My name is Spike, and I’m the latest addition to the TEXRail family. You might have heard about my participation in the grand opening for the Stadler U.S. plant in Salt Lake City. I was proud to represent Trinity Metro and to showcase the sleek TEXRail design while celebrating Stadler’s success – and the 150th anniversary of the Golden Spike. That’s when the ceremonial golden spike was driven to join the rails of the first Transcontinental Railroad on May 10, 1869.
For those of you who have already ridden TEXRail, you know that the TEXRail fleet is unlike any other in the United States. The Swiss design makes for a smooth, comfortable ride in a bidirectional train. That’s definitely a different look for trains in Texas.
During the planning phase, Trinity Metro made some modifications to the original design to make sure I’d feel right at home in the Lone Star State. People in the Metroplex like to ride their bikes. But snow ski in Texas? Not so much. That meant replacing the ski racks with vertical bike racks. Another good idea was to be egalitarian with one class of transport for everyone. So they replaced the first class car with a quiet car, giving riders a chance to relax and unplug.
If you haven’t tried TEXRail yet, I hope you will soon. I’m going to hang out in Utah just a bit longer, and then I’ll be headed to Texas. Can’t wait to meet y’all!