September 25, 2025 - TRA Austin -

The Texas Department of Transportation's Rail Division has a new Director. He is Don Franks, who previously served as the Section Director for Rail Safety and Compliance at the agency.  He replaces Jeff Davis, who was promoted to Chief Administrative Officer at the state DOT.

The announcement was made during the monthly meeting of the Texas Transportation Commission in Austin today. Franks has 35 years of experience in the rail industry.

Previous to his employment at TxDOT he held various positions at Hulcher Services, including Vice Preident of Operations; Progress Rail and Trinity Industries. At Hulcher, Franks oversaw all service operations and service offerings from 31 various divisions.