With 16 miles out of 20 built, the rail is continuing to grapple with repairs needed for track infrastructure.

The Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation is disputing claims with contractors about who is responsible for several track problems.

There are three issues with the rail tracks that were presented to the Honolulu City Council on Monday — one dating back to pieces installed six years ago.

Seventy side switch plates, which are what tracks rest on when they switch, were not properly welded along the edges, HART Interim Chief Executive Officer Lori Kahikina explained during the Council transportation committee meeting. The authority originally attributed the issue to “shoddy” workmanship by the contractor Kiewit. However, that has been determined to not be the case.

“After further investigation, it appears the switch plates were provided to Kiewit by HART,” HART Director of Government Relations and Public Involvement Joey Manahan said in an email.

“The only field welds that Kiewit was contracted to perform have not failed to date.”

HART is still investigating who is responsible for the substandard welding, as it is not yet clear whether it was the manufacturer’s fault or a maintenance issue of the side switch plates.

The plates will need to be reset, and the welding will need to be redone. HART is still deciding who will do the repairs, and assessing the cost and schedule impacts.

In the Monday update Kahikina estimated that the repair would cost about $130,000 and take about three months. However, those estimates could change with the new information.

Another pressing issue is the rail’s wheels being about half an inch too small to fit in the area where the tracks cross, called frogs.

“That does pose a safety issue when the train has to go over the crossing,” Kahi­kina said.

The repairs will need to be made before the rail can start interim service. A final solution to the issue has not yet been determined. HART is debating whether to modify the wheels or the 96 affected frogs.

“There are several options under discussion by HART and the suppliers to determine the safety, cost and long-term impacts of each of the options,” Manahan said.

“All of the parties are working diligently to find an option that can be implemented quickly to restore the testing schedule.”

He added that if needed, a different, permanent solution will be implemented when parts can be created and installed. The cost and scheduling impacts are still being assessed but will not affect the overall rail delivery date of 2031. The issue was discovered late last year under previous CEO Andy Robbins, but Kahikina was notified only a few weeks ago.

Kahikina explained during the Council meeting that the issues with the wheel alignment are the responsibility of the core system’s contractor, Hitachi.

“The language is pretty black and white; the interface of the wheel and the tracks is on Hitachi,” she said.

“The language is tight already. Now it’s just a matter of disputing what their claim is against what I believe is correct.”

The last issue was with three of the frogs on the west side that have cracking issues. During a sandblasting process, voids were created. However, the cracks could not be identified until force was put over the rails and external pieces were cracked off. Kahikina expected the repairs to take about two to three days and cost about $20,000. The cracks are “superficial” and “easily fixed,” and the repairs will include welding the frogs back down.

This is not the first time faults were discovered in the rail track. In 2016 it was found that plastic parts of the rail guideway that give the tracks a level surface were cracking.

Kahikina is turning to the city Department of Budget and Fiscal Services and Department of Environmental Services, where she was director, for advising on how to make sure HART contracts hold contractors accountable who have done substandard work.

“They’re looking at our current contracts right now,” she said, answering Councilwoman Radiant Cordero’s question about the issue. “They’re going to help us to package a better contract vehicle going forward. … Some of the language I’m used to seeing there didn’t exist in HART’s contracts. So I want to make sure the teeth that we had there, we have also have in HART’s contracts.”

Kahikina also has implemented a policy at HART where before applying for a permit through the city, designs must be 100% completed. In the past, HART had an agreement with the city that permits could be expedited for the project if designs were at least 90% completed.

“It has to be done so that the city departments can do their proper review,” she said.

Cordero, who chairs the Transportation, Sustainability and Health committee, appreciated Kahikina’s transparency with the Council on the rail’s issues.

“I do believe it’s helpful,” she said. “I have to understand all … the past issues that past Council decisions have now dealt our current members, is the same thing that the new leadership at HART is dealing with.”

The cost of the rail has ballooned to $12.4 billion. The final stretch through the Dillingham corridor to Ala Moana Center has yet to be completed. HART officials are still working on readjusting the route through the Dillingham corridor, shifting it closer to the sidewalk to avoid putting both makai and mauka Hawaiian Electric power lines underground.