July 2015
TEX Rail moves a step closer to construction
Residents on the region’s western side may soon be able to board a train for Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport and connect to other parts of the region through an evolving rail system.
The Fort Worth Transportation Authority (FWTA) announced last month that it has received approval from the Federal Transit Administration to advance TEX Rail, its long-pursued passenger rail service, into the engineering phase, which immediately precedes the start of construction.
After the announcement that the project had entered the engineering phase, FWTA ordered eight new rail cars for the line from Stadler Bussnang AG. The order was placed now to allow the vehicles to be completed, delivered and tested by 2018, the expected debut of TEX Rail passenger rail service. Staff will also need to be trained before service debuts.
FWTAEX Rail commuter rail will carry passengers along a 27-mile corridor from downtown Fort Worth, northeast across Tarrant County, to Grapevine and into Terminal B at DFW Airport. Ten stations are planned along the line. Daily ridership is anticipated to exceed 10,000 in the service’s first year, according to FWTA. TEX Rail will be the latest improvement to the region’s growing passenger rail system. Last August, Dallas Area Rapid Transit introduced Orange Line service to DFW Airport, terminating at Terminal A. (A pedestrian connection will allow TEX Rail passengers to access the DART line.) With completion of TEX Rail, the Dallas-Fort Worth area’s three public transportation agencies will offer 180 miles of rail transit. The entire network has been built since 1996.
On the Web: TEXRail.com |
nctcog.org/localmotion
27 miles
The length of the planned TEX Rail passenger rail line from downtown Fort Worth to DFW Airport.
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