North Texans seeing more DART Silver Line construction as completion date nears
COPPELL (CBSNewsTexas.com) — North Texans are seeing more construction on the DART Silver Line as the extension gets closer to completion.
It will be DART's first east-to-west commuter rail line, going from Shiloh Road in Plano to DFW Airport.
Crews began work at the Royal Lane rail crossing in Coppell this week. It's one of several construction sites across the 26-mile alignment.
"Anyone who's driving, especially along East Beltline Road in Coppell, you're definitely seeing that construction," said Gordon Shattles with DART.
The Silver Line will connect seven cities across multiple counties. The cities include: Grapevine, Coppell, Dallas, Carrollton, Addison, Richardson and Plano.
"This really is the final piece in a larger project to make sure we have full connectivity and easier transportation opportunities across North Texas," Shattles said.
DART has been planning the Silver Line for decades. Riders will be able to use it to connect to existing DART lines to Dallas, the TEXRail to Fort Worth, and the DCTA A-train to Denton.
The project has also spurred new development along the route in anticipation of its completion.
"The new restaurants, the new homes, the apartments—[Cypress Waters] is really just a booming area," Shattles said. "As well as the employers."
Work began back in 2010 but has been ramping up recently.
"Working with our freight operators, our service area cities, the manufacturers for our trains, and each individual city along the way, we've slowly been able to increase that throughout the process," he said.
Crews are currently removing existing wood ties and replacing them with concrete ones before the new rails can be laid down.
The new trains for the Silver Line should be delivered in the next few months.
Contractors will likely start testing the tracks towards the end of 2025 with full service for riders beginning no later than mid-2026.