Trinity Metro TEXRail celebrated five years of service on Jan. 10, 2024. To commemorate the occasion, TEXRail offered free rides throughout the service day to celebrate its fifth anniversary.
Ridership highlights
TEXRail has seen major growth in ridership since its beginnings in 2019, including:
- Nearly 2.5 million riders since service began (through December 2023)
- Nov. 20 was the highest single day of ridership with 6,625
- Two of the highest monthly ridership numbers occurred in late 2023: 83,071 rides in November (67 percemt increase over November 2022) and 82,492 in December (34 percent increase over December 2022)
- Every month in Fiscal Year 2023 (October 2002 through September 2023) had higher ridership than the same months the previous year
“Our ridership growth shows how much TEXRail means to the community and to visitors,” said Reed Lanham, vice president of rail, Trinity Metro. “TEXRail is a safe and reliable service with an outstanding on-time performance. Customers can rely on us for a consistently positive experience.”
Economic impact
Tito Rodriguez, North Richland Hills council member and Trinity Metro vice chairman, said the train has brought economic growth and accessible public transportation to the city.
“Our residents love having the option of riding TEXRail to Fort Worth or Grapevine for day trips – or riding to the airport to catch a flight,” Rodriguez said. “Long before the commuter rail line opened, North Richland Hills was planning for all of the residential needs for people who want to live near the train station.”
TEXRail has had a tremendous economic impact on the communities it serves. By North Richland Hills/Iron Horse Station and North Richland Hills/Smithfield Station, $137 million in transit-oriented development occurred, including residential and commercial developments.
In Grapevine, Texas, $105 million in transit-oriented development included Hotel Vin, Harvest Hall and a public parking garage. Grapevine has seen increases in hotel occupancy, beverage and retail sales taxes since TEXRail opened. Sales tax revenue has grown nearly 40 percent for businesses located within a 5-minute walk to TEXRail’s Grapevine/Main Street Station. Sales tax revenue is up more than 30 percent within a 10-minute walk.
“The impact of TEXRail is undeniable,” said Paul Slechta, Grapevine council member and Trinity Metro board member. “The collaboration between Grapevine and Trinity Metro yields significant ridership every time the city has an event. TEXRail is the perfect transit option for festival-goers to relax and no have to worry about parking.”
“Integrating public transportation into communities yields positive results in so many ways. I’m proud of the impact that TEXRail has had and I look forward to many years of continued growth to benefits the families and residents of Fort Worth, North Richland Hills, Grapevine and all of Tarrant County," Lanham said.
In TEXRail's history, the rail ine has seen:
- 2,941,522 total miles traveled
- 17,250 maintenance inspections
- 1,792 seats (224 per train)
- 688 windows (86 per train)
- 41 railroading crossings
- 23 bridges
- Nine stations
- Eight trains
Visitors who came to the anniversary celebration event had the opportunity to participate in the “Name That Train!” contest, where winners received a free 31-day local ticket for Trinity Metro services. Participants were also invited to submit train name ideas so each of the agency's trains could have its own identity.
