Passenger Trains > Light rail to DFW Airport on fast track

The orange line to DFW Airport was recently partially opened, from downtown Dallas to 5 miles short of the airport.
The orange line stopped in Irving (Dallas suburb) due to current lack of funds to complete it - estimate was in 2-3 years
the line would get finished to the airport. Now a loan from the US Gov't will speed this up. Story below :


WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood's office says he's approved a $120 million loan to fund construction of new light rail leading to Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport.

LaHood's office said in a statement Friday that the loan will advance construction on Dallas Area Rapid Transit's Orange Line expansion. The extension is eventually slated to connect downtown Dallas and DFW Airport.

The federal loan is expected to be used to fund construction of about 5 miles on the Orange Line.

The money comes from the Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act.

Who is repaying the TIFIA loan?

Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) collects 1/2 cent sales tax in the Dallas area.
They should be able to repay it in relatively short order.

ArgyleEagle Wrote:
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> The orange line to DFW Airport was recently
> partially opened, from downtown Dallas to 5 miles
> short of the airport.
> The orange line stopped in Irving (Dallas suburb)
> due to current lack of funds to complete it -
> estimate was in 2-3 years
> the line would get finished to the airport. Now a
> loan from the US Gov't will speed this up.

The date to open this last segment is December 2014. DART opened the segment to Beltline Road (on the very northeast end of the airport) Monday, December 3 and started construction on the final portion last summer. Because of existing structures (FedEx and hotels) and airport infrastructure (some communication towers), it must wind its way to the north end of the airport and join the existing north roadway to enter the terminal area. Until the segment is open, they have a bus transfer from Beltline to the terminal.

(The blue line on the map is Trinity Railway Express between Dallas and Fort Worth)



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 12/15/12 19:39 by Cumbresfan.

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Is there a shuttle service between Beltline and the airport terminal area?

DNRY122 Wrote:
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> Is there a shuttle service between Beltline and
> the airport terminal area?

Yes, see the post above the map or the link:

http://www.dart.org/riding/dfwairport.asp

Shuttles run every 15 minutes.