Light Rail to the Galleria, DNT

[texman]

I've seen it on maps before, I don't know if its official or atleast been studied with DART, a line splitting off the north central route and then paralleling LBJ all the way to DNT then turning north hitting Galleria/DNT and then Addison. Any idea on how this would be built? Is ROW already there or would be in a tunnel?

[RobertB]

Just for reference, the aforementioned maps.

[texman]

Just for reference, the aforementioned maps.

Yeah, what I don't understand is I've never seen the right away for this line along LBJ, but I know there are some old tracks/ROW along DNT past LBJ so I'm assuming thats what they've got it following.

[drumguy8800]

Yeah, what I don't understand is I've never seen the right away for this line along LBJ, but I know there are some old tracks/ROW along DNT past LBJ so I'm assuming thats what they've got it following.


You'll notice that there are tracks paralleling Inwood here: Map (http://www.dfwmaps.com/index.asp?ExtentLeft=2475217&ExtentRight=2488264&ExtentTop=7034522.45546597&ExtentBottom=7022744.40987069&idCmd=&buffer=&x1=161&x2=265&y1=55&y2=157&tool=zoombox&click.x=213&click.y=106&Requests=on&selectpt.x=&selectpt.y=&selectpt.stat=&Address=&CityZip=&Label=&Aerial03=on&Cmd=ZoomIn&msize=small&mapTheme=dfwmaps&mapOption=Regional_Features)
You'll also notice that the DNT follows the same route as Inwood until about LBJ: Map (http://www.dfwmaps.com/index.asp?extentleft=2475623.02447002&extentright=2488669.97552998&extenttop=7036962.66743605&extentbottom=7025184.62184076&Layers=on&AERIAL03=&AERIAL=&Requests=on&selectpt.x=&selectpt.y=&selectpt.stat=&idCmd=&identify=&mo=1&buffer=&msize=small&AF=&mapTheme=dfwmaps&mapOption=Regional_Features&Zoomby=6)
The DNT, up to I-635, was built on old railroad ROW. That's why the tollway gets dramatically bigger once you pass LBJ.. because it has a muuuch wider ROW. The railline that used to connect to downtown still exists up into Addison (which is the railline in the first map..)
According to the DART map, they will run it up this ROW, then curve and go up (I'm assuming) Quorum, which runs right by Addison Circle. They will probably make the break towards Quorum in this open stretch of land between the rail and the split of Quorum and Landmark Blvd: Map (http://www.dfwmaps.com/index.asp?ExtentLeft=2479243&ExtentRight=2485764&ExtentTop=7034212.43075118&ExtentBottom=7028325.29244084&idCmd=&buffer=&x1=&x2=&y1=&y2=&tool=&click.x=&click.y=&Requests=on&selectpt.x=&selectpt.y=&selectpt.stat=&Address=&CityZip=&Label=&Aerial03=on&Cmd=ZoomIn&msize=small&mapTheme=dfwmaps&mapOption=Regional_Features&Update.x=63&Update.y=4)

[saxman66]

If you get a Dallas Mapsco, they show all the current DART lines plus many ROW. I'm not sure if they are owned by DART or what, but many are labeled "DART" They run all over east and north Dallas. Its pretty interesting if you want some good maps to have at home to look at. They're great for raods too. I'm not sure how many of those "DART" lines still have freight on them. I hardly see any on them. Seems like the busy freight lines are all south of downtown, and along the UP to Ft. Worth. Anyone know about how much freight goes along the TRE? How will DART deal with the existing freight still on those lines. Seeing how UP treats Amtrak, I imagine, its not easy sometimes.

Chris

[texman]

If you get a Dallas Mapsco, they show all the current DART lines plus many ROW. I'm not sure if they are owned by DART or what, but many are labeled "DART" They run all over east and north Dallas. Its pretty interesting if you want some good maps to have at home to look at. They're great for raods too. I'm not sure how many of those "DART" lines still have freight on them. I hardly see any on them. Seems like the busy freight lines are all south of downtown, and along the UP to Ft. Worth. Anyone know about how much freight goes along the TRE? How will DART deal with the existing freight still on those lines. Seeing how UP treats Amtrak, I imagine, its not easy sometimes.

Chris

Well DART owns the ROW all the way to Mckinney and past I believe and thers stills frieght on it. I think DART is just in control of dispatching them. If commuter rail were to run on the UP between FT. Worth and Dallas, UP and TRE would have to sign some agreement, you know, X number of trains, you cant delay so and so. Also another track would be added probably or so the NCTCOG plans show.

Heres the website, alot of meeting info:
http://www.nctcog.org/trans/public_trans/Regional_Rail/W-1/index.htm

[Haretip]

You all ask so many questions that I have answers for, but I already spend too much time on the internet.

DART owns a lot of railroad right-of-ways. A lot of these right-of-ways have freight operations on them because the railroad has retained operating rights or has a franchise from DART. Railroad operations are under jurisdiction of the feds and you can't deny service to someone who has rail service.

The TRE is owned by the Cities of Fort Worth and Dallas. TRE has operating rights along with Union Pacific and Burlington Northern Santa Fe. The track is dispatched by Burlington Northern Santa Fe, whose command center just happens to be in north Fort Worth.

Depending on the amount of freight traffic and the messy abandonment procedure through the feds, on light rail lines, DART can switch rail users to truck, or they will run a separate track for rail service to the businesses. This happens in Garland and around the S&I junction south of Cedars Station. Parallel service will happen a lot on the NW Corridor, since there is still a lot of freight on the line. On commuter rail lines, the freight traffic will continue as normal.

As I recall, the Dallas, Garland and Northeast has a 99 year franchise for the switching operations on the majority of DART's rail lines.

I hope this answers questions/misconceptions. It isn't a very thorough answer, but all I have time for.

[tamtagon]

DART owns a lot of railroad right-of-ways.

How much did it cost to purchase the right-of-way? How was the purchase made? Does DART get revenue from right-of-way ownership on tracks used by freight companies? ----Or can you kindly give direction to a website with these answers? I certainly appreciate the info you share, thanks.