This month, Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) began testing trains and operating systems on Silver Line Regional Rail’s central corridor to ensure a specific track alignment.
Testing of track infrastructure, signals, operating systems, and rail crossings began in the third quarter of 2024 between Plano and Richardson. This round of testing includes the entire 26-mile regional rail corridor.
DART finished installing and connecting more than 53 miles of new rail track along the corridor in mid-April, and new train service is expected to begin later this year in North Dallas, Addison, and Downtown Carrollton.
“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,” Trey Walker, DART vice president of capital design and construction, said. “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.”
Tests will run between Downtown Carrollton Station and the University of Texas at Dallas Station in Richardson. No passengers are permitted to board during testing, and flaggers will guide drivers safely across the tracks during signal and crossing tests.