Sunset Commission Progress Report

A Safety System Program Plan (SSPP) has been completed by Capital Metro and reviewed and accepted by the Federal Railroad Administration, the federal agency responsible for rail oversight. The SSPP identifies goals and objectives to ensure safe, reliable, convenient and efficient operations. This SSPP also describes the requirements, processes and controls required to transport people safely on the system.

Capital Metro is committed to the ongoing safe operations of the commuter and freight rail lines and since May 2010, staff has reported on the safety of the system to the Capital Metro board on a monthly basis. The reports are also shared with the Texas Department of Transportation.

A position for vice president of Rail Operations has been included in the FY2011 budget. In January 2011, Capital Metro announced the hiring of Melvin Clark to fill this position. Clark most recently served as rail director for the Greater Cleveland Regional Transportation Authority and has also held key rail and signal management positions in Los Angeles, Atlanta and Chicago. He will oversee the management and safety of all passenger and freight rail operations as well as maintenance of way, including track, bridges, signals and crossings, and compliance with all Federal Railroad Administration regulations. He will play a key role in future rail development.

An engineering firm was hired to assist in the development of a Railroad Bridge Safety Management Program. The program includes a list of bridge replacement priorities. The recommended bridge replacements, along with prioritized bridge repairs, were included in the Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) which was included in the adopted FY2011 operating and capital budget.

Capital Metro has made all necessary repairs on the three highest-priority bridges within the MetroRail corridor and has replaced one high-priority bridge in the freight rail corridor.

In March 2009, the agency instituted a new requirement for a customized Contract Monitoring Plan (CMP) for all new contracts, including rail projects. Capital Metro staff developed CMPs for all executed rail contracts, including the contract with Herzog, the MetroRail service provider.

Capital Metro staff expects the contract with Watco, the freight rail operator, to be approved by the board of directors and executed in October 2010.

Organizational changes have been made to create a Real Estate and Capital Projects Department to address key lessons learned from the Red Line development. These lessons learned have been presented to both the Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization and the Capital Metro board. In Jan. 2011, a rail director was also hired to oversee all rail operations. This new department and new position will work closely together to develop and implement project management controls related to future rail projects. Capital Metro has also developed a matrix to monitor projects identified in the CIP. Quarterly reporting to the board is currently being done.