Capital Metro is moving forward with plans to upgrade its downtown MetroRail station and purchase four new rail cars that will double the capacity of the 32-mile commuter line through a $50 million grant from the Texas Department of Transportation.

The Texas Transportation Commission—the governing board for TxDOT—approved awarding the grant June 26.

"The additional rail cars will allow us to run at higher levels of benefit," said Todd Hemingson, Capital Metro's vice president of strategic planning and development. "We see a need for that. We think the demand would be there."

The additional funding—combined with an $11.3 million Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery, or TIGER, grant from the Federal Transit Administration and $18 million from Capital Metro—will enable the transit agency to shave train headways, or the timee between rail vehicles, from 34 minutes to 15 minutes during peak hours.

Depending on the availability of future funding, Capital Metro will may be able to add a MetroRail train after7 p.m., Hemingson said.

Upgrading the downtown station at the Austin Convention Center will allow Capital Metro to shift the station farther to the east and have three tracks and two platforms, Hemingson said.

"The station will be a much more inviting environment and more comfortable with more space on the platform," Hemingson said.

Capital Metro has been speaking with area stakeholders, including the city of Austin, Hilton Austin Hotel and the convention center, about transforming the area surrounding the station into a gateway to Austin with a transit and pedestrian plaza.

The transit agency has not yet set a timeline on construction or purchasing the new rail cars, but Hemingson said design is about 10 percent complete.

The $11.3 million TIGER grant will allow the agency to add siding, also known as double tracking, near the Lakeline, Howard and Crestview stations for increased capacity. The money will also help to realign a portion of the tracks in East Austin.

Included in the $29.3 million from the TIGER grant and Capital Metro funds is $6.2 million for the double tracking and $2 million to modify the MetroRail cars. Upgraded rail cars will allow MetroRail and freight to operate at the same time.

Capital Metro plans to start construction on these upgrades in 2015.