Discover Dallas.

Discover DART.

The DART Station Art & Design Program

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about DART

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about TRE

What is TRE?
What are the significant dates in the history of the TRE?
How many people ride the TRE?
What is the size of the TRE system?
What are the types and specifications of your locomotives?
What types of cabs and coaches do you use?

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What is DART?
   Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) is the public transit agency for Dallas and 12 surrounding cities. Our extensive network of DART Light Rail, Trinity Railway Express (TRE) commuter rail and bus services moves more than 220,000 passengers per day across a 700-square-mile service area.

To promote ridesharing, DART also operates a system of high occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes allowing carpoolers to whiz past freeway traffic jams. More than 145,000 commuters use our HOV lanes each weekday.

Where can I take the bus?
   DART operates local and express bus routes serving Addison, Carrollton, Cockrell Hill, Dallas, Farmers Branch, Garland, Glenn Heights, Highland Park, Irving, Richardson, Rowlett, Plano and University Park.

Where can I take the train?
   The DART Rail System provides fast, convenient service to work, shopping and entertainment destinations in Dallas, Carrollton, Farmers Branch, Garland, Plano and Richardson. Plus, our TRE commuter line links DART customers to DFW International Airport and downtown Fort Worth.

Popular shopping and entertainment destinations near DART Rail stations in Dallas include NorthPark Center and Upper Greenville Avenue (Park Lane Station), West Village (Cityplace Station), Mockingbird Station (Mockingbird Station), the Dallas Museum of Art (St. Paul Station), American Airlines Center (Victory Station), the entertaining West End Historic District (West End Station), Fair Park (Fair Park Station and MLK, Jr. Station), the Dallas Convention Center (Convention Center Station), and the Dallas Zoo (Dallas Zoo Station).

Popular destinations in surrounding cities include the Renaissance Hotel and the Eisemann Center for the Performing Arts (Galatyn Park Station in Richardson); Downtown Plano, the ArtCentre of Plano and the Courtyard Theater (Downtown Plano Station); the Granville Arts Center (Downtown Garland Station); Downtown Irving (South Irving Station); the Farmers Branch Historical Park (Farmers Branch Station); and Downtown Carrollton (Downtown Carrollton Station).

How much does it cost to park at a station?
   Free parking is available at most rail stations, and all are served by DART bus routes specially timed to make transfers between buses and trains quick and easy.

Can I take a train to American Airlines Center?
   Whether you are headed to a concert, a Dallas Mavericks basketball game or a Dallas Stars showdown on the ice, ride DART Rail to events at American Airlines Center (AAC). Coming from Fort Worth or the Mid-Cities? The TRE is the ticket Monday through Saturday. Visit www.DART.org/Victory for details.

Can I take a train to DFW Airport or Dallas Love Field?
   The TRE gets you to and from DFW International Airport for a fraction of the cost of taxi fare or long-term parking. Just take it to CentrePort/DFW Airport Station and transfer to the DFW Airport bus serving airline terminals. Airport buses meet all trains, departing every 15 minutes Monday through Saturday. There is no Sunday service. Airport bus service between the rail station and the airport terminals is free. Visit www.DART.org/DFWAirport for details.

When heading to DFW International Airport, Victory Station on the Red and Green Line provides your connection between DART Light Rail and the TRE commuter rail.

Your link between DART Light Rail's Green and Orange Lines and the Love Field Terminal is Bus Route 39 that operates between Dallas Love Field and the Inwood/Love Field Station. Frequency of service between Inwood/Love Field Station and Love Field Airport is every 20 minutes seven days a week.

Can I take a train to Fort Worth?
   Downtown Fort Worth is now just about an hour's ride from Union Station in downtown Dallas via the Trinity Railway Express (TRE). TRE information is available at www.TrinityRailwayExpress.org.

How much does a ticket cost?
   DART offers three basic, one-way fares - $1.75 for Local bus and rail service; $3.50 for System service, which includes express bus service between downtown Dallas and free Park & Ride facilities in Addison, Carrollton, Farmers Branch, Glenn Heights, Irving, Plano and Rowlett; and $5.00 for Regional service, which includes all DART and The T buses, DART Rail and all TRE trains.

