With the Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) Silver Line at 90% completion, DART crews have already begun testing portions of the new rail system.
When completed, the Silver Line will connect commuters along a 26-mile stretch of rail that extends from Shiloh Road in Plano to Terminal B at the DFW airport. The route cuts through three counties—Collin, Dallas, and Tarrant—and connects seven cities: Grapevine, Coppell, Dallas, Carrollton, Addison, Richardson, and Plano.
Segmented testing of the line between Richardson and Plano began during the fourth quarter of 2024 and has expanded now that the line is nearing completion. Earlier this year, DART began testing the section of the railway between the DFW airport and Carrollton.
Beginning this week, the Silver Line train will make test runs between the Downtown Carrollton Station and the University of Texas at Dallas Station in Richardson. The testing will take place between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. on weekdays. No passengers will be allowed on the train during the testing phase.
“We’ve made substantial progress installing and preparing the track, signals, and crossings to ensure we can test our vehicles in this central segment safely and efficiently,” said Trey Walker, vice president of capital design and construction at DART. “This is a major milestone and continues us on our path to have the Silver Line carrying passengers from Plano to DFW Airport and everywhere in between before year’s end.”
The tests are necessary to check that the track infrastructure, signals, operating systems, and rail crossings are all working properly. Flaggers will be on hand during the signal and crossing tests to ensure drivers can cross the tracks safely. During the testing, the train operator is required to sound the horn at all rail crossings for the safety of drivers and pedestrians.
Major construction on the line is expected to wrap up sometime in June, and then DART will begin testing the route’s full length to ensure that all segments of the line are integrated.
Passenger service on the Silver Line is anticipated to begin before the year’s end.
The Silver Line train is different from the other DART trains that run through Dallas and is more similar to the Trinity Metro TexRail, which connects Dallas with Fort Worth. It is a commuter rather than a light rail and is powered by diesel engines instead of overhead electric power lines.