DART secures $908M RRIF loan for Cotton Belt Corridor
The Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) has received a $908 million Rehabilitation & Improvement Financing (RRIF) loan for financing the Cotton Belt Corridor Regional Rail Project from the U.S. Department of Transportation's Build America Bureau.
The 26-mile passenger railroad project will be built between Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) International Airport eastward to the Plano/Richardson area, covering three counties and seven cities. The project will be constructed primarily within the existing DART-owned railroad right-of-way. The tracks are currently used for freight rail service provided by shortline and regional carriers.
DART awarded a $783-million design-build contract to Archer Western Herzog JV for the project, which includes upgrading the existing track to meet passenger rail standards, converting the single-track configuration to double-track, building 10 new stations and acquiring eight vehicles.
“This financing demonstrates the Department’s commitment to serving as a trustworthy partner to regional and local agencies, which are at the forefront of developing infrastructure solutions to meet the needs of their communities,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao.
The Cotton Belt Corridor Regional Rail Project is expected to improve mobility, accessibility and system linkages to major employment, population and activity centers in the northern part of Dallas, which has long been identified as a heavily-congested area in need of additional capacity and mobility solutions. When operational, the project will provide a cross regional route linking DART’s Red, Green and Orange lines, as well as the Denton County Transportation Authority A-Train.
Mischa Wanek-Libman | Group Editorial Director
Mischa Wanek-Libman is director of communications with Transdev North America. She has more than 20 years of experience working in the transportation industry covering construction projects, engineering challenges, transit and rail operations and best practices.
Wanek-Libman has held top editorial positions at freight rail and public transportation business-to-business publications including as editor-in-chief and editorial director of Mass Transit from 2018-2024. She has been recognized for editorial excellence through her individual work, as well as for collaborative content.
She is an active member of the American Public Transportation Association's Marketing and Communications Committee and served 14 years as a Board Observer on the National Railroad Construction and Maintenance Association (NRC) Board of Directors.
She is a graduate of Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism and Mass Communication.
