The gist
DART officials will begin testing Silver Line vehicles July 21 on a portion of track running between Plano and Richardson. The vehicles will run the full route from Shiloh Road Station in Plano to Coit Road in Dallas at various times of the day. Officials are still determining exact hours the trains will run, Project Communications Manager Mario Zavala said.
During the tests, operators will check the trains’ on-board mechanisms and systems while project engineers monitor the track and updated safety measures at each rail crossing, according to a news release. Officials will avoid running tests on the weekends and at night to leave the track open for freight traffic.
Officials may schedule a couple of evening tests to ensure Silver Line trains sync with rail crossings and other trains primarily near the CityLine/Bush Station, Zavala said.
Quote of note
“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, in a statement. “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 to get to where people can start buying tickets and ride the Silver Line as quickly and safely as possible.”
Learn more
Trains may make brief stops at Silver Line stations during test runs, but no passengers will be picked up, according to the release.
The trains will run on the same tracks that reopened to freight trains earlier this year. During test runs, DART officials will test to ensure crossing signals match up with the trains' timing.
Flaggers will be present at rail crossings during initial signal and crossing tests to ensure drivers can safely cross the tracks. In addition, train operators will use their horns to warn drivers about their passing at all rail crossings.
Once revenue service is opened, the Silver Line will operate under a quiet zone ordinance throughout the segment between Plano and Richardson. Trains will only sound their horns if something is on or near the tracks that would affect the vehicle’s passage.
What’s next?
More segmented testing is scheduled to begin in October between Knoll Trail Station in Dallas and Terminal B Station at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport, Zavala said. Segmented testing is expected to wrap up in early 2025.
DART officials will test the complete track during summer 2025, according to the news release.
The Silver Line is more than 65% complete with more than 120,000 feet of new railroad track having been installed to date. The four Silver Line stations planned in Plano and Richardson are each over 75% complete.
Revenue service is expected to begin in late 2025 or early 2026.
