Trinity Railway Express

I like this train. I used to take it to the DFW Centerport Station (before the DART Orange line was extended to Terminal A) whenever I was flying out of DFW. Now I take it out to Fort Worth or Irving from Victory Station. It’s not very cheap ($ 10 for a regional day pass, $ 5 for a two-​hour regional pass) but the seats are comfortable, there are two levels, big windows, and in my experience the train is always clean. It’s not hard to find a seat even when it’s crowded, and many seats come equipped with tables so that you can get some work done.
My one complaint is that it often comes a minute or two before it’s scheduled to, and then leaves after being at the station for about 30 seconds, which means it’s easy to miss (and I have definitely experienced the pain of watching the TRE pull away as I’m running up to the station at the exact time it’s supposed to be arriving).

Great place to park and ride the train and avoid the traffic in Dallas. Parking in Downtown Fort Worth is running $ 10 for full day an increase from the former $ 3 and $ 5 per day.

Here is another overdue Texas review. The last time I took this train was in July 2014. I must say this train us really awesome. It is a shame I did not take video of it. I like how this place offers really competitive fare with other commuter rail services that are in the US. The equipment may not be as modern as Sun Rail but that is okay. I really like ho this train I really fast and convenient. It is good for everybody who wants to take a trip to anywhere they want. For a large scale city it sure is the best. I wish the Caltrain was like this. From a tourist point of view, it sure is worth my time. I had never been to Fort Worth before but this train made it possible. If you come at the right time you can go directly to I think the Special Events in this train.

My daughter and I had a girl’s weekend in Fort Worth and took the TRE to Dallas for an afternoon outing. The train is clean and comfortable. The price for the ticket is more than reasonable. Colvin was the staff aboard our car and he was very professional, courteous, and made us feel safe on our trip.

I am so lucky that the train station is within walking distance and can drop me off right at work! I’d take it every day if my childcare wasn’t in Dallas. When I am lucky enough to have someone watch Bunny at my house, then you bet I’m taking the train!
Fast facts:
*The train ain’t exactly cheap. To go from Ft Worth to Dallas (provided you do not qualify for a discount, like are on Medicare or a high school student), the regional pass costs a cool $ 10 for all-​day. If you just need a couple hours, then it’s $ 5. It’s cheaper if you stay within your «zone.» The zone line is DFW/​Centreport and Irving.
*They actually check tickets. Like, frequently. So make sure you download the mobile app or make a purchase. The ticket is like $ 75-​$ 100 depending on where you get written up.
*Has Wi-​Fi! Perfect for trolling on your phone and avoiding eye contact.
*The seating is comfortable, the air temperate.
*I’ve never had to resort to standing, but I’ve seen others do it.
*The staff is generally pretty good at controlling unruly behavior, like people propping their feet up on seats.
*Only one time did I have to give up and take my car. A car died on the train tracks and thus the train was rather delayed.
*Gaps during the day are actually pretty long. Like when I get to work extremely early and then try to leave after my last lecture. If too many people ask questions, I miss the 2:00 PM train and have to wait until 3:30. Super annoying because if I had just driven myself, I could’ve already been home with time to spare! So the train is best utilized when you have reliable start/​stop times.

The TRE used to be cheap and mostly great. Now it’s good and doubled in price! Security sucks and many other things like the train stopping at the half way point and getting kick off in 34 degree F weather!!!
In inclement weather they should go all the way!

I used the TRE to get from DFW Airport to Fort Worth, and I was very impressed with it. It’s clean, punctual, comfortable, fast, and very inexpensive. The employees at the station are quite helpful.
I just wish I could have more quickly gleaned the information I needed from the various websites connected with it. I had to dig, for example, to figure out just which shuttle to take from the airport to the NEXT shuttle to finally get to the station. It was also not immediately obvious to me that the Fort Worth Intermodal Transportation Center would have been a more convenient place to get off than T&P Station. But neither of these were a particularly serious problem.
On the train, I overheard some «horror stories» about folks who tried to ride without buying a ticket. They may not necessarily check on board, but they do check frequently at the major stations. For the low cost of a ticket, the fine for not having one isn’t worth it.

