Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) officials have suggested for months that a light rail transit link to Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, a high priority, might open ahead of schedule. DART now vows to make that happen.
DART said Tuesday, March 25, 2014 its Orange Line extension, reaching one of the busiest U.S. passenger airports, will open for passenger service on Aug. 18, 2014, by some measures 4 ½ months ahead of schedule, and one month ahead of a previous accelerated target cautiously voiced by DART President and CEO Gary Thomas.
The five-mile Orange Line extension, from Belt Line Station to the newly rebuilt Terminal A at D/FW, will bring the nation's longest LRT system to 90 route miles, DART says. DART opened its first 24-mile LRT segment in 1996.
The airport station platform will be located between International Parkway and the North Service Road near Terminal A.
"Opening a project of this complexity early and under budget is a great testament to the work of our DART team and our colleagues at DFW Airport," Thomas said. "Support from the Federal Transit Administration and Federal Aviation Administration was also crucial to beating the targeted opening."