Trinity Railway Express

{{Short description|Commuter rail service in the Dallas/Fort Worth area, Texas}}

{{Infobox rail line

| name = Trinity Railway Express

| color = 002579

| logo = TRE logo.svg

| logo_width = 100

| image = TRE Train F59PH 566 leading.jpg

| caption = EMD F59PH at Dallas Union Station in November 2004

| type = Commuter rail

| status =

| locale = Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex

| start = Union Station, Dallas

| end = T&P Station, Fort Worth

| stations = 10

| daily_ridership = {{American transit ridership|TX Dallas-Fort Worth total daily}} ({{American transit ridership|dailydate}}){{American transit ridership|dailycitation}}

| ridership2 = {{American transit ridership|TX Dallas-Fort Worth total annual}} ({{American transit ridership|annualdate}}){{American transit ridership|annualcitation}}

| open = {{Start date and age|1996|12|30}}

| owner = Dallas Area Rapid Transit (50%)
Trinity Metro (50%)

| operator = Herzog Transit Services

| stock =

| linelength = {{Convert|34|mi|km|abbr=on}}

| gauge = {{RailGauge|ussg|allk=on}}

| speed =

| website ={{URL|https://trinityrailwayexpress.org|trinityrailwayexpress.org}}

| map = {{switcher

| {{maplink-road|from=Trinity Railway Express.map}} Trinity Railway Express highlighted in blue

| Show interactive map

| {{Trinity Railway Express|inline=yes}}

| Show route diagram

}}

The Trinity Railway Express (TRE) is a commuter rail service in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, Texas, United States. It was established by an interlocal agreement between Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) and Trinity Metro. 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.{{cite news |last=Dickson|first=Gordon |title=20 years later, there's plenty to love (and not) about the TRE |newspaper=Star-Telegram |location=Fort Worth, Texas|date=November 26, 2016 |url=http://www.star-telegram.com/news/traffic/your-commute/article117201988.html |access-date=August 10, 2018}}{{cite web |last=Mueller |first=Sarah |title=Dallas woman killed Monday by TRE train identified |newspaper=Dallas Morning News |date=February 16, 2010 |access-date=February 16, 2010 |url=http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/latestnews/stories/021610dnmettredeath.12360e74a.html}}

In {{American transit ridership|annualdate}}, the system had a ridership of {{American transit ridership|TX Dallas-Fort Worth total annual}}, or about {{American transit ridership|TX Dallas-Fort Worth total daily}} per weekday as of {{American transit ridership|dailydateasof}}, making it the seventeenth most-ridden commuter rail system in the United States.

Before 2006, the TRE 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 {{DART G|style=nf}}. Since 2006, the TRE has been shown as a dark blue line on DART maps.

History

Named after the Trinity River, the West Fork of which flows from Fort Worth to Dallas, the TRE was launched on December 30, 1996, shortly after the inaugural service of Dallas' DART light rail system, operating from Dallas Union Transit Station to the South Irving Transit Station. It runs along a former Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railroad line that the cities of Dallas and Fort Worth purchased in 1983 for $34 million.

Service initially operated only in weekday rush hours, but midday and evening service was added in December 1997,{{cite news |last=Van Hattem|first=Matt|title=Trinity Railway Express: The commuter railroad linking Dallas and Fort Worth|magazine=Trains |date=July 2, 2006 |url=http://trn.trains.com/railroads/2006/07/trinity-railway-express |access-date=August 10, 2018}} and Saturday service was added in December 1998.{{cite news |last=Wolinsky|first=Julian|title=Commuter/Transit [regular monthly news section]|magazine=RailNews |date=March 1999 |page=30|url=http://original.trainlife.com/magazines/pages/181/13148/march-1999-page-30 }}

