Celebrate with DCTA: The A-train Rail Trail is Complete

January 21, 2020

Our A-train Rail Trail construction crossed the finish line in December 2019, and it’s time to celebrate! The trail runs alongside our commuter rail line and was designed to complement its surroundings and adjacent facilities in Denton County. With construction now complete, our passengers and residents who utilize the trail can now walk, bike or run across the full 19-mile trail from Denton to Lewisville that has many amenities, scenic views, connecting city trails and easy transfers to our A-train commuter rail line!

Construction through the Years

Phase one of the Rail Trail project was completed in 2011 and is known as the Denton Branch Trail. It is a nine-mile stretch from the Downtown Denton Transit Center (DDTC) to Swisher Road in Lake Dallas. It was funded with local money in conjunction with the construction of the A-train commuter rail line.

The four miles of phase two from the Hebron station to Mill and Jones in downtown Lewisville was completed in 2016, and the portion of the trail from the Highland Village/Lewisville Lake station to downtown Lewisville was completed at the end of December 2019. Phase two was funded by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) grants administered by the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), Denton County, the North Central Texas Council of Governments (NCTCOG) and DCTA.

Phase three was the final stretch connecting the Denton Branch Trail at Swisher Road to the Highland Village/Lewisville Lake Station, which crosses over Lewisville Lake, and was completed in summer 2018. These phases were funded by local money, Interstate 35E project funds, FHWA grants, Denton County, NCTCOG and DCTA. The final construction cost for the trail was approximately $14 million.

Take a peek at our A-trail Rail Trail through the years of construction:

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A-train Rail Trail Amenities

Our Rail Trail connects Denton County residents to approximately 19 miles of accessible paths spanning from Denton to Lewisville. The pristine concrete paths mixed with scenic views allow residents the ability to walk, run, bike and more with ease. The trail begins at our Downtown Denton Transit Center (DDTC) and ends at our Hebron Station in Lewisville.

In fact, the trail’s scenic views are so popular that the Lewisville Hike and Bike and Denton Branch Rail Trails (both a part of our A-train Rail Trail) were listed in the top five scenic trails Dallas-Fort Worth by Only in Your State, a blog dedicated to highlighting hidden gems across the county. Denton and residents have a top-ranked scenic trail right in their backyard to enjoy without having to travel to the big city!

While on our rail trail, there are rest stops with benches and trash cans as well as safety features like the Z crossing fence. The Z crossing fence is primarily for cyclists to dismount, look both ways and cross the street, but it’s encouraged for all of those using the trail to stop and look both ways too.

Parking and Rail Trail Access

Access to the rail trail is available from our five A-train stations (from north to south):

• Downtown Denton Transit Center (604 E. Hickory St. Denton)
• MedPark station (3220 MedPark Dr., Denton)
• Highland Village/Lewisville Lake station (2998 N. Stemmons Freeway, Lewisville)
• Old Town station (617 E. Main St., Lewisville)
• Hebron station (952 Lakeside Circle, Lewisville)

Bikes are allowed on the A-train. For more information about bringing your bike on the A-train visit our Bikes and Transit page on our website.

Fun Destinations along the A-train Rail Trail

You don’t have to go far to have a good time, there are so many fun places to visit in Denton, Lewisville and Highland Village that are accessible from the A-train Rail Trail! Downtown Denton, the Shops at Highland Village, Old Town Lewisville and many city parks are all easily accessible through our A-train Rail Trail in conjunction with our bus and rail services, making our rail trail a healthy and fun way to get some fresh air and visit all the fun things Denton County has to offer.

Other trails connecting to the A-train Rail Trail are the Denton Branch Rail Trail, Lewisville and Highland Village trails. With these connectivity options, it’s easy to take a trip on the A-train Rail Trail from your city!

Lewisville

• Toyota Railroad Park (rail trail goes through the park)
• Lewisville Lake Environmental Learning Area (LLELA) (the bike trail goes right by the entrance)
• Lewisville Lake and Lake Park (trail is approximately half a mile from the entrance to Lewisville Lake Park).
• Old Town Lewisville shops, restaurants and other entertainment venues (trail is approximately half a mile from Old Town Lewisville)

Highland Village

• Shops of Highland Village and The Marketplace at Highland Village (Accessible via the Highland Village Connect Shuttle
• Highland Village Double Ranch Park (this park can be accessed by using the Garden Ridge bridge)
• Copperas Branch Park (this park can be accessed by using the Garden Ridge bridge)

Denton

• Downtown Denton shops, restaurants and other entertainment (A-train Rail Trail is approximately half a mile from the DDTC)
• Fred Moore Park (accessible via Prairie St)

We hope everyone has a chance to get out on our completed rail trail and check it out for themselves! What is your favorite activity to do on our A-train Rail Trail? Comment below!

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