It'll cost you just $2.50 to take a train directly from Tarrant County to DFW Airport starting Jan. 5

For probably upwards of 15 years, there's been talk in Tarrant County of a train that would take people to and from DFW Airport.

That idea is a pipe dream no more.

"It's not," said Paul Ballard, president and CEO of Trinity Metro, the county's transportation authority. "The one day is here."

That day is Jan. 5. It's the day TEXRail, the county's new commuter train to the airport, will take its first passengers along a 27-mile route from Fort Worth to DFW.

If you’re taking TEXRail to the airport, the train will originate at the T&P Station near downtown Fort Worth. There will be seven other stations before you get to DFW Airport, making a total of nine TEXRail stops.

The train is going to run nearly 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

"The first train gets to the airport at 4:17 in the morning and the last one leaves around 1 a.m.," Ballard said.

TEXRail will be the only public transportation option that takes you directly from Tarrant County to the airport. The DART orange line connects Dallas County to the airport.

Ballard said most of the nine stops along TEXRail were built just for this project.

"We have new stations on the north side of Fort Worth, new stations in North Richland Hills and Grapevine and another new one on the north side of DFW airport," Ballard said. "And a brand new station right in Terminal B."

If you live near the airport, you shouldn't regularly hear the horns. Most of the crossings are quiet zones.

It's just $2.50 to ride and $5 for a day pass, which would give you access to other transportation, including the Trinity Railway Express train and the T bus system. But for the entire month of January, passengers will ride the TEXRail for free.

"It’s a European design, designed in Switzerland," Ballard said. "It's got a quiet car on one end, it's got seats with leather headrests, it's got tables at every location. You can plug in a laptop. I think it will change people’s attitudes about public transportation."

There's no long-term parking at the stations yet, so if you're taking a long trip, it's best to get dropped off at the stations. Ballard said, for now, you can park at the stations for no more than 18 hours at a time.