Trinity Railway Express
Encyclopedia
The Trinity Railway Express (or TRE) is a commuter rail line in the Dallas – Fort Worth Metroplex. It was established by an interlocal agreement between Dallas Area Rapid Transit
(DART) and the Fort Worth Transportation Authority
(The T). Each transit authority owns a 50% stake in the joint rail project and contractor Herzog Transit Services operates the line. The TRE began operating in December, 1996.
The TRE commuter line has a daily ridership of 9,800 and is the fourteenth most-ridden commuter rail system in the country. Annual ridership on the TRE exceeds two and a half million persons.
Until 2006, it was typically shown as a green line on DART maps and therefore was sometimes referred to as the "Green Line," but this was not an official designation. In 2006, DART chose green as the color for its new light rail
route, the . Thus, the TRE is now shown as a dark blue line on DART maps.
Granbury, Texas
-based firm 4G Metro offers Wi-Fi Internet access to TRE customers. The access point broadcasts as "4G-TRE" and is open.
, which flows between Fort Worth and Dallas, the TRE was launched on December 30, 1996, shortly after the inaugural service of Dallas' light rail
system, operating from Union Station to the South Irving Station in Irving
. On 18 September 2000, the line was extended to the Richland Hills Station and, for the first time, there was rail service available between downtown Dallas and DFW Airport. On 13 November 2000 the West Irving Station also opened. On 3 December 2001, the TRE was extended to its current terminus at the T&P Station in downtown Fort Worth.
on the west side of downtown Dallas. The line runs northwest, past the American Airlines Center
and Southwestern Medical Center, through Irving
, DFW Airport, Hurst
, and Richland Hills
before ending with two stops in downtown Fort Worth
(the Fort Worth Intermodal Transportation Center
at 9th and Jones Streets and the T&P Station
on Throckmorton Street). There are a total of ten regular station stops, including a stop at Victory Station
(which until the opening of DART's Green line in September 2009, was used only for special events). Not all trains are through trains - a number of trains either terminate or originate at the CentrePort/DFW Airport Station
.
Information from the Trinity Railway Express Train Facts page
Each non-RDC train includes at least one locomotive unit and one bi-level cab car. Typically, one or two additional coach cars are included between the locomotive and cab car. Each cab car (and thus each train) has a restroom and passengers may move between cars during the trip. The trip from Union Station to T&P Station takes just over an hour, with scheduled trip times ranging from one hour, three minutes to one hour, eleven minutes. Track improvements are currently underway which should offer an improvement in travel times by double-tracking certain stations and sections of the route. Currently, portions of the route are single-track, requiring eastbound and westbound trains to meet only at certain points and requiring some eastbound trains to hold for 5–7 minutes to wait for a westbound train to get to the passing area.
Dallas Area Rapid Transit
The Dallas Area Rapid Transit authority is a transit agency based in Dallas, Texas . It operates buses, light rail, commuter rail, and high-occupancy vehicle lanes in Dallas and 12 of its suburbs...
(DART) and the Fort Worth Transportation Authority
Fort Worth Transportation Authority
The Fort Worth Transportation Authority is the operator of the bus system in Fort Worth, Texas and Richland Hills, Texas popularly known as The T...
(The T). Each transit authority owns a 50% stake in the joint rail project and contractor Herzog Transit Services operates the line. The TRE began operating in December, 1996.
The TRE commuter line has a daily ridership of 9,800 and is the fourteenth most-ridden commuter rail system in the country. Annual ridership on the TRE exceeds two and a half million persons.
Until 2006, it was typically shown as a green line on DART maps and therefore was sometimes referred to as the "Green Line," but this was not an official designation. In 2006, DART chose green as the color for its new light rail
Light rail
Light rail or light rail transit is a form of urban rail public transportation that generally has a lower capacity and lower speed than heavy rail and metro systems, but higher capacity and higher speed than traditional street-running tram systems...
route, the . Thus, the TRE is now shown as a dark blue line on DART maps.
Granbury, Texas
Granbury, Texas
Granbury is a city in Hood County, Texas, in the United States. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 5,718. It is the county seat of Hood County and the principal city of the Micropolitan Statistical Area....
-based firm 4G Metro offers Wi-Fi Internet access to TRE customers. The access point broadcasts as "4G-TRE" and is open.
History
Named after the Trinity RiverTrinity River (Texas)
The Trinity River is a long river that flows entirely within the U.S. state of Texas. It rises in extreme north Texas, a few miles south of the Red River. The headwaters are separated by the high bluffs on the south side of the Red River....
, which flows between Fort Worth and Dallas, the TRE was launched on December 30, 1996, shortly after the inaugural service of Dallas' light rail
Light rail
Light rail or light rail transit is a form of urban rail public transportation that generally has a lower capacity and lower speed than heavy rail and metro systems, but higher capacity and higher speed than traditional street-running tram systems...
system, operating from Union Station to the South Irving Station in Irving
Irving, Texas
Irving is a city located in the U.S. state of Texas within Dallas County. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city population was 216,290. Irving is within the Dallas–Plano–Irving metropolitan division of the Dallas–Fort Worth–Arlington metropolitan area, designated...
