TEXRail trains were full many times in December as ridership surged by 25%, officials said.
Bolstered by holiday travel and events in downtown Grapevine, ridership on the passenger rail line grew to 129,115 rides last month compared to 103,312 rides in December 2024, data shows.
Trinity Metro officials said travelers enjoyed the convenience of the rail line to reach their destinations, including Dallas Fort Worth International Airport. A round trip daily ticket is $4.
Paul W. McCallum, executive director of the Grapevine Convention & Visitors Bureau, said train ridership increased visitors to holiday events in the northeast Tarrant County city.
“Trains arrived filled with families and couples using the convenience of TEXRail,” McCallum said in a statement. “We’re thrilled to see more people experiencing TEXRail and seeing just how easy it is to safely arrive at historic Main Street without the drive, making the ride part of the fun!”
Holiday travel to Dallas Fort Worth International Airport also aided TEXRail ridership in December 2025. (Courtesy photo | Trinity Metro)
Holiday travel to DFW Airport was also a factor in TEXRail ridership gains, officials said.
“Peak holiday travel places unique demands on airport infrastructure, and the continued growth of TEXRail ridership shows the value of giving travelers more choices,” Ken Buchanan, executive vice president and chief revenue officer for DFW Airport, said in a statement.
During the airport’s busiest holiday travel periods, he said, “public transportation plays an important role in improving the customer experience by reducing congestion on the roads and at the terminal curbs.”
Air travel is aided by Trinity Metro’s low-cost, long-term parking available at transit stations and the new Silver Line, a Dallas Area Rapid Transit route that launched late last year that shares two stations.
Trinity Metro officials said the December ridership record reflects overall growth for 2025. Ridership for 2025 was up 12% over 2024, officials said.
“It’s not hard to convince people to ride transit,” Rich Andreski, president and CEO of Trinity Metro, said at a November board meeting. “It’s just a matter of delivering great service.”
TEXRail, launched in January 2019, runs from downtown Fort Worth to DFW Airport’s Terminal B and is popular with airport travelers. Stations along the 27.2-mile route are located in north Fort Worth, North Richland Hills and Grapevine.
Plans for Trinity Metro, Fort Worth’s transit agency, include a 2.1-mile extension from downtown Fort Worth to the Medical District. The agency’s board authorized early-work contract amendments with Fort Worth Transit Partners for a construction manager at risk to manage the project. The contract is worth nearly $33.1 million, which includes an updated contingency fee for potential cost increases.
Eric E. Garcia is senior business reporter at the Fort Worth Report. Contact him at eric.garcia@fortworthreport.org.
Disclosure: Trinity Metro is a financial supporter of the Report. News decisions are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Read more about our editorial independence policy here.
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