On September 18, 2000, the line was extended to the suburb of Richland Hills and, for the first time, there was rail service available between downtown Dallas and Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport. On November 13, 2000, the West Irving Transit Station also opened. On December 3, 2001, the TRE was extended to its current terminus at the T&P Station in downtown Fort Worth. On February 17, 2024, Richland Hills station was closed,{{cite news |title=Trinity Lakes Station opens Feb. 19 |url=https://ridetrinitymetro.org/trinity-lakes-station-opens-monday-feb-19/ |website=Trinity Metro |access-date=February 19, 2024 |date=February 5, 2024}} being replaced by Trinity Lakes station, which opened on February 19, 2024.{{cite web |title=Trinity Lakes Station |url=https://trinityrailwayexpress.org/trinity-lakes-station/ |website=Trinity Railway Express |access-date=February 18, 2024}}

Route

The eastern terminus of the TRE route is Dallas Union Station on the west side of downtown Dallas. From there, the line runs northwest parallel to Interstate 35E, passing American Airlines Center and Dallas Market Center before turning west. The line crosses the Elm Fork of the Trinity River into Irving, passing through Irving's historic downtown district. The train continues west to the Dallas County/Tarrant County border, passing under the President George Bush Turnpike.

While crossing into Tarrant County, the line passes about four miles south of Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport. The line passes over SH-360 and takes a slight southwest turn along the northern city limits of Arlington. It turns slightly northwest towards Bell before following the southern city limits of Hurst. As it approaches Interstate 820, it takes a sharper southwest turn towards downtown Fort Worth, passing through Richland Hills and Haltom City. The line enters downtown Fort Worth from the northeast, passing under Interstate 35W and curving towards Fort Worth Central Station. Finally, the track curls around downtown Fort Worth towards T&P Station.

According to current TRE schedules, a one-way trip in either direction takes approximately 1 hour and 2 minutes.{{Cite web |date= |title=All TRE Schedules - 11/2023 |url=https://trinityrailwayexpress.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/ALL-TRE-SCHEDULES_112023.pdf |website=Trinity Railway Express |publisher=Dallas Area Rapid Transit and Trinity Metro}}

Service

TRE provides service six days a week from 4 AM (5 AM on Saturdays) to midnight (1 AM on Fridays). Trains are scheduled to arrive once every hour, or once every half-hour on weekdays during peak periods (4 to 9 AM and 2 to 7 PM). TRE does not provide service on Sundays except during the State Fair of Texas, in which case a Saturday schedule is used.

The TRE service yard is located in Irving between West Irving and CentrePort/DFW. During the start and end of both service time and peak periods, some trains will start or end at one of these stations.

= TRE Link =

Because TRE passes south of Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, the airport is serviced via a shuttle bus that runs between CentrePort/DFW and the airport's Terminal B. The Terminal B stop provides a connection to TEXRail via a pedestrian path. Branded as TRE Link and operated by Trinity Metro, the shuttle runs every 20–40 minutes during TRE operating hours.{{Cite web |date=2023-09-17 |title=TRE Link Schedule - September 2023 |url=https://ridetrinitymetro.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/TRE-Link-September-2023.pdf |website=Trinity Metro}}

Rolling Stock

class="wikitable"
---- bgcolor=#f9f9f9 ! rowspan="2" \| Class ! rowspan="2" \|Image ! rowspan="2" \| Type(s) ! colspan="2" \| Top speed ! rowspan="2" \| Number ! rowspan="2" \| Built
---- bgcolor=#f9f9f9 ! mph ! km/h
EMD F40PH \| \|Diesel Locomotive \|110 \|177 \|2 \|1981–1985
EMD F59PH \|100px \|Diesel Locomotive \|110 \|177 \|7 \|1988–1994 Late 2010 (Overhaul)
EMD F59PHI \|100px \|Diesel Locomotive \|110 \|177 \|2 \|2001
Bombardier BiLevel Coach \|100px \|Coach Car Cab Car \|95 \|150 \|25 \|1976–77 2003 2007 2009
colspan="7" align="center"\| Former fleet
Budd RDC-1{{cite news \|last=Wallace\|first=Rich\|title=Dallas Welcomes Trinity Commuter Railway\|magazine=RailNews \|date=March 1997 \|page=13\|url=http://original.trainlife.com/magazines/pages/237/17482/march-1997-page-13 \|access-date=August 10, 2018}} \|100px \|Diesel Multiple Unit \|85 \|137 \|13 \|1954–58

class="wikitable"

