DART names the "Silver Line" and lands $60M from FTA for Red & Blue platform extensions
June 30th, 2019
June 30, 2019 - TRA Newswire -
June has been a busy month at Dallas Area Rapid Transit. The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) announced last week that DART will receive $60.76 million for platform capacity expansion on the Red and Blue light rail lines. This will allow DART to accommodate more riders and longer trains by lengthening platforms at 28 stations.
"Commuters in Dallas can now look forward to longer trains and a better commute," said FTA Acting Administrator K. Jane Williams. "We are proud to partner with the Texas Department of Transportation and DART to accommodate growing transit ridership and promote economic development as jobs and population in the Dallas area continue to increase." Williams joined DART and other officials at the downtown Plano station June 27th to announce the grant. When completed, platforms on the Blue and Red lines will be able to accommodate three car trains. Funding for the project is provided through FTA’s Capital Investment Grants (CIG) Program, which provides funding for major transit projects nationwide.
On June 18 the Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) Board of Directors approved a resolution to formally name future service on the Cotton Belt rail line as the Silver Line. Texas Rail Advocates broke the story earlier this year with the proposed naming and hinted that the diesel multiple-unit (DMU) rail cars, called FLIRT, would be purchased from Stadler. The contract for the DMU trains is valued at about $119 million.
The new vehicles Stadler is designing for DART have the ability to transport 240 seated passengers and 225 standing passengers and are fully compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). They are similar to trains built by Stadler now running on TEXRail in Tarrant County and the A-Train in Denton County. Each train set consists of four units, plus a power pack in the middle, which houses the power unit. This setup includes four powered axles and eight unpowered axles which puts the trains at approximately 267 feet long.
The Silver line, which is expected to be completed in 2022 will link Plano to DFW International Airport. In time, riders will be able to travel a 60 mile cross-county corridor from Dallas' northern suburbs to Fort Worth.
The 26-mile Silver Line will start at Shiloh Road in Plano and stop in Richardson, Dallas, Addison, Carrollton, Coppell and Grapevine, with the final stop at Terminal B at DFW Airport. The Silver Line will connect at TErminal B to Trinity Metro's TEXRail Line to Fort Worth. The Silver Line will offer 30-minute peak and 60-minute off-peak service.
The trains are to be equipped with an automatic passenger counting system, which can count the number of passengers boarding and alighting the train at each stop, can detect huddling of passengers in certain areas of the train as well as blockages of boarding areas.
June has been a busy month at Dallas Area Rapid Transit. The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) announced last week that DART will receive $60.76 million for platform capacity expansion on the Red and Blue light rail lines. This will allow DART to accommodate more riders and longer trains by lengthening platforms at 28 stations.
"Commuters in Dallas can now look forward to longer trains and a better commute," said FTA Acting Administrator K. Jane Williams. "We are proud to partner with the Texas Department of Transportation and DART to accommodate growing transit ridership and promote economic development as jobs and population in the Dallas area continue to increase." Williams joined DART and other officials at the downtown Plano station June 27th to announce the grant. When completed, platforms on the Blue and Red lines will be able to accommodate three car trains. Funding for the project is provided through FTA’s Capital Investment Grants (CIG) Program, which provides funding for major transit projects nationwide.
On June 18 the Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) Board of Directors approved a resolution to formally name future service on the Cotton Belt rail line as the Silver Line. Texas Rail Advocates broke the story earlier this year with the proposed naming and hinted that the diesel multiple-unit (DMU) rail cars, called FLIRT, would be purchased from Stadler. The contract for the DMU trains is valued at about $119 million.
The new vehicles Stadler is designing for DART have the ability to transport 240 seated passengers and 225 standing passengers and are fully compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). They are similar to trains built by Stadler now running on TEXRail in Tarrant County and the A-Train in Denton County. Each train set consists of four units, plus a power pack in the middle, which houses the power unit. This setup includes four powered axles and eight unpowered axles which puts the trains at approximately 267 feet long.
The Silver line, which is expected to be completed in 2022 will link Plano to DFW International Airport. In time, riders will be able to travel a 60 mile cross-county corridor from Dallas' northern suburbs to Fort Worth.
The 26-mile Silver Line will start at Shiloh Road in Plano and stop in Richardson, Dallas, Addison, Carrollton, Coppell and Grapevine, with the final stop at Terminal B at DFW Airport. The Silver Line will connect at TErminal B to Trinity Metro's TEXRail Line to Fort Worth. The Silver Line will offer 30-minute peak and 60-minute off-peak service.
The trains are to be equipped with an automatic passenger counting system, which can count the number of passengers boarding and alighting the train at each stop, can detect huddling of passengers in certain areas of the train as well as blockages of boarding areas.