TRE fares are in two zones: $3.50 one-way to all stops between downtown Dallas and West Irving Station; $5.00 between stations in Dallas County and Tarrant County. The DART Day Pass is an even better value at $4.00 for a local (valid on local buses, DART Rail trains and FLEX service along regular route), $7.00 for a system pass (valid on all DART buses, DART Rail trains, DART On-Call, and the TRE from Union Station to West Irving Station) or $10.00 for a regional pass (valid on all DART buses and trains, DART On-Call, TRE trains (from Union Station to T&P Station), and the T in Fort Worth).

What is DART's annual budget?

FY11 operating budget	$422.0 million
FY10 operating budget	$402.8 million
FY10 actual operating expenses	$392.4 million
FY10 sales tax revenue	$375.5 million
FY11 budgeted employees	3,803
FY10 revenue miles (fixed route)	34.5 million

What is DART's annual ridership?

FY10 systemwide ridership (all modes)	110.1 million passenger trips
FY10 systemwide ridership (fixed route)	58.2 million

What is DART's annual subsidy per passenger?

FY10 subsidy per passenger (all modes)	$2.98
FY10 subsidy per passenger (fixed route)	$4.87

What is the size of DART's bus system?

Total vehicle fleet	658
Number of buses used in peak service	550
Number of transit centers	13
Number of bus routes	135
Number of bus stops	12,322
FY10 bus ridership	38.0 million passenger trips (includes charter)
FY10 Average weekday ridership	129,506 passenger trips
FY10 Average Saturday ridership	59,437 passenger trips
FY10 Average Sunday ridership	33,228 passenger trips
FY10 subsidy per passenger	$5.10

What is the size of DART's light rail system?

Length of system	72 miles
Number of stations	55
Total vehicle fleet	163
FY10 ridership	17.8 million passenger trips
FY10 Average weekday ridership	59,810 passenger trips
FY10 Average Saturday ridership	28,887 passenger trips
FY10 Average Sunday ridership	18,596 passenger trips
FY10 subsidy per passenger	$4.21

What is the size of DART's High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) system?

Number of interim lanes	6
Number of freeway miles	84
FY10 commuter trips	50.1 million
Average weekday trips	151,426
FY10 subsidy per passenger	$0.21

What is the size of DART's general mobility programs (vanpool)?

FY10 ridership	924,600
FY10 number of vanpools (Sept. 2010)	175
FY10 subsidy per passenger	$0.54

What is the size of DART's paratransit (van service for disabled customers)?

Registered participants (July 2010)	11,000
FY10 ridership	772,675
FY10 subsidy per passenger	$42.91
Number of paratransit vehicles	186

How many different types of buses does DART use?

NovaBUS (1998, 1999, 2000, 2002) Diesel:	399
NovaBUS (1998, 1999, 2002) LNG:	179
NABI (2004) Diesel:	80
Bus length:	40 feet
Bus capacity:	41 seated
Bus curb weight:	LNG - 30,920 Diesel - 29,740 GVWR (gross vehicle weight rating) - 39,500

Where does DART get its electrical power to operate the light rail vehicles?
DART's 72-mile light rail system requires about 6.2 million kilowatt hours per month from the Texas General Land Office and Garland Power & Light to feed into the 55 mainline substations -- big boxes measuring 15 feet wide, 46 feet long and 14 feet high located at intervals of 1.5 to 1.75 miles along the line.

Inside the substations, more than 13,000 volts of AC electrical power is converted into 845 volts of DC energy required to run the trains. Two additional substations are located at each of DART's Service & Inspection Facilities. The power distributed from each substation varies, depending on the number of trains in service and operating speed of rail traffic.

DART is unique in having one of the few variable voltage power distribution system in North America. Each substation is polled for energy usage and voltages are varied according to energy used and energy needed. Not all substations have to be operational for the light rail system to work. In the event of loss of utility power to a substation, the system is designed to provide enough power to compensate.

What are the light rail vehicles technical specifications?