. On 18 September 2000, the line was extended to the Richland Hills Station and, for the first time, there was rail service available between downtown Dallas and DFW Airport. On 13 November 2000 the West Irving Station also opened. On 3 December 2001, the TRE was extended to its current terminus at the T&P Station in downtown Fort Worth.
Route
The eastern terminus of the TRE line is Dallas Union StationUnion Station (Dallas)
Union Station, also known as Dallas Union Terminal, is a DART Light Rail, commuter rail, and Amtrak intercity rail station located in the Reunion district of downtown Dallas, Texas on Houston Street, between Wood and Young Streets...
on the west side of downtown Dallas. The line runs northwest, past the American Airlines Center
American Airlines Center
The American Airlines Center is a multi-purpose arena, located in the Victory Park neighborhood, near downtown Dallas, Texas.It is home to the Dallas Mavericks of the NBA, and the Dallas Stars of the NHL....
and Southwestern Medical Center, through Irving
Irving, Texas
Irving is a city located in the U.S. state of Texas within Dallas County. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city population was 216,290. Irving is within the Dallas–Plano–Irving metropolitan division of the Dallas–Fort Worth–Arlington metropolitan area, designated...
, DFW Airport, Hurst
Hurst, Texas
Hurst is a city in Tarrant County, Texas, United States. Hurst is one of the Mid-Cities between Fort Worth and Dallas, but is a suburb of Fort Worth. The city was founded by William Letchworth Hurst...
, and Richland Hills
Richland Hills, Texas
Richland Hills is a city in Tarrant County, Texas, United States. The population was 7,801 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Richland Hills is located at ....
before ending with two stops in downtown Fort Worth
Fort Worth, Texas
Fort Worth is the 16th-largest city in the United States of America and the fifth-largest city in the state of Texas. Located in North Central Texas, just southeast of the Texas Panhandle, the city is a cultural gateway into the American West and covers nearly in Tarrant, Parker, Denton, and...
(the Fort Worth Intermodal Transportation Center
Fort Worth Intermodal Transportation Center
The Fort Worth Intermodal Transportation Center is a Trinity Railway Express commuter rail and Amtrak intercity rail station located in Fort Worth, Texas at the corner of 9th and Jones Streets, on the northeast side of downtown Fort Worth...
at 9th and Jones Streets and the T&P Station
T&P Station
Fort Worth's Texas & Pacific Railroad Passenger Station is a Trinity Railway Express commuter rail station located at 1600 Throckmorton Street in Fort Worth, Texas, on the south side of downtown. It is the western terminus of the TRE commuter line, serving the Fort Worth Convention Center, the...
on Throckmorton Street). There are a total of ten regular station stops, including a stop at Victory Station
Victory (TRE-DART station)
Victory Station is a mass transit station in Dallas, Texas , serving both the commuter rail and the light rail system operated by Dallas Area Rapid Transit...
(which until the opening of DART's Green line in September 2009, was used only for special events). Not all trains are through trains - a number of trains either terminate or originate at the CentrePort/DFW Airport Station
CentrePort/DFW Airport Station
CentrePort/DFW Airport Station is a Trinity Railway Express commuter rail station located just south of Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport on Statler Boulevard. It opened on September 16, 2000, and is a station on the TRE commuter line, serving the CentrePort business park, the headquarters...
.
Fleet
| Class | Image | Type | Top speed | Number | Routes operated | Built | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| mph | km/h | ||||||
| EMD F59PH |  |
Diesel Locomotive Diesel locomotive A diesel locomotive is a type of railroad locomotive in which the prime mover is a diesel engine, a reciprocating engine operating on the Diesel cycle as invented by Dr. Rudolf Diesel... |
110 | 177 | 7 | Dallas-Fort Worth | 1988-1994 |
| EMD F59PHI |  |
Diesel Locomotive Diesel locomotive A diesel locomotive is a type of railroad locomotive in which the prime mover is a diesel engine, a reciprocating engine operating on the Diesel cycle as invented by Dr. Rudolf Diesel... |
110 | 177 | 2 | Dallas-Fort Worth | 2001 |
| Budd Rail Diesel Car Budd Rail Diesel Car The Budd Rail Diesel Car, RDC or Buddliner is a self-propelled diesel multiple unit railcar. In the period 1949–62, 398 RDCs were built by the Budd Company of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States... |
Diesel Multiple Unit Diesel multiple unit A diesel multiple unit or DMU is a multiple unit train consisting of multiple carriages powered by one or more on-board diesel engines. They may also be referred to as a railcar or railmotor, depending on country.-Design:... |
75 | 120 | 13 | Dallas-Fort Worth | 1949-62 | |
| Bombardier BiLevel Coach Bombardier BiLevel Coach Bombardier BiLevel coaches are bilevel passenger cars designed to carry up to 360 passengers for regional railways. These carriages are easily identifiable; they are double-decked and are shaped like elongated octagons.-History:... |
Passenger coach Control Car |
95 | 150 | 25 | Dallas-Fort Worth | 1976-77 2003 2007 2009 |
|
- EMD F59PH IV (1994) locomotives - #525, 527-28 & 565-68 acquired from GO TransitGO TransitGO Transit is an inter-regional public transit system in Southern Ontario, Canada. It primarily serves the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area conurbation, with operations extending to several communities beyond the GTHA proper in the Greater Golden Horseshoe...
