FORT WORTH, Texas — The partial shutdown of the federal government could prevent the TEXRail commuter line from full operation on Saturday, its scheduled opening day.
The Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports that the rail line from downtown Fort Worth to DFW International Airport needs Federal Railroad Administration certification for a junction near downtown, where the commuter railroad meets BNSF Railway and Union Pacific lines. The junction under the Spur 280 highway was only recently completed, and with the FRA among federal agencies affected by the shutdown, TEXRail’s parent organization, Trinity Metro, is unsure when that certification will be available.
Most of the rest of the line has been certified and will be able to operate as scheduled when service begins Saturday, but trains could not run to the downtown Fort Worth station without certification of the junction, dubbed the “hole in the wall.”
Trinity Metro president Paul Ballard told the newspaper that he has his “fingers crossed” that the skeleton staff still working at the FRA will be able to handle the certification.
TEXRail, a 27-mile line using Stadler FLIRT 3 DMU trainsets, held a ceremonial opening for invited guests on Monday. [See “TEXRail debuts with ceremonial run,” Trains News Wire, Jan. 2, 2019.]
And just what would happen if they went ahead and ran over the line? Not much because that same agency that is supposed to enforce the rules is the one that would have to give approval and if they aren’t there for that, they wouldn’t be available for the enforcement either.