Metro acknowledged Wednesday that it will be unable to open its two new light rail lines this year as promised, the latest in a series of delays and controversies associated with the rail system.
Less than two months ago, Metropolitan Transit Authority officials said the agency’s Green and Purple lines would open in December – just under the wire of the 2014 opening they pledged when work started in 2011. Four years ago, the opening date was pushed back to 2014 from 2012 after a federal investigation forced Metro to restart its rail car procurement process.
Continuing problems with axle counters along the route – the counters are part of the system that tracks trains along the line – and a downtown construction error that severed a chilled water line have made it impossible to open the lines this year, officials said. CEO Tom Lambert said agency officials were working to develop a new timetable.
“It is disappointing, but it is more important to get it done right than stick to the 2014 timetable,” Metro board chairman Gilbert Garcia said.
The chilled water line delivers cooled water to Minute Maid Park, and is crucial to the operation of its air conditioning system. The cut knocked out AC at the ballpark over the weekend of Aug. 23 and 24.
The line break occurred under Metro’s new section of track south of the ballpark. Because of the break, an entire section of the roadway, rails and communications system had to be replaced.
The segment serves both the Green Line that runs from downtown through the East End along Harrisburg, and the Purple Line that connects downtown to the Palm Center Transit Center south of the University of Houston. The replacement will delay testing of the lines – a requirement before service can start.
Given the additional work, track replacement and continuing problems with the axle counters, capital projects manager Roberto Trevino said staff was “taking a look at the impact to the schedule.”
See here for the previous delay report. The cut to the chilled water line was done by a construction company working on a hotel project, so that was completely out of Metro’s control, for whatever consolation that’s worth. The axle counter problem is being fixed by Siemens, the rail car manufacturer, so at least the delay won’t cost Metro any extra money. It also makes the earlier rail car delivery problem that much smaller. Silver linings or no, this still sucks. We should know what the revised schedule is when CEO Tom Lambert reports to the board on September 25.