Trinity Metro has begun construction on a 2.1-mile extension of the TEXRail commuter line, connecting Fort Worth’s Medical District and Near Southside area in Texas to the wider regional rail network.
With a $270m budget, the project will extend the existing line south from Fort Worth T&P Station to a new stop at Near Southside Station.
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The extension aims to improve access to major destinations served by TEXRail, including downtown Fort Worth, Grapevine, North Richland Hills and Dallas Fort Worth International Airport’s Terminal B.
According to Trinity Metro, the additional service is expected to increase connectivity for employees, residents, patients and visitors travelling to and from the Medical District and Near Southside, both significant employment and business centres.
Trinity Metro president and CEO Rich Andreski said: “Fort Worth is growing, and the decisions we make today will shape how people experience this city for generations. The TEXRail Near Southside/Medical District extension and new station is an investment in our future.”
A mix of federal, local and regional funding sources supports the extension.
These include grants from the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program, the Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development Program, the Surface Transportation Block Grant Program, and the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act.
Additional funding comes from savings realised during the original TEXRail project and contributions from the North Central Texas Council of Governments’ Regional Transportation Council.
Baylor Scott & White Health provided the site for the new station, aligning with a call from the American Public Transportation Association for more public-private partnerships to support public transport infrastructure.
Baylor Scott & White DFW – West Region president Charles Williams said: “Baylor Scott & White All Saints Medical Center – Fort Worth is proud to be the site of the first TEXRail stop in the Medical District.
“Our hope is that this connection will make it easier for people to receive care, support someone they love or come to work caring for our community. Helping people reach what matters to them is another way we can empower them to live well.”
The Near Southside and Medical District are home to a concentration of healthcare employers, neighbourhoods and businesses, and the new extension is expected to improve transport links beyond their immediate area.
