Riders on Fort Worth’s TEXRail system can soon reach more North Texas cities — thanks to a new 26-mile passenger rail line that launches later this month.
Dallas Area Rapid Transit’s Silver Line — which starts running on Oct. 25 — will bolster regional transportation systems by connecting with TEXRail at two stations at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport, officials said. DART will pay Trinity Metro about $6 million annually for that link.
“It’s a welcome addition, no doubt,” said Chris Wallace, president and CEO of the North Texas Commission, a public-private partnership that promotes regional business and workforce development across 13 counties, including Tarrant and Dallas.
“Cities have invested years and years to make this happen. It will help keep us competitive with other regions when corporations are looking to relocate,” Wallace said.
The regional connectivity will fast track tourism and move more workers across the area as well as provide welcome transportation options in advance of the FIFA World Cup games headed to North Texas in 2026, Wallace said.
“This will certainly help,” he said.
Regional transportation systems often play a strategic part in corporate relocations as company leaders consider logistics in not only tapping talent but moving them to job sites.
“We believe we have a role to play in making Fort Worth even more attractive to business relocations,” said Richard Andreski, president and CEO of Trinity Metro. “There’s a handful of things that businesses are looking for when they relocate. … Access to talent is always in the top three.”
Eventually, the Silver Line will connect passengers with Denton, Lewisville and Highland Village. The Denton County Transportation Authority is planning a 2-mile A-train extension to downtown Carrollton to reach the Silver Line.
“That’s going to be a game changer,” Paul Christina, president and CEO of the Denton County transit agency, said in April during a rail conference.
The Silver Line’s debut comes as TEXRail is increasingly popular with Fort Worth-area passengers.
Ridership jumped 11% in August compared to the same month last year, Brad Beason, manager of rail operations, told the Trinity Metro board of directors at a Sept. 22 meeting.
“TEXRail’s ridership continues to increase, as you can see, for the month of August. We had a ridership just above 73,000 riders,” he said.
Special events, such as GrapeFest in downtown Grapevine, drew about 5,000 train riders.
The line’s on-time performance is 98%, Beason said.
To encourage more workers to use rail stations, Trinity Metro officials are discussing upgrades to TEXRail’s DFW stations, which will be shared with the Silver Line.
For instance, the north airport station could expand its park-and-ride lot so airport workers can park there and take a short rail trip to Terminal B. Extended parking is also being considered at the station, officials said.
Trinity Metro officials will work with airport officials to boost rail station signage and visibility at Terminal B. Some passengers reported having trouble locating the ground-floor station at the terminal’s east end.
Creating more public awareness of the station is a priority with World Cup games coming, he stressed.
“It’s not easy to find,” Trinity Metro board chair Jeff Davis said at the Sept. 22 meeting.
“We are on that wavelength,” Anette Landeros, chief strategy officer for Trinity Metro, said.
“It’s all hands on deck. We’re going to look at it together.”
Riders said they are excited about reaching cities in Dallas and Collin counties via train.
Frequent TEXRail rider Jemini Miller, 24, said she’s impressed that the Silver Line connection will enable her to travel to more cities.
“That’s pretty neat,” she said.
Wallace said the Silver Line will help more people use transit systems.
“A lot of cities are not part of a transit system,” he said. “It’s great for our region. We should celebrate that success as a region.”
Silver Line rides will be free until Nov. 8, officials said.
Eric E. Garcia is a senior business reporter at the Fort Worth Report. Contact him at eric.garcia@fortworthreport.org.
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