AUSTIN (KXAN) — An area where a train derailed in east Austin early Tuesday morning is set to undergo safety upgrades and improvements in the coming years, Austin Transportation and Public Works officials confirmed with KXAN.
According to the Austin Fire Department, the train derailed near the intersection of East Sixth Street and Robert T. Martinez Jr. Street shortly after 4:30 a.m.
KXAN reported in July 2023 on proposed improvements to the Red Line Trail and rail lines between Navasota and East Seventh streets. Those were part of joint projects between the city of Austin and CapMetro centered around enhancing trail and sidewalk access, rail transit services and intersection safety.
On Tuesday, a spokesperson for the Austin Transportation and Public Works Department confirmed construction on both rail and trail improvements is expected to launch in 2026 or 2027. That confirmation came after project team leaders received more than 300 comments as part of a community engagement process, with those largely in support of the initiative.
Planned changes include:
- Double-tracking the Red Line rail from Navasota Street to Robert T. Martinez Jr. Street
- East Fifth will be reimagined as a one-way direction with eastbound traffic between Navasota Street and Pedernales Street
- Enhanced pedestrian and cyclist crossings planned at Onion, Chicon, Robert T. Martinez Jr. and Pedernales streets
- Possibility of creating a new at-grade bike and pedestrian crossing at Chalmers Avenue
- Building a shared street on East Fifth Street from Robert T. Martinez Jr. Street to Pedernales Street, including the addition of a diverter at Matamoros Street
CapMetro will also build out a second project down the road, as outlined as Project No. 2 on the below map.
More detailed design work will be developed later this year, with a finalized design concept expected next year. Funding came through a Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) grant, allocating up to $18 million in federal funds for the project. Austin’s 2020 mobility bond dollars will also support the initiatives.
More details on that project are available online.
