DART to advance Silver Line train testing April 27

Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) will advance segmented testing within Silver Line Regional Rail’s central corridor on April 27. DART crews have recently finished installing and connecting more than 53 miles of new rail track along the project’s 26-mile corridor that traverses seven North Texas cities (Grapevine, Coppell, Dallas, Carrollton, Addison, Richardson and Plano) between DFW Airport and Shiloh Road in Plano.  

According to DART, most of the regional rail features a double-track alignment that crosses three counties (Collin, Dallas and Tarrant) and will provide passengers with a safe, quiet and comfortable ride while improving mobility and accessibility across the northern portion of the DART service area.    

“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 DART Vice President of Capital Design and Construction Trey Walker. “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.”    

DART notes that segmented testing, which describes testing the train and operating systems on a specific segment of the project’s track alignment, is necessary as construction progress varies across the 26-mile rail corridor. DART began the process in fall 2024, testing track infrastructure, signals, operating systems, and rail crossings between Plano and Richardson. Earlier this year, testing expanded to include the segment from DFW Airport to the current end of the constructed track near I-35 in Carrollton.  

The simulated train test runs that are expected to begin the week of April 27 will operate between Downtown Carrollton Station and the University of Texas at Dallas Station in Richardson. According to DART, Silver Line trains will initially operate test runs on weekdays between 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m., with activity gradually increasing as preparations continue for the start of service later this year. The runs are for testing purposes only and no passengers will be permitted to board as trains make stops at Downtown Carrollton, Addison, Knoll Trail and UTD stations. 

DART says flaggers will be present, as needed, during the initial signal and crossing tests to guide drivers and ensure they cross the tracks safely. Quiet zones will be active once the Silver Line opens, and once in service, the Silver Line will operate under a quiet zone ordinance along most of its 26-mile route. Train horns will only be used when necessary for safety, such as if something obstructs the tracks. 

The agency notes that during segmented testing, trains are required to sound their horns at all rail crossings to alert motorists and pedestrians. DART is actively working with each city along the corridor to submit federal quiet zone applications. 

According to the agency, the Silver Line is now over 90 percent complete, with major construction expected to wrap up by the end of June. Later this summer, DART will begin running trains along the full route from Shiloh Road Station in Plano to DFW Airport Terminal B as all testing segments are integrated. The agency notes segmented testing is essential to confirm that each section of the track operates properly and that vehicles perform as intended. 

Silver Line is commuter rail, not light rail

Designed and manufactured in Salt Lake City by Stadler, DART says the Silver Line vehicles are powered by electric diesel multiple-unit-powered (DMU) engines that meet strict Environmental Protection Agency standards. With seating for 235 passengers and updated amenities like multidirectional seats, overhead storage and internal CCTV cameras, the trains more closely resemble Trinity Metro’s TexRail vehicles than DART’s existing light-rail fleet operating on the Red, Blue, Orange and Green lines.