUCATIONAL SERIES: RAIL AND TRANSIT SAFETY WWW.TxDOT.GOV • GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS DIVISION • (512) 463-6086