TRE, buses set to transport thousands of World Cup fans to Dallas Stadium

Transit trains from both Dallas and Fort Worth will merge at a central location and move what could be the largest collection of sports fans in Texas history for FIFA World Cup matches.  

All eyes are on the Trinity Railway Express (TRE) and the rail lines' CenterPort Station near DFW Airport. It is ground zero for fans trying to get to World Cup matches via public transit.

Monday, coordinators said they anticipate thousands each match day will catch trains from Fort Worth's downtown central station, or Dallas' Victory Station. The TRE trains will bring fans to CenterPort, then a convoy of charter buses will take fans to and from AT&T Stadium, known as Dallas Stadium throughout the World Cup.

Trains from downtown Fort Worth's center line and Dallas' Victory Station will move approximately 1,000 soccer fans every half hour to the CenterPort stop.

"For each of the nine games, we anticipate, we expect, 10-12,000 people will take the TRE and use the transit system," said Karla Winders, with the North Central Texas Council of Governments (NCTCOG). "Seventy percent from the east, 30% from the west."

Those World Cup commuters will then hop on a convoy of charter buses that welcome game ticket holders only for nine different soccer matches, straight to the bus transit spot at the stadium, and rides back to the CenterPort train station.

"The trains will run four cars, that's unusual, also 30-minute capacity, usually TRE runs every hour," Winders said.
"Trains will run on Sundays for the next four weeks. On our first game, trains will be there."

The first practice run? It's not a practice. It happens on Sunday.