Questions or Comments?

Let Us Know!

Customer Service:

713-635-4000 (call or text)

METRORail Track Access

To ensure the safety of personnel and safe movement of trains, any organization that needs to perform work within the METRORail Safety Zone is required to follow METRO’s Track Access Procedures outlined below. If METRO determines personnel services are necessary, METRO assigns the personnel, and work isn't allowed without those services.

A Track Safety Certification card is valid for one year. In most cases, once a Trackway Allocation Request Form is submitted by 5 p.m. Tuesday, work can begin the following week. If you still have questions after reviewing this page, email TrackAccess@ridemetro.org

Aerial photo of METRORail train

Track Access Procedures


To schedule a class, email track.safety@ridemetro.org. Please submit the participant names and courses that you require to reserve seating for your employees. Seating assignments are scheduled when the names of the employees are submitted. You will then receive confirmation letters for the employees to attend the training session(s). Please do not send employees to the course unless you have received confirmation letters for the class session.

Submit the Trackway Allocation Request Form by 5:00 p.m. Tuesday prior to the week of the scheduled work.

Attend a Track Allocation meeting to review scope of work being done and discuss any issues that need to be addressed before work is to commence. You must attend this meeting at least one week prior to the date of requested work. These meetings are held every Wednesday at 10 am at the Rail Operations Center (ROC) Facility, located at 1601 W Bellfort Blvd.

All interested parties will receive a Track Access Schedule via email by close of business each Friday. The Track Access Schedule runs from Sunday at 12:01 a.m. through Saturday at 11:59 p.m.

Obtain a work permit at the ROC or S&I Station Office prior to commencing each day’s work activities. You can pick up the work permit 24 hours in advance. 

A work permit is valid only for the date and times indicated on the work permit. The work permit establishes limits, and conditions must not be exceeded without authorization from Rail Control (713-843-5499).

Keep the work permit and/or Red Tag available at the work site at all times for inspection.

Everyone working in the Safety Zone must always have their Track Safety Certification Card with them.

All work crews or individuals must notify Rail Control prior to entering the Trackway and again immediately upon leaving the Trackway.

All work crews or individuals must notify Rail Control of changes in location, equipment in use and other pertinent information required to safeguard the movement of trains or equipment in their Work Zone.


Additional Steps for Red Tag Procedure

Steps 11 through 14 apply when working under SOP003 Red Tag Procedure (OCS power removed and grounded).


You will receive your work permit as a PDF via email before getting Red Tags. The Red Tags are issued in the field/work site.

Prior to beginning work under Red Tag Procedures, your designated representative must meet with Traction Power personnel, who will identify work limits and demonstrate power removal.

Your designated representative must maintain a method of communication with the Rail Control Center, Traction Power designee and the METRORail Station Office at all times.

It's mandatory that the designated representative obtain a Red Tag prior to beginning work and promptly return the Red Tag to the appropriate Traction Power designee after the work is complete.

Monthly Work Permits

A monthly work permit may be requested for routine maintenance or work scheduled to run multiple days.

  • A work permit for routine maintenance or a multiple day project will be issued for a period not to exceed one month.
  • Submit the Trackway Allocation Request form for your monthly work permit on the last Tuesday or week of each month for the next month.
  • The requestor needs to pick up the monthly work permit on or before the 1st day of the month or 1st day back to work for the month. Work permit start/end dates will be the 1st through the 31st.

Common Questions


Costs

Permits and training are free.

Charges per hour are:

PositionHourly Rate
Certified Flagger/Rail Operator:$27.00 
Traction Power Maintainer:$38.55 (all Traction Power support services require two maintainers)
Supervisor:$41.31 
MTA Police Officer:$36.00 
Bus Bridge:$100.06 per hour per Bus Operator

METRO will prepare and send you an invoice within 30 days of completion of the work. Payment is due within 30 days of receipt of the invoice.

Terminology

A Red Tag is required to work within a ten-foot radius of the OCS necessitating a power down.

It’s the area within 15 feet of the centerline of any track.

The Work Zone is the area of work within defined limits, where movement of rail equipment is governed by the Flagger. The Safety Zone is the trackway, which may include other areas such as the street, shared poles on sidewalks and substations.

Browser not supported

It appears you’re on an older web browser we don’t support. Please try one of the options below so you can view the METRO website.