FirstGroup plc subsidiary First Transit, which provides transportation contract and management services, has been awarded a contract by Denton County Transportation Authority (DCTA) to provide operations and maintenance services for the 21-mile A-train commuter rail line that connects Denton and Dallas Counties in Texas. This is the first rail contract in North America that First Transit has signed.
First Transit currently provides transit management services for operations of more than 70 vehicles for DCTA fixed-route and demand-response service. The company also provides management, dispatch, customer service and staff for all bus operations.
The new contract includes the operations, dispatch and maintenance for the A-train. The contract is effective October 1, 20106, and covers a period of nine years, with an additional five-year option.
“We’re excited to extend our partnership with First Transit to our A-train rail operations and maintenance,” said DCTA President Jim Cline. “First Transit’s innovative solutions in rail infrastructure maintenance will enable us to provide enhanced rail services for the many communities we serve.”
DCTA has five A-train stations. Two are located in Denton, and three are located in Lewisville. The A-train also connects with the Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) at their Trinity Mills Station in Carrollton where passengers can transfer to the DART Green Line. DCTA’s A-train carries more than 500,000 passengers per year.
“We are very pleased that the Denton County Transit Authority has awarded us the contract for A-train, our first rail contract in North America. This contract for A-train represents an exciting new development for the Group and we welcome the opportunity to develop and share our rail expertise with a progressive partner such as Denton County Transportation Authority,” said Tim O’Toole, chief executive of FirstGroup.
“Our U.S. rail team blends our significant experience in rail in the U.K. with North American transit expertise in both rail and bus. We look forward to building on this success as we explore further opportunities in the sector,” added O’Toole.
FirstGroup plc is a transport operator in the UK and North America. First Transit, a division of FirstGroup, moves more than 350 million passengers a year and provides operation, management and consulting for more than 300 locations in 39 states, Canada, Puerto Rico and Panama.