1^st time taking the TRE was to going to Big D NYE.
I have to say Dallas, this train system was great. Such an easy and convenient way to get from Irving to Dallas & avoid the traffic that would come with driving. Only 2 stops until the AA center. It was such a plus that the train was clean & runs on time!
$ 5 for a day pass which is basically a round trip ticket, single ride tickets are $ 2.50. A day pass it’s good until 3am! You buy your ticket using the automated machine.
We parked at the Downtown Irving location, and there was plenty of parking.

Ahhh, public transportation! Since I’m currently living in a city where buses rule, I can not help but get a little excited when I have the opportunity to move about a metro area via the rails! Granted the TRE does not necessarily move one throughout a city, but rather moves visiting parties from one city to another with some key stops in-between…like DFW. But what a great service to those of us staying at the airport for an extended period of time. For this service, I award the TRE its first star. I bestow the second for its prompt pick-​ups and timely drop-​offs. If there is one thing that can kill the reputation of any public transport service, it’s an inability to keep a schedule. I have taken the TRE twice now and both times it has arrived exactly on time and reached my destinations just as accurately. For customer service I award the third star. During both of my trips an employee of the TRE walked through the entire train answering questions and supplying maps to those who may have needed one. Also falling under the customer service umbrella: cleanliness. The train is clean, well kept, and free of any litter. To top off the experience, the TRE is quite cheap! It only cost $ 7 to ride into one of the cities and back. If Dallas is your destination, your ticket also includes the DART. How delightful right?! I look forward to using the TRE on next adventure into the wilds of North Texan Urbania!

It use to be take the TRE $ 5 around trip now it’s $ 10 around trip and $ 5 one way Dallas to Fort Worth. It’s a double decker train that have comfortable seats with tables also a restroom and have some stop in between both cities Richland Hills, Hurst/​Bell, Centerport/​DFW, West Irving, South Irving. The train its self goes 80 miles per hour and when it stops it only takes 2 minutes to let people on so you don’t need to worry about waiting long and it takes like 45 minutes from Downtown Fort Worth to Downtown Dallas however it’s good to ride it day time but the schedule at night sucks it use to be the one that went back to Fort Worth leave after 10 PM now the last one going back to Downtown Fort Worth now it’s After 9 PM and the last one that leave Downtown Dallas only goes to Centerport/​DFW at 10;47 somewhere around that time and if their is an event at AAC they have a train that leave 20 minutes after the event but a lot of times it only goes back to Centerport/​DFW, it did go all the way back when the NBA finals were in Dallas but that’s about it.
If your out in Dallas for an event and it’s 10 PM or later and need to get back to Fort Worth your stuck in Dallas. They need to have more hours in the evening for it to have a better rating.

I’d probably rate TRE a 3.5, but I’ll say 3 since I gave DART a 4 and prefer DART to TRE.
Anyway, I used TRE all the time when I lived in Fort Worth. It’s an AWESOME way to get across the Metroplex and avoid all the construction and traffic, as it has plenty of stops. The ticket system could be a tad easier and everything doesn’t seem as new as DART, but it’ll suffice. Be prepared to see a bunch of painted faces and jerseys if you’re taking it to a Mavs game.
This is the transit to use if you’re traveling East-​West in DFW.

The price is borderline expensive. It definitely makes sense to get a day pass if you will use it enough so you can use all the DART services. However, the trains are really nice. Double decker with comfortable seats, AC, and even seats with tables and OUTLETS!!! They also have a bathroom and a water fountain. These are nice little amenities for a train. However, the schedule at night sucks. After 9 they don’t go past Centerport/​DFW. And after 9:20 at Dallas Union Station it’s 11:05 until the next train. Also, at night they never check for tickets. Just saying.

