Metro OKs $1.46 billion contract for rail

As reported in the Houston Chronicle:

The Metropolitan Transit Authority board of directors on Wednesday unanimously approved a $1.46 billion contract for four new light rail lines, which would add 20 miles to its lone seven-mile line along Main Street.

Under the contract, which came after almost a year of negotiations, Parsons Transportation Group is responsible for designing, building, operating and maintaining the new East End, Southeast, North and Uptown lines at an average cost of $73 million a mile. Metro has said the lines will be complete by 2012.

A fifth rail line, the University line, and an intermodal terminal near downtown still are planned, but are not included in the contract.

Metro officials said the agency intends to spend $632 million on the initial phase of the project, primarily on the East End line along Harrisburg as it is further along in the planning than the others.

“Today is obviously a very significant milestone in our building of the Metro Solutions program,” board Chairman David Wolff said moments before the vote. “Our objective is to improve transit in Houston.”

The first phase includes $390 million for the East End line and a rail vehicle service and inspection facility in that corridor.

Metro will spend another $93 million on what officials described as utility work in the Southeast, North and Uptown corridors.

The initial outlay also will include $118 million to buy 29 new light rail cars from manufacturer CAF USA Inc. Of those, 19 will be used on the existing Main Street line and 10 will go to the East End line.

Finally, there is progress being made on the lines especially the East and North lines. Those affect District H the most.