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BNSF advises of Tower 55 closure Sunday
Trinity bypasses Tower 55 and the Eagle has been using TRE between Dallas and Ft. Worth, terminating there with a bus substitution to and from San Antonio since early July until construction is completed.
Would the TRE trains be affected? From what I saw going through on the Texas Eagle it looks like their tracks bypass the tower 55 area.
The Heartland Flyer bypasses Tower 55 also because it terminates at the station north of the tower, and uses dual engines on each end so it does not have to execute turn around maneuvers like the Texas Eagle does (on regularly scheduled routes).
The last I heard DART (who jointly operates the TRE with The T), will not grant the Texas Eagle continued service on the north route due to the entire route is not double tracked and will through off service to all stops for the TRE. There is also concern about the Eagle’s schedule for a long term basis to use the TRE tracks (forcing late arrivals into the rush hours of the TRE).
If this would happen it would reduce the Eagle from executing 3 passes through Tower 55 each way (6 a day); to 1 each way (2 daily) which is a HUGE incentive to get this done.
This upgrade for Tower 55 an additional North-South BNSF line, has been decided by the NCTCOG of north Texas, as well as Union Pacific and BNSF as a “temporary fix” - i.e. the last I saw they were expecting it would only relieve congestion 10-15 years. (I wonder however if they took into account the amount of extra traffic that will be entering ports once the expansion of the Panama Canal is completed next year). The long term solution is to grade separate the tower, as well as make a bypass around DFW.
The work being done now is necessary to not only (temporarily) relieve congestion but to fix some crossings for pedestrians and motor vehicles to safely get across. But sadly, the last meetings I have been to about the project - there is no mention of continuing with design and study of the long term solution.
Clarification: TRE and Amtrak’s Heartland Flyer do not operate through the Tower 55 interlocking. Freight detours/delays may or may not affect their schedules.