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A Trinity Metro transit official waded into discussions about a proposed transportation funding bill that could eliminate the Trinity Railway Express train between Fort Worth and Dallas.Richard Andreski, president and CEO of the Fort Worth-area transit agency, said the North Texas rail line is at risk during an April 24 Texas House of Representatives transportation committee meeting in Austin.The Trinity Railway Express — the popular commuter rail line launched in 1996 links downtown Fort Worth and downtown Dallas — could be stopped if legislation to decrease transit funding is approved by Texas lawmakers. The railway is threatened by two bills — House Bill 3187 and Senate Bill 1557 — that are targeting Dallas Area Rapid Transit funding. The nearly identical bills would reduce contributions from member cities by 25%. Andreski said the line has transported 50 million riders during its existence and aids weekday commuter workers, college students and other travelers. The bill, he said, would have “unintended consequences” on Tarrant County and Fort Worth.“TRE is how they are getting back and forth,” he said.Andreski, a TRE commuter, said riders between Fort Worth and Dallas also use the train to attend sporting events in Dallas, and Dallas users take the train to attend cultural events in Fort Worth, including Paul McCartney’s only Texas show in 2022 at Fort Worth’s Dickies Arena. Regional officials plan to use the train to help transport sports fans to Arlington for FIFA 2026 World Cup games.“Frankly, it’s a chance for Texas to shine and show what we do best,” Andreski said, adding that the line is “a symbol of what regional cooperation can achieve.”“We can’t afford to weaken it, not when the world is watching,” he said.State Rep. Matt Shaheen, a Plano Republican who co-authored HB 3187, said he was concerned that DART’s financial structure hasn’t changed much in over 40 years, prompting six cities to overpay for services.“DART has been overcharging their cities by massive amounts,” he said, adding that lobbyists and DART officials say the bill would be a financial disaster for the agency, but it’s not.Will Beecherl, Highland Park’s mayor, said he supports the bill because the affluent Dallas County town contributed $6.3 million and received $1.9 million in services for fiscal year 2023.Negotiations between DART and member cities haven’t produced any results yet, he said.Jamie Adelman, DART’s chief financial officer, said the bill would violate voters’ wishes in 1983 and 2000 to maintain funding infrastructure.“Our voters have approved the penny (of sales tax) twice, nearly two decades apart,” she said.A 25% cut would devastate the agency, resulting in a loss of $7 billion over 20 years, she said.Nadine Lee, president and CEO of DART, said the agency has spent $110 million in the last three years on improving its cleanliness, security and reliability as well as increasing bus and micro-transit options. “Because of these significant investments, customer satisfaction has improved by double digits from just two years ago, an accomplishment unheard of in the transit agency,” she said.She cited the $2 billion Silver Line from Plano to Dallas Fort Worth International Airport as a reason to kill the bill since the service will aid the agency in achieving high ridership.Otherwise, ridership will plummet with service declines, she said.“We are making bigger investments in certain areas,” she said, adding that most of those have been in Plano and Carrollton. An independent study with 2023 data does not take those investments into account, she added.The Trinity Railway Express train heads to downtown Dallas on April 5, 2024, from the Trinity Lakes Station. (Camilo Diaz | Fort Worth Report) Trinity Railway Express, which has an annual ridership of about 1.1 million, is jointly operated and owned by DART and Trinity Metro, the Fort Worth-area transit agency. If DART’s funding is reduced, Trinity Metro said it would be unable to operate the rail service by itself. The Fort Worth agency receives less funding than DART, with a .5% portion of the local 8.25% sales tax. DART receives double that amount from local sales tax. DART is mostly funded by a 1-cent sales and use tax from its 13 member cities, which adds up to millions of dollars. Under the proposed legislation, those dollars would be redirected to a mobility program that would address local infrastructure projects such as sidewalk and bike trail maintenance, streetlights and drainage improvements.Jeamy Molina, DART’s chief communications officer, previously told the Fort Worth Report that the agency’s budget for fiscal year 2026 would be slashed by $461 million if the legislation is approved.Michael Morris, transportation director for the North Central Texas Council of Governments, has said robust transit systems are critical for economic vitality and future growth in the region.“Our public transportation partners play a pivotal role in reliably connecting residents to jobs, education and health care,” Morris told the Fort Worth Report. “The North Central Texas Council of Governments and the Regional Transportation Council are committed to working with our valued partners to find a funding solution that prioritizes the long-term transportation needs of our fast-growing region, which is expected to reach 12.4 million persons by 2050.”Eric E. Garcia is senior business reporter at the Fort Worth Report. Contact him at eric.garcia@fortworthreport.org. The Fort Worth Report’s Texas legislative coverage is supported by Kelly Hart. At the Fort Worth Report, news decisions are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Read more about our editorial independence policy here.