AFTER INADVERTENTLY CROSSING THE CENTER RWY HOLD SHORT LINE; A B737 PLT DECIDED TO CONTINUE ACROSS THE RWY TO PREVENT TFC ON A SHORT FINAL FROM GAR.

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OUR LNDG IN DFW WAS DELAYED 2-1/2 HOURS DUE TO TSTMS; AND WE LANDED APPROX XA30. FIELD CONDITIONS WERE NIGHT VMC; 10 MI VISIBILITY; AND A LIGHT WIND FROM THE SOUTHEAST. WE WERE TOLD TO EXPECT RWY 35R. THE PROBABILITY OF USING TXWY EL AND HOLDING SHORT OF RWY 35C WERE BRIEFED BEFORE LNDG. AFTER TURNOFF; WE ACKNOWLEDGED TWR'S INSTRUCTION TO HOLD SHORT OF RWY 35C AND TO MONITOR THAT RWYS FREQ. FROM OUR POS ON THE TXWY; I PERCEIVED RWY 35C'S CENTERLINE LIGHTS AS THOSE OF THE HOLD SHORT LINE. I REALIZED THIS AS OUR NOSE CROSSED THE RWY EDGE LIGHTS. AT THAT POINT I COULD SEE AN ACFT ON FINAL FOR RWY 35C AT APPROX 500 FT AGL AND 1-1/2 TO 2 MI FROM THE END OF THE RWY. RATHER THAN STOP ON THE RWY OR TRY TO PERFORM A 180 DEG TURN; I ELECTED TO CONTINUE DIRECTLY ACROSS THE RWY. THE ACFT ON FINAL LANDED UNEVENTFULLY. WE INFORMED THE TWR WE WERE HOLDING SHORT OF RWY 35L. THE TWR ACKNOWLEDGED AND CLRED US TO CROSS RWY 35L AND CONTACT GND. THE TXWY LIGHTS WERE CONSIDERABLY BRIGHTER THAN THE DIM RWY LIGHTS. I FEEL THIS MAY HAVE BEEN THE SIGNIFICANT FACTOR. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 524435: THE ACFT ON FINAL FOR RWY 35C LANDED UNEVENTFULLY.