Officials broke ground Thursday on a $270 million extension of the TEXRail passenger line in Fort Worth. Rich Andreski, president and CEO of Trinity Metro, said the idea for the 2.1-mile extension came from a casual conversation he had with North Texas transportation director Michael Morris about four years ago. Andreski thanked Morris and his team at the ceremony.
The line will extend the 27.2-mile TEXRail route to a new station in the Near Southside/Medical District, next to Baylor Scott & White All Saints Medical Center. Trinity Metro said the line will connect to 50,000 jobs in the area when the extension is completed in mid-2030. The 1.76-acre station site at Luther Lane and Mistletoe Drive was donated by Baylor Scott & White Health, and Trinity Metro holds a 35-year ground lease for the property.
A $6.1 million deal with the Fort Worth & Western Railroad Co. will allow Trinity Metro to build and operate a passenger track on part of the railroad's freight line. The passenger service will start from the T&P Station downtown. Andreski said he commutes daily from northeast Tarrant County to downtown on TEXRail.