Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) is about to begin testing the new Silver Line — the 26-mile regional rail service that will cross from Plano to Grapevine with a final connection at DFW Airport.

Silver Line revenue service is expected to begin in late 2025 to early 2026. But according to a release, they'll start testing trains on Monday, July 22.

DART will test everything that goes into operating the new rail service, including the vehicles, from the Shiloh Road Station past the University of Texas at Dallas Station to Coit Road. The purpose of the testing is to allow train operators to check the trains’ on-board mechanisms and systems, while project engineers monitor the track and updated safety measures at each of the rail crossings.

The Silver Line trains will run the full route between the designated test points at various times of the day and look to avoid weekends and test runs at night, leaving open track for incoming freight traffic. Depending on the nature of the test, the trains may or may not make brief stops at the stations. There will be no passenger pick up during testing.

“We’ve been able to get exercise on the TRE tracks, but now it’s time for us to see how the trains operate on their home turf,” said Trey Walker, vice president of capital design and construction. “We want to ensure everything is operating as it should and be able to catch any little thing that can improve safety and performance. The goal is get to where people can start buying tickets and ride the Silver Line as quickly and safely as possible.”

Drivers in Plano and Richardson refamiliarized themselves with active rail crossings once freight rail traffic returned after a 20-month hiatus earlier this year. The Silver Line trains will run on the same tracks, but at different times and at various speeds, so DART will be testing to ensure the crossing signals match up with the timing of the trains. Flaggers will be on hand during the initial signal and crossing tests to ensure drivers know when they can safely cross the tracks.

The Silver Line will operate under a quiet zone ordinance throughout much of the segment between Plano and Richardson. 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 segmented testing, however, the trains will use their horns to warn of their passing at all rail crossings.

Progress on completion
DART is more than 65 percent complete with the Silver Line project overall and to date has installed over 120,120 linear feet of new railroad track along the corridor. Additionally, the four Silver Line Stations in Plano and Richardson are each over 75 percent complete.

Segmented testing, which describes testing of the train and operating systems on a specific segment of the track on the project, is set to continue in the fall between the Knoll Trail Station in Dallas and Terminal B Station at DFW Airport. Segmented testing will wrap up in early 2025 with Silver Line trains running between the UTD and Knoll Trail stations. End-to-end testing of the entire Silver Line corridor is planned for summer of 2025.

Some details on the trains
Designed and manufactured by Stadler in Salt Lake City, the Silver Line trains are powered by electric diesel multiple-unit-powered (DMU) engines that meet strict EPA standards. With seating for over 230 passengers and updated amenities like multidirectional seats, overhead storage and internal CCTV cameras, the trains are similar to Trinity Metro’s TexRail vehicles, and will provide passengers a safe, quiet and comfortable ride.