Senators John Cornyn and Ted Cruz are throwing their weight behind Fort Worth's bid for federal funding to help extend the TexRail commuter line.
Cornyn and Cruz sent a letter to the Federal Transit Authority asking for $40 million to help expand the TexRail service. The proposal would extend the rail line by 2 miles into Fort Worth's Medical District.
The 27-mile rail line opened in January and serves northeast Tarrant County. It connects Fort Worth to DFW International Airport, with stops in North Richland Hills and Grapevine.
Officials with Trinity Metro, Fort Worth's Transportation Authority, say they completed the original project with about $90 million dollars to spare. About half of the unused funds are federal dollars, which would typically be sent back to the federal government. But Trinity Metro officials are lobbying to keep the money in Tarrant County.
The agency estimates the total cost of the expansion would be about $100 million dollars.
