Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) is preparing to roll out its Silver Line Regional Rail, a commuter line that will extend from Plano to DFW Airport, by the end of 2025. As part of that rollout, the agency is creating a quiet zone along most of the 26-mile course — meaning that when the train makes its way across intersections, it will not honk its horn.

DART partnered with the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) and six of the seven cities that the Silver Line will cross to establish a quiet zone ordinance along most of the 26-mile rail alignment.

Quiet zones are established to limit noise, with trains sounding their horns only if there is something that will affect the vehicle’s passage on or near the tracks.

During testing, which they've been conducting since mid-2024, the trains were required to sound their horns as they approached all rail crossings, to get motorists and pedestrians accustomed to the presence of the train.

These horns will begin to fall silent before the end of July, as quiet zones are expected to become active as follows:

• July 30: Coppell
• August 1: Addison and Dallas
• August 22: Carrollton, Richardson, and Plano.

All dates are tentative, pending FRA approval.

“Safety has been one of our biggest priorities as we’ve pushed through on this project, so we want to thank everyone for their patience as we’ve worked through all the requirements needed with FRA officials to get these quiet zones active,” says DART VP of capital programs Trey Walker in a statement.

Safety issues
Once quiet zones are activated, residents, motorists, and pedestrians will no longer consistently hear the train horn as the vehicles approach a rail crossing or station. Train horns will only be used when necessary for safety, such as an object on or near the track obstructing the train’s path forward.

DART worked with city and FRA officials to verify that all areas along the rail alignment meet the necessary additional safety measures to establish quiet zones. The FRA requires these measures to ensure the public is aware of oncoming trains that will not consistently sound their horns. That includes fencing, quad gates at rail crossings, and unmountable curbs, which keep vehicles from driving around gates at crossings. Once activated, passenger and freight trains must adhere to all quiet zones.

Silver Line is not light rail
The Silver Line vehicles are powered by electric diesel multiple-unit-powered (DMU) engines manufactured by Stadler in Salt Lake City, which meet strict Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) standards. With seating for more than 220 passengers and amenities like multidirectional seats, overhead storage, and internal closed-circuit television (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.

The DART Silver Line is a 26-mile commuter rail that traverses seven North Texas cities (Grapevine, Coppell, Dallas, Carrollton, Addison, Richardson, Plano) between DFW Airport and Shiloh Road in Plano. The new regional rail line features 53 miles of a double-track alignment that crosses three counties (Collin, Dallas, and Tarrant) and will improve mobility and accessibility across the northern portion of the DART service area.