CapMetro CEO opens up on train project

AUSTIN (KXAN) - Capital Metro officials sat down in a round table discussion with the media Thursday, as the transit authority's CEO said he wanted to become even more transparent about the delayed MetroRail project.

In the nearly 45-minute meeting, Capital Metro CEO Doug Allen and Executive Vice President Elaine Timbes explained the latest hurdles the agency has faced in getting the trains running for passengers.

Among those, a nearly $1 million reprogramming of the train's centralized control system, a new violation from the Federal Railroad Administration, and writing various manuals on different train functions.

The agency is also overhauling its communication systems on the train, going to a radio system instead of a cellular technology.

Allen said he is still expecting trains to start carrying passengers in by March 2010, maybe sooner. That puts the project nearly two years behind the announced projections.

Allen said the project's $105 million budget may only reach a $250,000 to $500,000 excess with the new work ordered.

The new work mainly consists of a new reprogramming of the train's control system, on-schedule for completion by January.

Capital Metro will have to fully re-test the system, and give the Federal Railroad Administration 30-days notice before passenger service starts. Engineers will physically have to reload the software at each train control box in the field, Timbes said.

As for the latest violation from the Federal Railroad Administration, Timbes said Capital Metro's contractor Veolia failed to notify the Federal Railroad Administration about a speed limit change on the tracks near Leander.

"After they made the change to the speed limit," Timbes said. "They hadn't notified the FRA that they had done that."

Timbes said the problem has been fixed, but the agency still could face penalties from the FRA.

At the same time, officials with the transit authority are trying to make final fixes to crossing arms that have failed throughout the summer of testing.

Engineers have re-timed a crossing near its Crestview Station at Lamar and Airport to cut down on confusion with crossing gates coming up before the train left the Crestview Station.

Capital Metro's Director of Rail Operations Bill LeJeune said Tuesday the agency had no reported systemic problems at the crossing arms within the past week.

However, he said, Capital Metro is still trying to fix a crossing at Highway 620 and Parmer Lane.

Among the other items discussed at the round table included pedicabs and stimulus money.

Capital Metro is still in the running for an $81 million package of stimulus money to double-track the line. Officials should find out more information by Feb. 24.

"That's needed to increase the frequency," Allen said.

Allen also said an entrepreneur has approached Capital Metro to park pedicabs next to the trains downtown to shuttle workers downtown.

Asked if he would volunteer to operate one of the pedicabs.

"Maybe next year," he said. "I could use the exercise."