State Fair News

DART institutes special train schedule during State Fair of Texas

The train is a great way to get to the State Fair of Texas.

Photo courtesy of State Fair of Texas

With the State Fair of Texas looming, Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) has created a special schedule for routes to and from the event which will run from September 27-October 20.

Fair days are always busy on DART rail and buses, especially on weekends and gamedays. Here's a brusher-upper on the basics.

Service on Green Line
DART’s Green Line is the one that hits Fair Park, and it's accessible via two stops:

Fair Park Station on Parry Avenue, at the fairgrounds entrance
MLK, Jr. Station, south of R.B. Cullum Boulevard, which provides access to Gate 6 and the Cotton Bowl Stadium

Get familiar with the connections
The Green Line can be reached via DART Light Rail and Trinity Railway Express (TRE). Look for trains marked "Fair Park," "Buckner," or "Lawnview" for Green Line service.

Southbound Red, Blue, and Orange Line riders: Transfer at Pearl/Arts District Station.
Northbound Red and Blue Line riders: Transfer at Akard Station.
Eastbound Orange Line riders: Transfer at Bachman Station.

Hours
Extra Green Line trains will operate between Victory Station and Lawnview Station Monday-Friday 9 am-3 pm, and Saturday-Sunday 9 am-6 pm, running approximately every 10 minutes.

The extra hours will spill over to the Red and Blue lines on weekends, with increased frequency similar to regular weekday hours for the Red and Blue lines, with trains running every 20 minutes on Saturday-Sunday between 6 am-10 pm.

Orange Line trains will run all the way to Parker Road Station throughout the Fair, also with an increased 20-minute frequency, until 10 pm daily.

Non-DART connections
Denton County Transportation Authority (DCTA) connects to DART's Green Line at Trinity Mills Station, but users will need to visit DCTA.net for connection times.

TRE will run on a modified Saturday schedule on all four Sundays during the Fair, with transfers to the Green Line available at Victory Station. For details, visit TrinityRailwayExpress.org/StateFair.

“The State Fair of Texas is just around the corner and DART is ready to help connect you to the fun,” said Bernard Jackson, Senior Execuitve Vice President and Chief Operations Officer for DART. “This event is a favorite for Texans, and welcomes guests nationally and from around the world. We can’t wait to welcome passengers as they experience some of the best of what Texas has to offer, and we are glad to increase service on the weekends to help connect our riders to this incredible event.”

Contactless payments
DART provides four contactless options for purchasing your pass:

GoPass® app: Download it for free from the Apple App Store or Google Play and activate your pass before boarding.
GoPass® Tap card: Purchase and reload your card at participating retailers. This reloadable option provides you with the best fare and can be tapped on a reader at DART stations or buses. (Note: It’s only valid for local fares and not for TEXRail, DCTA, or Trinity Metro.)
Credit or debit card: Use any contactless credit or debit card by tapping it on a reader at a DART station or bus.
Mobile device: Pay with apps like Apple Pay, Google Pay, or Samsung Pay by tapping your device on a reader at DART stations or buses.

Purchase a Local Day Pass for $6, good for DART Rail, local buses, and riding the TRE between DFW Airport/CentrePort Station and EBJ/Union Station. Tarrant and Denton County customers need a Regional Day Pass for $12.

Weapon policy
A reminder that the State Fair of Texas has changed their weapons policy this year and no firearms permitted on the Fairgrounds. Please note DART stations do not have lockers for passengers to store personal items. For additional details and to see other state fair policies, please visit www.bigtex.com.

Football game
DART will operate a modified rail schedule for the Texas-OU game on Saturday, October 12; the kick-off for the game is at 2:30 pm. Visit DART’s Red River Rivalry page for complete details.

$5 off Fair admission with the DART GoPass
DART gets you to your gate and offers you State Fair savings. They have partnered with the State Fair of Texas to offer riders a special promotion; to access these discounts, enter code 24DARTSAVE when purchasing your tickets on www.bigtex.com. This deal is available for any day of the 2024 State Fair season.

festivals state fair

Downtown News

Dallas convention center re-do will shut down DART stop for 3 years

Courtesy photo

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Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) is about to shut down its stop at the Convention Center Station for the next three years.

The agency is being forced to close the station to accommodate the city of Dallas' construction and redevelopment of the Kay Bailey Hutchinson Convention Center. As part of the project, the station will be closed for the duration of construction, which is currently estimated at three years.

The Convention Center Station is a stop on both the Red and Blue lines, and the shutdown will affect anyone traveling to or from southwest Dallas. North Dallas, Plano, Rowlett, and Carrollton will thankfully be spared.

Rail detours
Riders who previously used the Convention Center Station will be directed to nearby alternative stations at Cedars or EBJ Union. DART has prepared clear signage, rider alerts, and bus connections to support customers and make navigating the closure as easy as possible.

Bus detours
Routes 28 and 106 will maintain regular service outside of downtown. Within downtown, instead of taking Lamar to the Convention Center, the bus will turn left on Young Street, right on Akard Street, right on Marilla Street where the Akard and Marilla bus stop is located (stop number 20685).

Outbound, routes 28 and 106 will turn left on Young Street, right on Lamar Street and then proceed on their regular route.

Layover at Akard and Marilla: Passengers deboard at Cedars Station and take the special South Dallas GoLink to bus stops at Akard and Marilla or to EBJ Union Station.

Route 224 will operate a detour going inbound. Inbound trips will come downtown via Elm and continue to Houston, turn left on Commerce and continue to Harwood. It will then turn left to go to the East Transfer Center where it will layover. Outbound trips will originate from the East Transfer Center and operate a regular route out of downtown.

Layover at East Transfer Center

Passengers arriving by train can deboard at Convention Center Station to board route 224.
Another option for passengers is to deboard at Akard Station, then board 224 at Elm and Akard.

Route 383 East Transfer Center is your final stop. 383 will not continue past this station. This route will be discontinued on February 02, 2026.

DART will implement a new GoLink Zone for Convention Center Station customers that will only provide service for trips originating at EBJ Union Station, Cedars Station, or the substitute bus layover location on Akard and Marilla and terminating at one of those locations.

The service will operate 7 days a week, from 5 am to midnight. Customers using this GoLink Zone may only travel between these three designated points.

All changes will be reflected online and in the GoPass app for the duration of construction.

downtown transportation