As far as public transportation in a big city this was a MAJOR letdown. Unlike NYC and other large cities this is NOT a reliable way to get to the airport. I took the DART to Union station and was going to transfer to the TRE to go to DFW. Thanks to Unilocal I learned I would need to make the long transfer via bus to the airport. Not to mention that the train was only running every hour. If had I not checked Unilocal I would’ve missed my flight even though I gave myself 2 hours to get to DFW via the trains. Unless you have lots of time I would strongly discourage using this as your primary means to get to the airport.

Growing up as a kid, I had this train set. Sure it was only a couple of cars long (with a bright red caboose!), but you could plan and plot different routes with the rails and make different switches on the tracks. Loads of fun for a 5 year old and early indoctrination into a love affair with rail lines.
And thus what kid doesn’t grow up loving trains? So when I saw that the Dallas light rail line didn’t connect with DFW but that there was a train connector, this was an easy choice.
The TRE runs from downtown Fort Worth to Dallas on seemingly an hourly schedule with multiple stops along the way. The stations are fairly small with self-​serve kiosks for tickets (although no one actually checked tickets) and there was a small vendor selling concessions at the station I was at.
The rail line is relatively featureless, but the seats are comfy and they seem to move pretty quickly between stations. Coming from DFW, expect the ride to be about 30 minutes to downtown Union Station.
A few quibbles:
–There could be a little bit more convenient system for travellers at DFW to the connector. It’s two separate bus rides: one that drops you off at a parking lot (Parking South) and the second that takes you to the train.
–No Sunday service. Sort of big drawback for the weekend traveller looking to get back to DFW for his/​her return flight.
–A few of the self serve kiosks were out of order (although there was a sign on one of them noting that it was scheduled for an upgrade).
–The pricing system has regional zones and the bus from DFW drops you off at a station just outside the Dallas zone. Thus you’ll pay extra to go to downtown Dallas (although for the Fort Worth traveller, this would be really cheap).

My work sent me to the American Airlines Training Center for a week-​long seminar. My colleagues and I decided to head into Dallas and as the AATC is located very close to the Centreport Station, taking the train was very convenient.
The train route operates between Dallas and Fort Worth and it’s convenient if you’re going to events in either city. They run every hour or so and there’s a late departure from either endpoint. So you don’t have to worry if you’re going to either place. If you’re going to an event at the American Airlines Center (the stadium, not the training center), they do have a convenient post-​event departure. The schedule tells you «A westbound special event train (20 minutes after the end of the event) will be utilized for events that begin after 6:00 PM. and select events designated ‘+20′ on the event schedule».
Oh, one thing, I shouldn’t have told my husband, «Railfan Rick» that I rode the TRE. He said, «You rode the train there and you DIDN’T take photos for me?»

Train mass transit is brilliant. Free train mass transit that drops you off at the event you are going to and takes you back to within a mile of your house is even more brilliant. Drinking on said mass transit is heaven. Trinity Railway Express is all of that.
Sure, it technically isn’t free, but we «forgot» to pay. And I don’t think you’re allowed to drink on it, but we «forgot» to leave our cup-​o-​beers in the parking lot.
On a concert night at AAC it took 21 minutes to get from Victory Park/​The AAC to DFW Airport/​CentrePort. THAT IS A-​MA-​ZING! You could barely drive that fast and in a car you’d have to deal with traffic and paying for parking at AAC.
Remind me why more people don’t take the train to downtown Dallas and Fort Worth?! Seriously. I love it and I love saving tons of money on gas, parking and a DUI. (Shout out to my wife for taking me to and picking me up at the station… Two points for me for being socially responsible.)
Dallas– Fort Worth, get with the picture .Ride the train to the Mavs/​Stars/​concerts/​DFW Airport. Save some fossill fuels, save a couple bucks, have a cocktail while you enjoy the gentle rock of a diesel train.

