A partnership that will be responsible for expanding the transit system at Fort Worth in Texas and improving the area’s public transport has been announced by the network’s operator.

Trinity Metro, which provides public transport in Tarrant County, has selected a partnership between Huitt-Zollars and TranSystems as the final design consultant (FDC) for its $167 million TEXRAIL extension project. That is a critical element of Trinity Metro’s strategic plan for transportation in Fort Worth.

The program includes a 2.1-mile commuter rail extension from the Fort Worth T&P Station to a new station to be built near Southside Station, and the design of the new station with a 100-space park-and-ride car park. Construction is planned to begin in 2024. Southside is in the Fort Worth Medical District which has a total of 50,000 employees.

The Huitt-Zollars and TranSystems partnership has proven leadership and expertise in rail and transit station design, and both have worked for Trinity Metro on several projects over the years. These include TranSystems work on the TEXRail Track and Stations project, and Huitt-Zollars work on the Mahaffey Maintenance Facility. The team has previously worked together successfully on many projects, both in Fort Worth and throughout Texas.

As the operator of public transport in Tarrant County, Trinity Metro offers connections throughout the North Central Texas region on buses, TEXRail, ACCESS paratransit, ZIPZONEs, Fort Worth Bike Sharing, vanpools, and the 34-mile Trinity Railway Express (TRE), which is a commuter rail line jointly owned and operated with Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART). Trinity Metro is also sole owner and operator of the 27-mile TEXRail a commuter rail line between downtown Fort Worth and Dallas Fort Worth International Airport’s Terminal B.

Richard Andreski, Trinity Metro President and CEO, said “This commuter rail expansion represents a crucial milestone in the development of Fort Worth’s transportation infrastructure.”

“By connecting riders to the Near Southside and Medical District, we are offering medical workers, patients and visitors an opportunity to ride the very popular and very successful TEXRAIL. The expanded rail service will provide a great commuting choice many people while also offering Near Southside residents a seamless connection to DFW Airport.”

David Campbell, Huitt-Zollars vice president, said the Huitt-Zollars and TranSystems partnership was created specifically to support Trinity Metro for the TEXRail Extension.

“We’ve got a great team in place and complement each other in services we provide to bring these projects to fruition,” Campbell said. “Over the years, Huitt-Zollars and TranSystems have been integral to TEXRAIL projects, such as the commuter rail line’s maintenance facility and the initial TEXRAIL line from downtown Fort Worth to the Airport. This partnership brings complementary skills together for exceptional results.”

“We are pleased to partner again with Huitt-Zollars and TranSystems,” said Chad Edwards, executive vice president of strategy, planning and development at Trinity Metro. “Our previous collaborations yielded highly successful results, so we are looking forward to continued excellence for our community.”