Travel Perks

Fort Worth joins the jet set with new rail line to DFW Airport

Getting to and from Dallas-Fort Worth Airport will soon be more convenient for Tarrant County.

Photo courtesy of Grand Hyatt

Fort Worth flyers and airport commuters are poised to join the jet set with an official approval by the Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport Board to build a rail station at the airport.

The service will run from downtown Fort Worth through Haltom City, North Richland Hills, and Grapevine to a TEX Rail Station at Terminal B. A second station will be built in Grapevine, north of State Highway 114 and west of State Highway 121, along Dallas Road.

Tex Rail is a 27-mile commuter rail project in Tarrant County that joins the Trinity Railway Express (TRE), the first commuter rail line in the Southwest. The TRE is a joint project between DART and the Fort Worth Transportation Authority, also known as The T. The TRE provides service between Fort Worth and Dallas, with stops at the Victory and Union stations.

The new TEX Rail line will connect with the TRE at two downtown Fort Worth stations: Fort Worth Intermodal Transportation Center and T&P. At the airport, it will make a connection with DART Rail, whose station is at Terminal A; there'll be a walkway between the two lines.

DART opened its station at the airport in August 2014, creating an alternative to more costly options such as $50 cab rides, $25 shuttles, or driving and parking at the airport for $20. Having convenient train service to the airport makes Dallas-Fort Worth a vastly easier, more urban place to live or visit.

DART's service is part of the Orange Line, with a platform located between International Parkway and the north service road near Terminal A.

Construction on the TEX Rail line will start in July, while construction on the DFW station will commence in fall 2016. The service is scheduled to begin in 2018.

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Christmas in Cowtown

Festive Fort Worth makes new list of top cities to celebrate Christmas

Visit Fort Worth - Facebook

There's much to love around the holiday season in Fort Worth, including meeting Cowboy Santa.

Fort Worth's festive spirit is on full display, from Cowboy Santa's visits in the historic Stockyards to the sky-high tree in downtown's Sundance Square. It's no wonder the city made WalletHub's list of the best cities for celebrating Christmas 2024.

Merry Fort Worth lands at No. 57 spot on the new list, which annually ranks the 100 most populous U.S. cities across five key dimensions: Traditions and fun, observance, generosity, shopping opportunities, plus travel and meal costs.

Fort Worth ranked as the No. 50 best U.S. city for celebrating Christmas in WalletHub's 2023 report.

Here's how the city performed across the study's five main categories this year:

No. 16 – Costs rank
No. 38 – Generosity rank
No. 55 – Observance rank
No. 59 – Traditions and fun rank
No. 65 – Shopping rank

No matter what the rankings say, jolly Fort Worth residents can enjoy a host of holiday happenings this winter, including numerous light displays and dazzling neighborhoods throughout town. From local restaurants and bars creating festive feasts and delightful cocktail experiences, to great places to ice skate, there is plenty to get Fort Worth residents in the holiday spirit this year.

Fort Worth households also have bigger holiday budgets in 2024 than they did the year before. According to a separate WalletHub study, the average Fort Worth household is expected to spend about $1,082 on Christmas gifts this year, versus $1,013 in 2023.

"With inflation making Christmas celebrations, gifts, food and travel more expensive, certain cities are much better for your wallet than others during the holiday," said WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo. "In addition to being affordable, the best cities have a large number of people celebrating, plenty of places for Christians to worship, populations who give generously to charity, and plenty of fun activities to enjoy with family and friends."

Elsewhere in Texas, other festive cities that earned spots in the top 50 include Austin (No. 23), San Antonio (No. 30), Dallas (No. 31), and Houston (No. 41).

The top 10 best places to experience Christmas in 2024 are:

No. 1 – Atlanta, Georgia
No. 2 – Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
No. 3 – Seattle, Washington
No. 4 – Las Vegas, Nevada
No. 5 – Orlando, Florida
No. 6 – San Francisco, California
No. 7 – St. Louis, Missouri
No. 8 – Miami, Florida
No. 9 – Chicago, Illinois
No. 10 – New York, New York

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