AUSTIN (KXAN) — Plans to restore the Zilker Eagle miniature train are back on track after nearly a year of delays.

Last October, the Austin Parks Foundation had to delay the restoration after safety testing revealed braking issues.

APF posted on social media Friday that the plans were officially back on track, and a thread from a Zilker Eagle account said testing should tentatively occur in the late fall with the train opening to the public shortly after.

The Zilker Eagle posts said a local group of engineers partnered with the project, and the train coaches were recently transported to an off-site facility to be retrofitted with airbrakes to ensure they’re safe for passengers. They’ll also receive new electrical wiring for lights and a PA system, according to the posts.

Later this month, the Zilker Eagle will make some track adjustments before entering the testing phase later in the fall, the posts said.

The project has been in the works for the last few years.

Track erosion due to rain in 2019 caused the old train, the Zilker Zephyr, to shut down. The previous operators were working with Austin Parks and Recreation to repair it, but they couldn’t reach an agreement on a new contract. The former operators then removed the old tracks in August 2020. Since then, APF has taken over the train project as well as a master plan for Zilker Park.