Global soccer fans embraced transit options during their treks to Arlington for 2026 FIFA World Cup matches.
The transportation plan, including passenger rail and charter bus services, proved successful as North Texas officials managed daily ridership on the Fort Worth and Dallas systems on game days.
More than 40,000 people rode charter buses between the CentrePort/DFW Airport Station and the bus hub near AT&T Stadium, dubbed “Dallas Stadium” during the tournament, North Central Texas Council of Governments officials said.
Most of those fans — about 30,000 — used the Trinity Railway Express, a joint passenger train venture between Fort Worth’s Trinity Metro transit agency and Dallas Area Rapid Transit, to reach CentrePort.
At the station, fans were ushered through covered gate areas onto 125 charter buses that took them to Arlington’s Entertainment District.
Monica Paul, president of the North Texas FWC Organizing Committee, said the successful transportation plan required monumental teamwork and coordination from the council of governments’ transportation department, transit agencies and the Regional Transportation Council.
“By aligning our federal, state and local partners under a single, coordinated vision, we didn’t just move people efficiently, we proved that our region can deliver at the highest level to successfully host the biggest sporting event in the world,” Paul said in a statement.
The plan was developed by the council of governments’ transportation department with the expectation that global visitors would likely use public transportation for matches, although a sizable number did drive to Arlington.
“The success of this transit plan belongs to an incredible coalition of local transit providers who aligned to move millions of fans and residents reliably across our multimodal system,” Michael Morris, transportation director at NCTCOG, said in a statement.
The CentrePort/DFW Airport Station was the transit nerve center for guiding fans and volunteers to the stadium, officials said.
Extra cars were added to the TRE and officials operated the train service at increased frequency during the tournament, including Sundays, to ensure sufficient space for fans and commuters alike. Charter buses were used to supplement the TRE service.
The busiest day at CentrePort station was June 25, when 7,400 people hopped onto charter buses for the Japan vs. Sweden match. Later that day, an additional 400 people rode on charter buses back to CentrePort, bringing the total to 7,800 riders, officials said.
Eric E. Garcia is senior business reporter at the Fort Worth Report. Contact him at eric.garcia@fortworthreport.org.
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