(The following story by Anna M. Tinsley appeared on the Fort Worth Star-Telegram website on May 23.)
FORT WORTH, Texas — They call it Tower 55, the railroad control tower southeast of downtown Fort Worth that guides one of the nation’s busiest, most congested rail intersections.
But it might soon be on track to improving.
On Tuesday, Tarrant County Commissioners unanimously agreed to help pay for a study to identify ways to relieve traffic at the interchange, where at times, freight trains wait for hours to get through.
“At any of the four quadrants there, you’ll see trains stopped,” County Judge Glen Whitley said. “They are all sitting there with their engines idling. It’s like a four-way stop at the I-30/I-35 intersection. It’s a tremendous burden to our air quality and transit needs of the region.”
The tower is where railroad tracks owned by BNSF and Union Pacific intersect. Trinity Railway Express and Amtrak commuter trains also pass through daily.
Money for the study will come from a congressional earmark and matching funds from participating cities. The county’s portion will be $66,600, records show. The study could take as long as 18 months.