Trinity Metro has broken ground on a 2.1-mile TEXRail extension that will bring regional commuter rail service to Fort Worth’s Medical District and Near Southside. The agency says this new connection allows enhanced access to more people for jobs, health care, education and local businesses.

The $270 million extension will continue south from Fort Worth T&P Station to the new Near Southside Station on land donated by Baylor Scott & White Health. The new connection will link the district to TEXRail destinations, including downtown Fort Worth, North Richland Hills and Grapevine, Texas, as well as Dallas Fort Worth International Airport’s Terminal B. The project is being constructed by AECOM.

“Fort Worth is growing, and the decisions we make today will shape how people experience this city for generations. The TEXRail Near Southside/Medical District extension and new station is an investment in our future,” said Trinity Metro President and CEO Rich Andreski.

The Medical District and Near Southside are home to a concentration of health care employers, neighborhoods and businesses. Trinity Metro says that expanding TEXRail into the area seeks to give employees, patients, families, residents and visitors another transportation option while strengthening connections between this major employment center and the surrounding region.

“All great cities have great transit,” said Trinity Metro Board of Directors Chairman Jeff Davis. “I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: Transit is the answer to everything.”

The agency says that Baylor Scott & White Health’s donation of the station site reflects a shared commitment to improving access to the district and the services it provides.

“Baylor Scott & White All Saints Medical Center – Fort Worth is proud to be the site of the first TEXRail stop in the Medical District,” said Baylor Scott & White DFW West Region President Charles Williams. “Our hope is that this connection will make it easier for people to receive care, support someone they love or come to work caring for our community. Helping people reach what matters to them is another way we can empower them to live well.”

The agency reports that the extension brings together federal, regional and local funding. Sources include funding from the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program; the Surface Transportation Block Grant Program; the Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development program; the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act and savings from the original TEXRail project. Additional support comes from the North Central Texas Council of Governments’ Regional Transportation Council and local funding.