I love the TRE, it brings out the kid in me. Weeeee look mom! We’re so high up riding on the train! Hehehehe!
I love the train, for 5 dollars you can ride all the way to Ft. Worth and ride all the buses you want. It’s great. If you plan it out well you can actually take the train to the airport and they take you right to the departures gate. It’s nice if you can’t find a ride.

Deciding to make our little Fort Worth trip an adventure, we decided to try out the ol’ TRE. It sounded fun at the time. Boarding the train is fine. You wait at this little platform at Union Station for it to come a rollin’ up. You’d be surprised how many people ask you if this is the one going to Fort Worth. Dude. It only goes two places… Dallas and Fort Worth. If you’re in Dallas, YES, this is the train to Fort Worth damnit. Fools.
We got on and found a seat on the second level. Armed with the Observer and Quick and any other free reading materials we could find, we were ready for the trek to Fort Worth. Yes, it’s true. You might could bike, hike, ride a horse or llama faster than the TRE can take you. Naw, I exaggerate. It took what is usually a 30 minute drive to Fort Worth over an hour. Kept stopping and letting folk on and off. It did prove to be helpful for one in our trip– the stops are just enough time to hang your body out the door and get a few good drags off a cigarette.
Of course, going is the fun part. You’re looking forward to the fun to be had over in FTW, giggling in a «we’re on a train we’re on a train» kinda way. Coming back was notsofun. We were tired, had drank lots of $ 2.75 firesale beers at the Saucer, and were ready to be home. We had to wait for it for about 20 minutes in the cold. There was a combination of «riding it cause you want to» and «riding it cause you have to» people, if you know what I mean. Finally, after listening to a cute but annoying 3 year old «gotta show you somethin”-ing for 20 minutes, we made it on the train, found a spot away from the screaming 3 year old, and fell asleep.
Nobody ever checked our tickets. I’m not saying to not spend the $ 5 (the fine is $ 100 if you’re caught), but if you’re willing to risk it… hey, you might get away with it. The TRE was a fun adventure, but next time we just go as far as Forth Worth, I’m driving… even if it means I have to be the designated driver. Uugh!

Who doesn’t love a train? Especially a train that will take you from Dallas to Fort Worth and back for only $ 5. There are just a couple of reasons why the TRE doesn’t rank higher on my list.
*I’ve seen someone running faster than the TRE. Seriously. Ok, so it was just pulling out of the station. But is 35mph really the TRE’s top speed? Are you sure you can’t crank that bitch up to at least 55? Geez.
*I loathe public bathrooms but I especially loathe public bathrooms that move. I don’t know this from personal experience, but I hear the TRE facilities are pretty nasty (as experienced by someone in our group who was much braver than I’ll ever be when it comes to hovering over a moving toilet). Hose that thing down once and a while, why don’t’cha?
In all seriousness, if you’re looking to zip to Fort Worth, the TRE isn’t the way to go. If the journey means more to you than the destination and you don’t mind spending over an hour on your journey, then the TRE is worth doing… at least once.

The Trinity Railway Express (TRE) is a train that goes from downtown Dallas to downtown Ft Worth. We caught it at Union Station in downtown Dallas, but it also can be caught at American Airlines, at Parkland Medical Center, and various other places on the way to Ft. Worth. For someone like me, who does NOT like going outside the loop, this is the way to go to get to Sundance Square. The train is clean, it has bathrooms on it (not always so clean I am thinking), and it is an enjoyable hour spent chatting with your friends or staring out the window rather than being annoyed by crap drivers and getting into road rage fights. And you can almost imagine you are back in Europe on the Eurorail… ok not really but it is pretty cool for a daytime excursion. It runs M-​F Schedule and then a Saturday schedule. Unfortunately the Saturday train doesn’t run very late which is a bummer.