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The situation is much the same here in the D/FW metro area. BNSF maintains the signals and ROW for our excellent Trinity Railway Express commuter service, and Herzog runs the trainsets and provides accomodation under contract to TRE. The Trans-Texas Corridor lines will doubtless be organized along similar lines.

The trains themselves are clean and functional. The line runs a mix of stock: self-propelled Railway Diesel Cars (beautiful, reconditioned 1950s Budd RDCs!) for off-peak hours, and big, comfortable Bombardier double-decker club cars pulled by custom, integrated streamlined Diesel engines for peak times and special events. (There's a TRE station at American Airlines Center; taking the train to a Mavericks game beats heck out of fighting the arena traffic!)

Ridership on the TRE has far exceeded expectations -- so much so that the local council of governments is studying and expansion of the local heavy-rail transit system. UP has expressed interest in operating a second FW-Dallas TRE service along its current ROW through Arlington. (The Amtrak Superliner currently running on that line does not stop here; it's roaring with freight 24/7, however, and connects to the same station in downtown Dallas that the current TRE commuter service and the DART light-rail system use.) I hope this is done!

If it's not too personal, could you explain your role in the transportation industry?

Thanks for the links, by the way. Useful stuff!