A view from the top: What you’re seeing
Watch the activity of three passenger train lines and numerous freight trains in real-time, as Trinity Metro shares live video of Fort Worth Central Station with a view from the president and CEO’s office window. The perspective is from the top floor of Trinity Metro’s headquarters at Grove and 7th streets. The camera operates around the clock to provide a bird’s-eye view of Trinity Metro trains, plus Amtrak and freight.
Passenger tracks are numbered 1-3 from RIGHT to LEFT.
Track 1
You’ll see all Trinity Metro TEXRail trains and some Trinity Railway Express (TRE) trains here. TEXRail, a commuter rail line between Fort Worth Central Station and DFW Airport Terminal B Station, is owned and operated by Trinity Metro. You can immediately identify these trains not only by the track, but also by their bright red doors. If you zoom in on the train platform to the right of track 1, you may catch a glimpse of the conductors in traditional uniforms.
Over the course of the day, you’ll see 33 eastbound and 33 westbound trains. For the majority of operating hours, TEXRail runs every 30 minutes – on the hour and half hour. Service is the same every day of the year, so if you miss seeing one, you won’t have to wait long to spot another!
Track 2
This track is for TRE commuter rail, which links Fort Worth Central Station and Union Station in downtown Dallas. TRE, which features double-decker cars, is jointly owned and operated by Trinity Metro and Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART). Like the Texas flag, the cars are red, white and blue – with a huge white star on the sides.
TRE operates different schedules on weekdays vs. Saturday, and it does not run on Sunday. On weekdays, you can spot 31 eastbound trains and 31 westbound.
Track 3
Amtrak boards at Fort Worth Central Station. The Texas Eagle (Amtrak 21/421 and 22/422) and the Heartland Flyer (Amtrak 821 and 822) are on Track 3. The track that rises from Track 3 is where the Heartland Flyer leaves for Oklahoma City after a very short backup move.
Freight train tracks
There are numerous freight trains throughout the day and night on the remaining tracks to the left of your screen. These freight trains moving away from the camera are heading west toward Tower 55. You will see Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) and Union Pacific (UP) on these tracks, traveling to or from Tower 55.
More rail fun facts
You may observe both TEXRail and TRE trains continuing from Central Station to a terminus at the original Texas and Pacific Railroad station (now the Fort Worth T&P Station), less than one track-mile west.
Tower 55, one of nation’s busiest rail intersections that connects freight and passenger trains, is off to the right of this picture, but it is out of sight.
Fort Worth’s Hole-in-the-Wall is also nearby, but not in the picture. This was a choke point for several railroads and utilities, and it was a major challenge to TEXRail during the construction phase.