Summer travel season is here, and if your trip starts at DFW International, you already know the math on the drive: airport tolls, gas, and parking that can cost more per day than your checked bag. There is a cheaper way from the west side of the metro, and a lot of Tarrant County residents still have not tried it. Trinity Metro’s TEXRail runs from downtown Fort Worth straight into DFW Airport’s Terminal B, and a one-way ticket costs two dollars.
Here is the full rundown: where the line goes, what it costs, where to park, and what happens when you step off the train with a suitcase.
Where the line runs
TEXRail is a 27-mile commuter rail line that starts at Fort Worth T&P Station downtown and ends at the north entrance of DFW Airport, at Terminal B. In between it stops at Fort Worth Central Station, North Side, Mercantile Center, two North Richland Hills stations (Iron Horse and Smithfield), Grapevine’s Main Street station, and DFW Airport North. Station locations and details are on Trinity Metro’s train stations page.
From end to end, the ride from T&P Station to the Terminal B platform takes 53 minutes by Trinity Metro’s own timing. Board at Grapevine’s Main Street station and you are at the airport in about 10 minutes, which is why that station’s parking fills up with savvy travelers.
What it costs
Since the fare change that took effect September 15, 2024, TEXRail’s route sits entirely within Tarrant County’s local fare zone: $2 for a single ride, or $4 for a day pass that also covers Trinity Metro buses and on-demand rideshare service in the county. Compare that with a week of airport parking and the train starts to look like found money.
You can buy tickets at vending machines on every platform, at the kiosk inside Fort Worth Central Station, or on the GoPass app, which handles day passes. Reduced fares are available; check the ticket information page for who qualifies.
When the trains run
TEXRail runs every 30 minutes during peak travel periods and hourly the rest of the day, and the schedule is the same 365 days a year, weekends and holidays included. That consistency matters when you are catching a 7 a.m. flight on a Sunday. Exact departure times for every station are on the TEXRail schedule page; build in a cushion of at least one earlier train than you strictly need, the same rule you would apply to any airport connection.
Parking at the stations
Here is the part frequent flyers care about. Parking is free at every TEXRail station except Fort Worth Central Station and the DFW Terminal B garage, but the free spots come with a 20-hour limit, which is fine for a work day and useless for a vacation.
For trips, Trinity Metro offers paid long-term parking at $5 per night at five stations: Fort Worth T&P, North Side, Mercantile Center, North Richland Hills/Iron Horse and North Richland Hills/Smithfield. Reservations and payment run through the ACE Parking app, you can extend from your phone if a flight gets delayed, and the lots are monitored by security personnel and cameras. Leave a car in a free space past 20 hours without paying and you risk a citation or a tow, so five dollars a night is cheap insurance.
Arriving at the airport
The train deposits you at the Terminal B station, and you enter the terminal at door B30. From there it depends on your airline. American Airlines passengers can check bags right there in Terminal B, clear security, and ride Skylink, the airport’s inside-security train, to any other terminal. Passengers on other airlines with bags to check ride Terminal Link, the airport’s shuttle that runs outside security, from the upper level of Terminal B to their departure terminal. Terminal A is close enough to walk from the station on the lower level.
Flying home, the move is the reverse: make your way to Terminal B, exit at B30, and the platform is right there.
Small print worth knowing
A few house rules make the ride smoother. Food and drinks are allowed aboard only in sealed containers. Bikes are welcome, with vertical racks inside the cars. There is a restroom on board, and a designated quiet car at the front of the train for anyone who wants to read or doze instead of listening to someone’s speakerphone. The doors do not open automatically at stations; press the illuminated button when you reach your stop, a detail that catches nearly every first-time rider.
For a region built around the automobile, a $2 train to the airport is a quiet bargain hiding in plain sight. If your summer itinerary runs through DFW and you live anywhere near the corridor from downtown Fort Worth through Grapevine, give the car a day off and let the train do the fighting with airport traffic.
This article was produced with AI assistance and reviewed by a human editor. Figures are linked to their primary sources; where a claim could not be verified from the public record, we say so.
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