- All locomotives overhauled in late 2010 by the Norfolk Southern Railroad and RELCO Locomotive to meet EPA standards.
- EMD F59PHI (2001) locomotives - #569-70 purchased from EMD
- Bombardier TransportationBombardier TransportationBombardier Transportation is the rail equipment division of the Canadian firm, Bombardier Inc. Bombardier Transportation is one of the world's largest companies in the rail-equipment manufacturing and servicing industry. Its headquarters are in Berlin, Germany....
and Hawker-SiddeleyHawker-SiddeleyHawker Siddeley was a group of British manufacturing companies engaged in aircraft production. Hawker Siddeley combined the legacies of several British aircraft manufacturers, emerging through a series of mergers and acquisitions as one of only two such major British companies in the 1960s. In...
bi-level cabs and coaches - Budd Rail Diesel CarBudd Rail Diesel CarThe Budd Rail Diesel Car, RDC or Buddliner is a self-propelled diesel multiple unit railcar. In the period 1949–62, 398 RDCs were built by the Budd Company of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States...
s, 13 were purchased from VIA Rail Canada in 1993 and remanufactured by GEC Alsthom in Montreal.
Information from the Trinity Railway Express Train Facts page
Each non-RDC train includes at least one locomotive unit and one bi-level cab car. Typically, one or two additional coach cars are included between the locomotive and cab car. Each cab car (and thus each train) has a restroom and passengers may move between cars during the trip. The trip from Union Station to T&P Station takes just over an hour, with scheduled trip times ranging from one hour, three minutes to one hour, eleven minutes. Track improvements are currently underway which should offer an improvement in travel times by double-tracking certain stations and sections of the route. Currently, portions of the route are single-track, requiring eastbound and westbound trains to meet only at certain points and requiring some eastbound trains to hold for 5–7 minutes to wait for a westbound train to get to the passing area.
Stations
- Listed from east to west
- Dallas Union StationUnion Station (Dallas)Union Station, also known as Dallas Union Terminal, is a DART Light Rail, commuter rail, and Amtrak intercity rail station located in the Reunion district of downtown Dallas, Texas on Houston Street, between Wood and Young Streets...
(Also served by ) - Victory StationVictory (TRE-DART station)Victory Station is a mass transit station in Dallas, Texas , serving both the commuter rail and the light rail system operated by Dallas Area Rapid Transit...
(Also served by , , and Special Event Trains) - Medical/Market Center StationMedical/Market Center StationMedical/Market Center Station is a commuter rail station located along the Stemmons Corridor of north Dallas, Texas at Motor Street and Medical Center Drive, northwest of downtown Dallas...
- South Irving StationSouth Irving StationSouth Irving Station is a Trinity Railway Express commuter rail station located in Irving, Texas at Rock Island Road, east of O'Connor Road . It opened on December 30, 1996, and is a station on the TRE commuter line, serving downtown Irving, including the Irving Heritage District and the Irving...
- West Irving StationWest Irving StationWest Irving Station is a Trinity Railway Express commuter rail station located in Irving, Texas, at Jackson Street near Esters Road...
- CentrePort/DFW Airport StationCentrePort/DFW Airport StationCentrePort/DFW Airport Station is a Trinity Railway Express commuter rail station located just south of Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport on Statler Boulevard. It opened on September 16, 2000, and is a station on the TRE commuter line, serving the CentrePort business park, the headquarters...
- Hurst/Bell StationHurst/Bell StationHurst/Bell Station is a Trinity Railway Express commuter rail station located in Hurst, Texas on Bell Spur Drive at Trinity Boulevard...
- Richland Hills StationRichland Hills StationRichland Hills Station is a Trinity Railway Express commuter rail station located in Richland Hills, Texas near Handley-Ederville Road and SH 121...
- Fort Worth Intermodal Transportation CenterFort Worth Intermodal Transportation CenterThe Fort Worth Intermodal Transportation Center is a Trinity Railway Express commuter rail and Amtrak intercity rail station located in Fort Worth, Texas at the corner of 9th and Jones Streets, on the northeast side of downtown Fort Worth...
(downtown Fort Worth) - T&P StationT&P StationFort Worth's Texas & Pacific Railroad Passenger Station is a Trinity Railway Express commuter rail station located at 1600 Throckmorton Street in Fort Worth, Texas, on the south side of downtown. It is the western terminus of the TRE commuter line, serving the Fort Worth Convention Center, the...
(downtown Fort Worth)
