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DART Prepares to Open Station at DFW Airport
Beginning Aug. 18, passengers on Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) can take light rail all the way to Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport—and from there, the rest of the world—on the 4.7-mile Orange Line light rail extension to the new DFW Airport Station. DART was completing plans for opening day as Passenger Transport went to press.
DART President/Executive Director Gary Thomas said: “The new connection creates a huge economic opportunity. We are creating access to 60,000 jobs in and around the airport and we are solidifying our region’s status as a global destination for business and leisure travel. It changes the way our community will grow.”
With the introduction of service on the Orange Line extension, DART will operate the longest light rail network in North America, covering 90 miles. Also, DFW will become the third busiest U.S. airport with a rail connection to the city center, behind Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport and Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport.
Regarding the benefits of a direct connection between the airport and downtown, Dale Petroskey, president and chief executive officer, Dallas Regional Chamber, said, “One of our greatest goals is to bring more companies and jobs to this region. Light rail service at DFW Airport is a big competitive advantage for us because it’s something many major metropolitan areas in the U.S. cannot offer.”
In advance of opening day, DART has scheduled a special Aug. 15 recognition program for area community and business leaders and elected officials who helped make the rail line a reality. This will coincide with dozens of customer events across the region promoting this new connection for local, national, and international travelers.
The new station connects to the airport’s Terminal A via a walkway. It is also within walking distance of DFW Terminal Link bus shuttle and Skylink intra-airport monorail, which connect to other terminals.
A DART concierge at the station will provide assistance from opening day through the end of 2014. The new station is equipped with passenger shelters, windscreens, seating, customer information, and ticket vending machines.
Numerous local and national companies including American Airlines, Bank of America, Stacy and Witbeck, Reyes, Parsons, MV Transportation, and URS Corporation are sponsoring grand opening events celebrating the takeoff of light rail service to the new DFW Airport Station.
Report Considers Rail-Airport Links
APTA’s recent report, A New Partnership: Rail Transit and Convention Growth, produced with the U.S. Travel Association, examines how cities with rail stations connected directly to airport terminals can realize increases in hotel performance. The report compares six cities with direct rail access to their airport terminal to five cities without that access. The analysis found that from 2006-2013, hotels in the cities with direct rail access generated 10.9 percent more revenue per room than hotels in those cities without. Find the report here.
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The platform at DART's DFW Airport Station, which opens Aug. 18. |
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