DALLAS — Dallas Area Rapid Transit has begun running test trains on a portion of the Silver Line, the 26-mile, 10-station commuter rail line that will connect Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport to Dallas and six of its northern suburbs: Grapevine, Coppell, Carrollton, Addison, Richardson, and Plano.
Trains began running Monday, July 22, on the eastern section of the route, between Shiloh Road in Plano to Coit Road, past the University of Texas at Dallas station in Richardson. About 65% of the project is complete, DART said in a press release, while the four stations in Richardson and Plano are about 75% complete.
Testing on the segment between Terminal B at DFW Airport and the Knoll Trail station in Dallas is expected to take place this fall, with testing on the remaining segment, between Knoll Trail and the UT-Dallas station, expected in early 2025. End-to-end testing is expected in summer 2025; the system is projected to open late next year or in early 2026.
The project, originally known as the Cotton Belt Rail Line — reflecting the former railroad whose right-of-way is being used — has been under construction since 2021. It will use Stadler FLIRT diesel multiple unit trainsets, unlike the rest of the DART rail network, which is an electrified light rail system. The Silver Line will connect with the light rail Green Line in Carrolton, and with the Red Line at two locations in Plano, as well as connecting with Trinity Metro’s TEXRail system, which also uses Stadler DMUs, at the airport.