---- bgcolor=#f9f9f9

! rowspan="2" | Class

! rowspan="2" |Image

! rowspan="2" | Type(s)

! colspan="2" | Top speed

! rowspan="2" | Number

! rowspan="2" | Built

---- bgcolor=#f9f9f9

! mph

! km/h

EMD F40PH

|Diesel Locomotive

|110

|177

|1981–1985

EMD F59PH

|100px

|Diesel Locomotive

|110

|177

|1988–1994

Late 2010 (Overhaul)

EMD F59PHI

|100px

|Diesel Locomotive

|110

|177

|2001

Bombardier BiLevel Coach

|100px

|Coach Car
Cab Car

|95

|150

|25

|1976–77
2003
2007
2009

colspan="7" align="center"| Former fleet

Budd RDC-1{{cite news |last=Wallace|first=Rich|title=Dallas Welcomes Trinity Commuter Railway|magazine=RailNews |date=March 1997 |page=13|url=http://original.trainlife.com/magazines/pages/237/17482/march-1997-page-13 |access-date=August 10, 2018}}

|100px

|Diesel Multiple Unit

|85

|137

|13

|1954–58

= Diesel locomotives =

TRE has a fleet of 11 locomotives.

EMD F59PH IV (1994)

There are seven EMD F59PH IV locomotives that were acquired from GO Transit. The original numbers for these were #525, #527–528 and #565–568.

These were overhauled in late 2010 by the Norfolk Southern Railway and RELCO Locomotive to meet EPA standards and renumbered 120–126.{{cite web|url=http://trn.trains.com/en/Railroad%20News/News%20Wire/2010/12/Trinity%20Railway%20Express%20receives%20upgraded%20F59PHs.aspx|title=Trinity Railway Express receives upgraded F59PHs|publisher=Trains Magazine|date=December 13, 2010|access-date=December 17, 2010}}

EMD F59PHI (2001)

There are two EMD F59PHI locomotives that were purchased from EMD. The numbers for these are #569 and #570.

EMD F40PH (2022)

TRE acquired 2 ex-Amtrak F40PHs No. 270 and 274 from Progress Rail in Late 2021 and Delivered in January 2022. They are numbered 130 and 131.

Siemens Charger (2026)

TRE announced an order for Siemens Charger locomotives in 2024, which are to be delivered in 2026. They are slated to replace the older locomotives in the fleet.

= Coaches =

Bombardier Transportation and Hawker Siddeley bi-level cabs and coaches

1000-1001 built 1983 (now coaches 1048-1049)

