Trinity Metro has broken ground on a 2.1-mile (3.4km) extension of its TEXRail commuter rail service in Fort Worth, Texas, to improve connections to the city’s Medical District and Near Southside.

The 270 million USD project will include a new station serving healthcare employers, residential neighbourhoods and local businesses. The extension is intended to improve access to employment, healthcare and education.

Trinity Metro TEXRail Extension Groundbreaking

© APTA

The extension will continue south from Fort Worth T&P Station to a new Near Southside Station, linking the district with existing TEXRail destinations including downtown Fort Worth, North Richland Hills, Grapevine and Dallas Fort Worth International Airport’s Terminal B.

The project combines federal, regional and local funding. Funding also comes from savings from the original TEXRail project and the North Central Texas Council of Governments’ Regional Transportation Council. Notably, Baylor Scott & White Health has donated the land for the new station.

Trinity Metro President and CEO Rich Andreski said:

Fort Worth is growing, and the decisions we make today will shape how people experience this city for generations. The TEXRail Near Southside/Medical District extension and new station is an investment in our future.

In response to the groundbreaking, the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) has highlighted the role of public-private partnerships in delivering transport infrastructure, pointing to the contribution of Baylor Scott & White Health to the project.

Charles Williams, president of Baylor Scott & White DFW – West Region, said the new connection could make it easier for patients to access healthcare, for people to visit relatives and for healthcare workers to reach their workplaces.

Furthermore, according to APTA, public transport in the United States generates 102 billion USD annually and employs more than 450,000 people directly, while supporting millions of additional jobs through its supply chains.

Texas businesses contribute to the sector through the design, manufacture and support of rail components and systems, including couplers, heating, ventilation and air conditioning equipment, brakes, doors, diagnostic systems and security technology.

The TEXRail extension forms part of efforts to improve public transport connections in Fort Worth, where access to major employment and healthcare destinations is a key consideration for transport planning.

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