The first 22 days of service for Trinity Metro's TEXRail commuter rail line resulted in nearly 100,000 riders, according to a Trinity Metro news release.

An estimated 8,000 passengers are expected to ride the trains each day in the first year, Trinity Metro statistics show. That number is projected to grow to nearly 14,000 passengers by 2035. The trains take passengers along nine stops from Fort Worth to the Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport Terminal B.

“Ridership has been consistently strong throughout the first three weeks of service,” Trinity Metro President and CEO Paul J. Ballard said in a statement. “The number of passengers commuting to work, taking day trips or traveling to the airport has been phenomenal.”

TEXRail provided 98,582 rides from Jan. 20-31. On Feb. 1, ridership is expected to push the grand total to more than 100,000, the news release stated.

Weekend turnout has been especially strong. Conductors counted nearly 20,000 riders in two days from Jan. 25-26. With 10,477 on Saturday and 9,111 on Sunday, the total ridership of 19,588 eclipsed the previous weekend record of 18,002, which was set during the three-day holiday weekend that included Martin Luther King Jr. Day, according to Trinity Metro.

The transportation service provided TEXRail rides free of charge to passengers in the month of January, but that has changed now. Beginning Feb. 1, TEXRail will charge $2.50 for a one-way ride. In other words, paying to enter and consequentially exit the train at any stop will cost $2.50. A pass good for the whole day can be purchased for $5 and includes all Trinity Metro bus and rail service in Tarrant County. A regional day pass is $12 and includes all Trinity Metro, Dallas Area Rapid Transit, and Denton County Transportation Authority trains and buses.

“We anticipate the ridership will fluctuate over the next few months, but we have no doubt that TEXRail will continue to be a popular choice for North Texans, tourists and travelers,” Ballard said. “The target ridership has been 8,000 a day by the end of the first year of service. So far, we are averaging 4,500 a day.”