Vehicle Type:	Double-ended, articulated car, multiple unit operation up to three cars
Fleet Size:	163 vehicles (2011)
Vehicle Height:	13 feet
Vehicle Width:	8 feet, 10 inches
Vehicle Length:	123 feet, 8 inches
Vehicle Weight:	SLRV 101-140: 142,204 pounds SLRV 141-195: 139,960 pounds SLRV 196-215: 136,612 pounds SLRV 216-263: 138,250 pounds
Passenger Capacity:	209 passengers, 96 seated
Travel Speed:	Top speed: 65 miles per hour Average speed: 25-35 miles per hour
Body:	Lightweight, welded steel, with reinforced fiberglass covering operator cab and weatherproof articulation (bending) section Designed for 30-year life
Interior:	Constructed of stainless steel and lined with an upholstered, padded insert. Rubber interior flooring
Cooling/Heating:	Heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning system
Wheels:	Steel-tired with acoustic dampening
Doors:	Five sliding doorways per side
Special Features:	Middle car has a low-floor entrance and is wheelchair-accessible with accommodations for two wheelchairs per vehicle
Power Requirements:	600-900 Volts DC. Requires 288 KWH per hour of system operation averaged from total electrical consumption of the system.
Vehicle Cost:	$7.3 million each (includes design, engineering, shipment, Automatic Train Protection (ATP), GPS-based Vehicle Business System (VBS), etc.).

What is DART's rail ridership by fiscal year?

1996	1.29 million (11 miles opened June 14, 1996)
1997	7.97 million (6 mile North Central extension opened January 10, 1997; 3 mile South Oak Cliff extension opened May 31, 1997 completing the 20-mile DART Rail Starter System)
1998	10.94 million
1999	11.34 million
2000	11.43 million
2001	11.51 million
2002	13.73 million (North Central extensions to Richardson and Northeast extensions to LBJ/Skillman Station opened in stages during the year)
2003	16.97 million (Northeast and North Central extensions completed adding 24 miles to system bringing the total to 44 miles)
2004	16.49 million
2005	17.48 million (The opening of Victory Station, the first station of the Northwest Corridor rail expansion, adds 1 mile to the system bringing the total to 45 miles)
2006	18.58 million
2007	17.9 million
2008	19.4 million
2009	19.0 million (The opening of the first four stations of the Southeast Corridor rail expansion on September 14, 2009 adds 3 miles to the system bringing the total to 48 miles)
2010	17.8 million

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What is TRE?
   The Trinity Railway Express (TRE) is a service provided jointly by Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) and the Fort Worth Transportation Authority (The T). The TRE links downtown Fort Worth, downtown Dallas and DFW Airport. Scheduled train service is provided Monday through Saturday. No scheduled service is available on Sunday.

What are the significant dates in the history of the TRE?
   Significant dates in the history of the Trinity Railway Express include:

• December 30, 1996 -- DART opened the first commuter rail line in the southwestern United States. The first segment of the Trinity Railway Express follows a 10-mile rail line linking downtown's Union Station, the Medical/Market Center Station, and the South Irving Transit Center. More than 4,000 people rode the train during its first day of operation.
  
  
• December 15, 1997 -- The Trinity Railway Express commuter rail line debuts an expanded schedule featuring midday and evening service. The new schedule allows DART to offer 50 trips each weekday on the Trinity Railway Express, up from the 30 previously provided.
  
  
• December 5, 1998 -- The Trinity Railway Express commuter rail line adds Saturday service to its schedule.
  
  
• March 12, 1999 -- The Trinity Railway Express carries its one-millionth customer.
  
  
• September 16, 2000 -- Trinity Railway Express service extends west to four new stations at West Irving, CentrePort, Hurst/Bell and Richland Hills. Revenue service begins September 18. More than 5,700 people ride the first day.
  
  
• December 3, 2001 -- Service extends to the Intermodal Transit Center and T & P Stations in downtown Fort Worth. This completes the rail connection between Dallas and Fort Worth.
  
  
• January 14, 2002 -- Trinity Railway Express dedicates the Intermodal Transportation Center accommodating TRE, the T, Amtrak Passenger Service, and retail opportunities.
  
  
• November 6, 2008 - Coming off a year of record-breaking ridership, the Trinity Railway Express boarded its 20 millionth customer at CentrePort/DFW Airport Station.
  
  
• September 14, 2009 -- With the opening of the DART Rail Green Line's first phase between Victory and MLK, Jr. stations, Trinity Railway Express begins regularly scheduled service to Victory Station.

