Construction begins this week on the Honolulu rail transit system's train Maintenance and Storage Facility (MSF) in Waipahu, the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation (HART) announced.

The train maintenance facility will be located on a 43-acre site off Farrington Highway between Leeward Community College and Waipahu High School. The site will also house the train control center that will operate the 20-mile elevated rail system from East Kapolei to Ala Moana.

"This facility will house the 'brains and trains' of the rail system in which the driverless trains and other rail operations will be controlled from this location," HART CEO/Executive Director Dan Grabauskas said. "This latest construction under way shows the rail project continues moving forward and is on the right track."

Along with the train system control center, the facility will house a maintenance building for track inspection and repairs; a train vehicle wash facility; and train wheel repair center.

The facility will be environmentally-friendly and meet Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Silver Certification, with sustainable features including natural lighting and ventilation in buildings; use of recycled construction materials wherever possible; and water-efficient landscaping.

Kiewit/Kobayashi, a joint venture, was awarded the $195 million contract in 2010 to design and build the facility.