by Chris Pearce

Created on: May 05, 2009   Last Updated: May 07, 2012

The main way to get around Dallas, Texas by public transport is on the Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) service. This system has been operating since 1984 and serves most of the metropolitan area. There are about 130 bus routes and 45 miles of light rail, as well as 35 miles of commuter rail linking Dallas to Fort Worth in the west, with a stop near the DFW International Airport.

DART provides a fast, cheap, and handy service to work, entertainment, and shopping destinations in the Dallas metroplitan area. Most of the rail stations have free parking, and are served by buses. Train and bus timetables are coordinated to minimize travel time. The light rail system consists of two lines, the Red Line and the Blue Line, both passing through the Dallas downtown area. The Red Line extends north as far as Plano and southwest past Cockerill Hill. The Blue Line runs as far as Garland in the northeast and south to Ledbetter Station.

Tourists can visit many of the city's popular destinations by train. Union Station has been there since 1916 and is the main rail station is Dallas, serving the downtown area. One stop to the north is West End Station, right in the middle of the historic West End district. Two more stops north is St Paul Station, which is close to the Dallas Museum of Art. Further out, on the Red Line, you can walk to the Eisemann Center for the Performing Arts from Galatyn Park Station. A further two stops to the north is Downtown Plano Station, which is close to the Courtyard Theater and the Art Center of Plano. One stop south of Union Station is the Convention Center Station, a short walk from the Dallas Convention Center. A further three stops is the Dallas Zoo Station, on the Red Line.

Over the next five years to 2014, DART's light rail in Dallas will increase to 93 miles of line. This includes a line to the cities of Farmers Branch and Carrollton in the northwest, to be called the Green Line. A branch of this line will extend to North Irving and the airport, to be known as the Orange Line. A new line to the southeast will link the downtown area with Pleasant Grove. This will be part of the Green Line. Branches from existing lines will extend south to the I-20 and northeast to Rowlett City.

The Trinity Railway Express runs between Dallas's Union Station and the Fort Worth Intermodal Transportation Center. Services are frequent on weekdays, but limited on Saturdays. The train stops at the CentrePort/DFW Airport Station. A shuttle bus service runs

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