Trinity Metro Sets October 29 Groundbreaking for TEXRail Medical District Extension Under $204.5M Budget

Groundbreaking Scheduled for TEXRail Near Southside Mistletoe Station

FORT WORTH, Texas — Expanding passenger commuter rail into Tarrant County's largest healthcare employment corridor, Trinity Metro scheduled the official groundbreaking ceremony for the TEXRail Medical District extension on October 29, 2026. The 2.1-mile southern alignment extends passenger service from the historic Fort Worth T&P Station directly to Near Southside, terminating at the new Mistletoe Boulevard Station.

Constructed in close coordination with major hospital networks including Baylor Scott & White Health, JPS Health Network, and Cook Children’s Medical Center, the extension will provide direct rail connections for more than 40,000 healthcare employees and regional patients. Project managers confirmed the line is on track for passenger operations by 2029, building on a record year in which TEXRail surpassed one million annual riders for the first time.

Trinity Metro Board Adopts $204.5 Million FY2027 Operational Budget

The milestone comes as the Trinity Metro Board of Directors ratified a disciplined $204.5 million operating budget for fiscal year 2027. While reflecting an efficiency reduction of $17.8 million compared to the previous fiscal year, the spending plan fully safeguards core frequency, expands paratransit mobility, and funds key capital modernizations across bus and rail corridors.

Simultaneously, engineering crews advanced track work on the Trinity Railway Express (TRE) Double-Track Project between Fort Worth Central Station and Trinity Lakes Station. Adding 2.5 miles of continuous second mainline track, the enhancement resolves freight corridor conflicts and increases rail reliability across the Metroplex.

USACE and Water District Advance 1.5-Mile Panther Island Bypass Channel

In regional flood protection and urban waterfront renewal, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) and the Tarrant Regional Water District continued heavy excavation on the 1.5-mile Trinity River bypass channel. The central civil engineering component of the Panther Island initiative protects downtown Fort Worth from 100-year flood levels while unlocking 300 acres for high-density, walkable urban growth under the city’s Vision 2.0 master plan.

Civic and transportation leaders praised Fort Worth’s balanced focus on vital commuter rail expansion, fiscal discipline, and generational waterfront infrastructure.