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1953 GP-7 diesel locomotive is still transporting tourists between Texan town of Grapevine and Fort Worth, but as soon as late 2018 a commuter rail line could begin service along the same track. (Photo: Markku Björkman)
New commuter rail line planned for Grapevine, Texas
Published: Mon, 2015-02-23 16:00-
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Expected to cost $862 million
For decades, Grapevine residents and tourist has been using city´s historical train for short rail museums tours to Texan “Cowtown” Fort Worth.
But now a massive change is on the way, one that is already forcing city leaders to take a hard look at how they merge their past, present and future.
The change is TEX Rail, a proposed commuter rail line that could begin service in Grapevine as soon as late 2018. TEX Rail is a planned 27-mile passenger rail service stretching from downtown Fort Worth to Terminal B at Dallas/Fort Worth Airport. It would have up to 10 stations, including one at Grapevine’s Main Street.
Grapevine is also planning for the new TEX Rail commuter rail depot, possibly in the next three years.
The rail line is expected to carry more than 10,000 passengers per day initially, and nearly 15,000 daily by 2035, according to Federal Transit Administration modeling used to calculate the project’s worthiness for federal funding. That’s more riders than on the Trinity Railway Express, which connects downtown Fort Worth to Dallas.
For Grapevine city leaders, TEX Rail is both exciting and a little concerning. They are eager to embrace the vision of transit-oriented development, which could enhance the quality of life in the historical city center and bring new retail dollars to the thriving community of about 50,000 residents. But they also recognize that any missteps could spoil the city’s agricultural charm.
Markku Björkman
Av Markku Björkman
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