1002-1003 built 2003

1004-1009 built 2007

= Former fleet =

Until 2011, the TRE fleet included diesel multiple units, in the form of 13 Budd Rail Diesel Cars (RDCs) built in the 1950s for Canadian Pacific (9), Canadian National (3) and Boston & Maine (1).Metroplex mover Trains May 1999 pages 50-52 They were purchased used from Via Rail Canada in 1993. All were remanufactured by GEC-Alsthom in Montreal. They entered service in March and April 1997{{cite news |last=Wallace|first=Rich|title=Questions and Answers for Dallas' Commuter Rail|magazine=RailNews |date=May 1997 |pages=11–12|url=http://original.trainlife.com/magazines/pages/239/17681/may-1997-page-11 |access-date=February 2, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180810142406/https://original.trainlife.com/magazines/pages/239/17681/may-1997-page-11 |archive-date=August 10, 2018 |url-status=dead}}{{spaced endash}}after trains leased from Amtrak and the Connecticut Department of Transportation temporarily provided initial TRE service when the RDCs were not ready in time for the inauguration of TRE service{{cite news |last=Cumbie|first=Jim|title=Dallas—Phase 2 |magazine=The New Electric Railway Journal |date=Spring 1997 |pages=12–13}} in December 1996{{spaced endash}}and thereafter provided all service for the line's first two to three years. They remained in service for about 14 years, the last cars being taken off of TRE service in March 2011.{{cite news |last=Fancher |first=Julie |title=DART is selling these cool vintage railcars |newspaper=The Dallas Morning News |date=April 14, 2017 |url=https://www.dallasnews.com/news/transportation/2017/04/14/dart-selling-cool-vintage-railcars |access-date=August 10, 2018}} In 2010–2011, 11 of the 13 cars were leased to Denton County Transportation Authority for operation on the A-train. They were returned in 2012 and placed in storage at the TRE shops in Irving, Texas. In spring 2017, 12 RDCs were sold via auction to AllEarth Rail,{{cite news |title=Vermont solar panel company buys RDCs |magazine=Trains |date=April 10, 2017 |url=http://trn.trains.com/news/news-wire/2017/04/10-vermont-rdc |access-date=August 10, 2018}} a Vermont-based private company that intends to use them to operate commuter rail service connecting the Vermont cities of Montpelier and Burlington. AllEarth subsequently resold two of the TRE cars to TriMet, of Portland, Oregon,{{cite news |last=Hall |first= C.B. |title=AllEarth's commuter rail Budd cars pull into Vermont |magazine=Vermont Business Magazine |date=August 15, 2017 |url=https://vermontbiz.com/news/2017/august/15/allearths-commuter-rail-budd-cars-pull-vermont |access-date=February 2, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180920045643/https://vermontbiz.com/news/2017/august/15/allearths-commuter-rail-budd-cars-pull-vermont |archive-date=September 20, 2018 |url-status=live}} before they had left Texas, and those two Dallas RDCs (Nos. 2007 and 2011) were moved in August 2017 from Texas to Oregon, where TriMet planned to use them on its WES Commuter Rail service.{{cite news |title=Worldwide Review [regular monthly news section]|date=October 2017|magazine=Tramways & Urban Transit|page=394|publisher=LRTA Publishing|location=UK|issn=1460-8324}} The other 10 RDCs were moved to Vermont the same month. Meanwhile, the last RDC was donated to the Museum of the American Railroad in 2023.{{Cite web |title=Last DART RDC Joins Museum Collection |url=https://www.historictrains.org/news/last-dart-rdc-joins-museum-collection |access-date=2024-11-21 |website=Museum of the American Railroad |language=en-US}}

= Train consist =

File:Irving June 2019 03 (Trinity Railway Express).jpges]]{{Unreferenced section|date=March 2023}}

Each 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{{when|date=January 2020}} underway which should offer an improvement in travel times by double-tracking certain stations and sections of the route. Currently,{{when|date=January 2020}} 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

class="wikitable plainrowheaders"
Station ! Parking ! Municipality ! Points of interest and major connections
T&P Station \| align=center \|20px \| rowspan="3" \|Fort Worth \|{{rint\|rail\|1}} Trinity Metro: {{rail color box\|system=Trinity Metro\|line=TEXRail\|inline=yes}}
Fort Worth Central Station{{efn\|group=stations\|Formerly Fort Worth Intermodal Transportation Center}} \| \|Serves Fort Worth Convention Center, Fort Worth Water Gardens, Sundance Square {{rint\|rail\|1}} Trinity Metro: {{rail color box\|system=Trinity Metro\|line=TEXRail\|inline=yes}} {{rint\|us\|amtrak}} Amtrak: {{rail color box\|system=Amtrak\|line=Heartland Flyer\|inline=yes}} {{rail color box\|system=Amtrak\|line=Texas Eagle\|inline=yes}}
{{stn\|Trinity Lakes}}{{efn\|group=stations\|Replaced Richland Hills Station in 2024}} \| align=center \|20px \|Will serve planned Trinity Lakes mixed-use transit-oriented development
Bell{{efn\|group=stations\|Formerly Hurst/Bell station}} \| align=center \|20px \|Hurst{{efn\|group=stations\|Bell station is located in Fort Worth but uses a Hurst postal code}} \|Serves Bell Textron plant
CentrePort/DFW Airport \| align=center \|20px \|Fort Worth \|Serves {{rint\|air}} Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport via {{rint\|bus\|1}} TRE Link shuttle
West Irving \| align=center \|20px \| rowspan="2" \|Irving \|
Downtown Irving/Heritage Crossing{{efn\|group=stations\|Formerly South Irving station}} \| align=center \|20px \|
Medical/Market Center \| \| rowspan="3" \|Dallas \|Serves Parkland Memorial Hospital, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Children's Medical Center Dallas, Dallas Market Center
Victory \| \|Serves American Airlines Center {{rint\|tram\|1}} DART light rail: {{rail color box\|system=DART\|line=Green\|inline=yes}} {{rail color box\|system=DART\|line=Orange\|inline=yes}}
Union Station \| \|Serves Reunion Tower, Dealey Plaza {{rint\|tram\|1}} DART light rail: {{rail color box\|system=DART\|line=Blue\|inline=yes}} {{rail color box\|system=DART\|line=Red\|inline=yes}} {{rint\|us\|amtrak}} Amtrak: {{rail color box\|system=Amtrak\|line=Texas Eagle\|inline=yes}}

