DART Orange Line service to Terminal A at the Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport is up and running, making North Texas home to the third busiest airport in the country with a rail connection to city center. Years in the making, the final phase of the DART Orange Line has been completed under budget and ahead of schedule. This nearly five-mile addition to the 14-mile DART Orange Line connects riders to Terminal A at the Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport and makes Irving one of the most accessible North Texas cities in terms of transportation.
The earlier-than-expected completion of the DART Orange Line extension to Terminal A is expected to have a significant impact on the way North Texans travel. Before the airport connection opened Aug. 18, the Orange Line already offered residents a one-seat ride to the region’s major destinations, including The Irving Convention Center at Las Colinas, the George W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum, and leading medical institutions. Adding the airport to the list of regional attractions accessible by the DART Orange Line catapults Irving residents — as well as much of the region — into an elite class of transportation accessibility shared by cities like Atlanta and Chicago. From the airport station, riders are just a few steps away from check-in, ticketing and security at one of the busiest airports in the country.
“Irving joins a short list of cities with access to mass transit on this level. This latest extension to the DART Orange Line represents a big win for Irving and a huge victory for the entire North Texas region,” said Mayor Beth Van Duyne. “To see that train, which has five stops in Irving, pull into Terminal A at the DFW International Airport has to be a proud moment for residents as well as city leaders who have been pushing this project along for quite some time.”
Bringing the DART Orange Line to the Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport has been in the works for more than 20 years. City council member Brad LaMorgese realizes what it has taken to make the DART Orange Line connection to DFW International Airport a reality. In addition to occupying the Place 6 seat on the city council, LaMorgese chairs the Transportation and Natural Resources Committee and is the council Liaison to the Regional Transportation Board. According to LaMorgese, the completion of the DART Orange Line’s final phase will have a lasting impact.
“The latest extension to the Orange Line may be just under five miles, but it represents a 20-plus year ride with businesses, DART and city leaders,” said LaMorgese. “To see this project come to completion is to see what success and commitment look like, and we expect this latest addition to the DART Orange Line to have a positive impact for residents, visitors and businesses for generations to come.”
The DART Orange Line, which runs from downtown Dallas to the airport, has five stops in Irving. Offering nearly round-the-clock service, the Orange Line will run seven days a week, with the first train on the track just before 4 a.m. and the last one leaving just after 1 a.m. Fares remain at a low $2.50 for one-way travel or $5 for day pass, which provides access to all of the DART system.
Irving residents are encouraged to leave the car at home, and discover how mass transit can meet their traveling needs in and around the city. Trip planning assistance, maps and schedules for DART as well as TRE are available at dart.org.
