Houston Metro contractor to replace axle counters

Written by Mischa Wanek-Libman, editor
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In this screen grab from video, Houston area drivers wait at a crossing in which the gates remained lowered due to a faulty axle counter.
Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County

Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County (Houston Metro) contractor, Houston Rapid Transit (HRT) has a plan to replace axle counters on three rail lines.

The project, estimated to cost $30 million, will be paid for by HRT and should eliminate false reports of a train occupying a portion of track when no rail car is present. The plan for replacement follows months of study and workarounds in which the original manufacturer of the component, Siemens, was not able to remedy.

The new product to be installed is made by Frauscher Sensor Technology, which was recently acquired by Greenbrier Equity.

“We are relieved and hopeful that the situation will be resolved in the next several months. With the work scheduled to begin immediately and a good result expected from the new Frauscher product, we are ready to move forward,” said Houston Metro President and CEO Tom Lambert. “This has been very frustrating for [Houston] METRO operations, safety folks and, most importantly, for drivers and riders who are not happy with delays in train traffic and malfunctioning gates.”

Fixing the issue means replacing the axle counters. The new units have proven workable but their installation will require temporary closures and disruption of rail schedules on the Purple and Green Lines as well as a portion (north of Burnett Station) on the Red Line.

Buses will be used to transport rail passengers during track closures. The work, which occurs over the next several months, extends through May 2017 and will not cause closures during Super Bowl, Houston Livestock and Rodeo, pro and college football and other major scheduled events.

“We will be making announcements well in advance of any shutdowns that may occur during the week or on weekends. Now that we have a fix we are instituting it,” said Lambert.

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