class="wikitable plainrowheaders"

Station

! Parking

! Municipality

! Points of interest and major connections

T&P Station

| align=center |20px

| rowspan="3" |Fort Worth

|{{rint|rail|1}} Trinity Metro: {{rail color box|system=Trinity Metro|line=TEXRail|inline=yes}}

Fort Worth Central Station{{efn|group=stations|Formerly Fort Worth Intermodal Transportation Center}}

|Serves Fort Worth Convention Center, Fort Worth Water Gardens, Sundance Square
{{rint|rail|1}} Trinity Metro: {{rail color box|system=Trinity Metro|line=TEXRail|inline=yes}}
{{rint|us|amtrak}} Amtrak: {{rail color box|system=Amtrak|line=Heartland Flyer|inline=yes}} {{rail color box|system=Amtrak|line=Texas Eagle|inline=yes}}

| align=center |20px

|Will serve planned Trinity Lakes mixed-use transit-oriented development

Bell{{efn|group=stations|Formerly Hurst/Bell station}}

| align=center |20px

|Hurst{{efn|group=stations|Bell station is located in Fort Worth but uses a Hurst postal code}}

|Serves Bell Textron plant

CentrePort/DFW Airport

| align=center |20px

|Fort Worth

|Serves {{rint|air}} Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport via {{rint|bus|1}} TRE Link shuttle

West Irving

| align=center |20px

| rowspan="2" |Irving

Downtown Irving/Heritage Crossing{{efn|group=stations|Formerly South Irving station}}

| align=center |20px

Medical/Market Center

| rowspan="3" |Dallas

|Serves Parkland Memorial Hospital, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Children's Medical Center Dallas, Dallas Market Center

Victory

|Serves American Airlines Center
{{rint|tram|1}} DART light rail: {{rail color box|system=DART|line=Green|inline=yes}} {{rail color box|system=DART|line=Orange|inline=yes}}

Union Station

|Serves Reunion Tower, Dealey Plaza
{{rint|tram|1}} DART light rail: {{rail color box|system=DART|line=Blue|inline=yes}} {{rail color box|system=DART|line=Red|inline=yes}}
{{rint|us|amtrak}} Amtrak: {{rail color box|system=Amtrak|line=Texas Eagle|inline=yes}}

Gallery

File:DART S Irving Sta.jpg|TRE train at South Irving station

File:Texas&PacificStation1.jpg|The TRE stops at the historic T&P Station in Fort Worth

File:TRE@FWITC.jpg|Trinity Railway Express train pulling into Fort Worth Central Station

References

External links

{{Official website|http://www.trinityrailwayexpress.org}}
[https://www.dart.org/ Dallas Area Rapid Transit]
[https://ridetrinitymetro.org/ Trinity Metro]
[https://dartorgcmsblob.dart.org/prod/docs/default-source/dart-maps/dartrailsystemmap24jan22-1.pdf Full DART Rail map]

Category:Dallas Area Rapid Transit

Category:Rail transportation in Fort Worth, Texas

Category:Texas railroads

Category:Railway services introduced in 1996

Category:Commuter rail in the United States

Category:Passenger rail transportation in Texas

Category:Standard-gauge railways in the United States

Category:Joint ventures

Category:1996 establishments in Texas

Category:American companies established in 1996

Category:Transportation in Irving, Texas

Category:Rail transportation in Dallas