Fort Worth Transportation Authority (FWTA) celebrated three groundbreakings for the TEXRail project in one day. The celebrations were held at Fort Worth’s historic Texas & Pacific Station, which will be the beginning of the route, as well as in Grapevine and North Richland Hills. The new 27-mile commuter rail line will run from downtown Fort Worth to the airport.
“We are delighted to have this project underway,” said Paul Ballard, FWTA's president/CEO. “TEXRail is a tremendous achievement for our region and our customers. We have transit-oriented development planned throughout the region, from residential living to retail to boutique hotels. Public transportation has a very bright future in North Texas.”
TEXRail’s line will feature four stations in Fort Worth and five other stations, including two in North Richland Hills and one in Grapevine. The rail line will operate 44 diesel multiple unit (DMU) passenger trains per day. Service will begin in late 2018, and more than 9,000 daily riders are expected to use the line by the end of the first year of operation. That number is projected to grow to 14,000 riders by 2035.
Bob Baulsir, vice president of railroads and procurement, remarked, “Once people have the chance to see how smooth and elegant this Stadler vehicle is, they will see that it’s the way to go. Why suffer through white-knuckle driving in traffic when you can sit back and enjoy the ride?”
“One of the greatest features of TEXRail is that we’ll have positive train control for enhanced safety,” added Baulsir. “These trains feature state-of-art technology that will provide a great rider experience.”