HART Takes Delivery of Final Trainset, $125MM in Federal Funding

HART on April 24 announced the arrival of its final trainset from Hitachi Rail at Honolulu Harbor. (HART Photograph)

The Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation (HART) on April 24 received $125 million from the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) under an amended Full Funding Grant Agreement, plus its final four-car trainset from Hitachi Rail for Skyline, the first urban rail transit GoA4 (Grade of Automation) system in operation in the United States.

The initial operating segment of Honolulu’s 20-mile, 21-station autonomous (driverless) service opened for revenue service June 30, 2023 (see map below).

According to HART, the original Full Funding Grant Agreement for Skyline was signed in 2012, providing $1.55 billion. Funding stopped in 2017 due to project cost overruns and construction delays; HART had only received approximately $806 million.

Construction from East Kapolei to Ala Moana Center had been slated to cost $5.1 billion and open in 2020, but according to a recent Honolulu Civil Beat report, “construction was delayed and costs escalated wildly since then, forcing the Legislature to step in twice to provide financial bailouts.” The city shorted the line by a mile and removed two stations to cut costs. Now the total project price tag is estimated at $9.93 billion including finance charges, the paper said. Due to the line changes, additional environmental and FTA reviews were required, as well as an amended grant agreement. The amended agreement was executed Feb. 1, 2024, releasing the $125 million payment HART received April 24.

“The amended Full Funding Grant Agreement reaffirmed the FTA’s commitment to the remaining $744 million and prescribed milestones for when the federal funding will be available to the project,” HART reported. An additional $250 million will be made available for the project once HART awards the City Center Guideway and Stations contract, which it said is expected later this year.

“Thanks to the collaboration of the FTA, the HART Board, Mayor Rick Blangiardi, the Hawaii Congressional Delegation, and the Honolulu City Council, HART was able to successfully execute an amendment to the Full Funding Grant Agreement, which allows this important public works project to continue moving forward,” HART Executive Director and CEO Lori Kahikina said. “These funds are necessary for us to complete the project and will help us achieve our construction milestones as we work through the critical path of the project.”

Meanwhile, on April 24 HART’s final trainset from Hitachi Rail arrived at Honolulu Harbor. It was slated to be transported in three shipments to the Rail Operations Center, where it will undergo safety testing and certification.

HART said it has now received all 20 four-car trainsets that will be required when Skyline service opens to the downtown area. Of the 19 trainsets already on island, 12 are fully commissioned and have been handed over to the city’s Department of Transportation Services.

Each four-car trainset is air conditioned and can accommodate 800 riders, the equivalent of 10 city buses. Open gangways allow for ease of travel between cars. According to HART, the trainsets are ADA-compliant with priority areas for wheelchairs; surfboard, bike and luggage storage areas are located within each one and there are also areas available for strollers.