How many people ride the TRE?
Trinity Railway Express Ridership by Fiscal Year:
1996  10-mile system opens December 30, 1996

1997  175,969

1998  455,515

1999  587,519

2000  688,486 (service extended to Tarrant County, September 2000)

2001  1.32 million (service extended to Fort Worth, completing TRE system, December 2001)

2002  2.13 million

2003  2.29 million

2004  2.16 million

2005  2.15 million

2006  2.4 million

2007  2.5 million

2008  2.7 million

2009  2.7 million

2010  2.5 million

What is the size of the TRE system?

Length of line	34 miles
Number of Stations	10
Vehicle fleet	9 locomotives, 15 bi-level coaches, 10 bi-level cab cars
FY10 ridership	2.5 million passenger trips
FY10 Average weekday ridership	8,680 passenger trips
FY10 Average Saturday ridership	4,514 passenger trips
Average Sunday ridership	TRE does not operate on Sunday
FY10 subsidy per passenger	$6.19

What are the types and specifications of your locomotives?
   The TRE uses nine locomotives including:

TRE F-59 PH Locomotive Technical Specifications

• Originally GO Transit unit GO Road numbers: 525, 527, 528 (purchased 2009), 565 thru 568 (purchased 1999)
  
  565-568: Refurbished by Amtrak at Beach Grove with Cab HVAC, repainted car bodies, and converted HEP to US standard 480v HEP. First used in service at TRE late 2000. Overhaul project underway at RELCO in Albia, IA. Rebuild included up-grading to EPA TIER-II compliance. Once overhaul is completed road numbers will be 123-126.
  
  525, 527, 528: In overhaul at TTI (Norfolk Southern) in Altoona, PA. Overhaul includes repainted carbodies, conversion to US standard 480v HEP, up-grading to EPA Tier II compliance. Once overhaul is completed TRE road numbers assigned will be 120-122.
  
  
• Locomotive manufacturer: EMD
• Locomotive type: (B-B) 0440
• Locomotive horsepower: 3100
• Years built: 1994
• Vehicle height: 15' 8"
• Vehicle width: 10' 6"
• Vehicle length: 58' 2"
• Vehicle weight: 260,000 lbs.
• Maximum speed: 83 mph

TRE F-59 PHI Locomotive Technical Specifications

• Purchased new from EMD, some electrical, and pre-delivery work done by Alsthom. First used by TRE in 2001.
• Road numbers: 569 & 570
• Locomotive manufacturer: EMD
• Locomotive type: (B-B) 0440
• Locomotive horsepower: 3000
• Years built: 2001
• Vehicle height: 15' 11.5"
• Vehicle width: 10' 6.5"
• Vehicle length: 58' 2"
• Vehicle weight: 268,000 lbs.
• Maximum speed: 83 mph

What types of cabs and coaches do you use?
   The TRE uses 15 bi-level coaches and 10 bi-level cab cars.

• Road numbers: 1000 and 1001 Cab Cars, 1050 thru 1059 Coaches
• Car manufacturer: UTDC/Hawker-Siddeley
• Originally built: 1976 thru 1977, rebuilt by Amtrak 2000 thru 2001
• Originally owned and operated by: GO Transit, Canada
  
  
• Road numbers: 1002 and 1003 Cab Cars
• Car manufacturer: Bombardier
• Years built: 2000
• Purchased new by: TRE
  
  
• Road numbers: 1004, 1005 and 1006 Cab Cars
• Car manufacturer: Bombardier
• Years built: 2003
• Purchased new by: TRE
  
  
• Road numbers: 1007, 1008 and 1009 Cab Cars
• Road number: 1060 Coach
• Car Manufacturer: Bombardier
• Year built: 2007
• Purchased new by: TRE
  
  
• Road numbers: 1061-1064 Coach
• Car Manufacturer: Bombardier
• Year built: 2009
• Purchased new by: TRE
  
  
• Seating capacity for cab and coach cars: 123 to 152 depending on configuration of car
• Maximum customer capacity: 399 to 428 depending on exact configuration of car
• Height: 15' 11"
• Width: 9' 10"
• Length: 85'
• Maximum design speed: 95 mph
• Empty weight: 122,000 lbs.
• Climate control: Full heating, air conditioning and ventilation
• Customer amenities: workstation tables, bicycle racks, luggage racks, cup holders
• Accessibility: Wheelchair access and interior spaces
• Cars equipped with restrooms: 1000, 1001, 1002, 1003, 1004, 1005, 1006, 1007, 1008, 1009 and 1053

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