The population in the Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) metropolitan area continues to grow. In 2025, more than 6.7 million people call the DFW area home, more than double the 1990 population of just over 3.2 million.

Recently, there was a significant increase in the infrastructure in the area with the opening of the DART (Dallas Area Rapid Transit) Silver Line, a 26-mile regional rail service constructed by the Archer Western Herzog Consortium.

The DART Silver Line provides an east-west connection that didn't exist previously. The rail service runs from Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport eastward to Plano, Texas. It has 10 stops across seven different cities: Grapevine, Coppell, Carrollton, Dallas, Addison, Richardson and Plano.

WPS photo

The new line also will connect to three different existing light rail lines and help create more circular service.

"It will improve regional mobility and add direct airport access while reducing vehicle congestion," said Jeamy Molina, chief communications officer of DART.

Note that 100,000 residents live within a mile of the train.

"With something like 400 new residents a day in the North Texas region, we can't build more roads to get out of congestion; public transit is going to help serve those residents," Molina said.

"It increases people's options to travel around the entire region and helps them avoid going into downtown to travel back out," said Ruben Landa of WSP (owner's representative), who served as the deputy project manager over public engagement.

"Two of the big sells on this project are that it connects seven northern cities to DFW International Airport and the opportunities it creates for more commerce and economic development along the line, in each city and at the airport."

The alignment where the Silver Line runs used to be the Cotton Belt Freight Rail District. In 1990, DART acquired the corridor once used by the freight rail district. The goal was to build what eventually became the Silver Line.

The Silver Line runs along a two-track system. The regional rail service, "… will share much of the rail corridor with freight operations (although no freight will ever traverse North Dallas or Addison)."

"A lot of freight rail activity happens in the night so that it doesn't come into conflict with the operation of the system during the day.

"And it's a two-track system, so that it makes it a little bit easier to have that condition. But yes. A freight rail line that was abandoned and now has been reactivated with the Silver Line," Landa said.

Extension Schedule

Construction on the project began in 2018 and was scheduled to conclude in 2023. So, the project was in full swing when COVID hit. The pandemic, shutdowns, inflation, supply chain delays, etc., hit the project hard and threw everything off.

"The opening date got moved twice; It was supposed to be in 2023, 2024, then it actually did in 2025," Landa said. The delays and price increases in materials drove up the project's cost.

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Landa pointed to other challenges: the inability to get the railroad agreements in a timely fashion and acquire property contributed to construction delays and price escalation.

Another challenge the project team dealt with was local political opposition. Because of the opposition, significant misinformation was circulating in the community. DART took multiple steps to counter misinformation and gain community support.

"We used geofencing to tag every smartphone and device that goes in the area to send ads," Landa said. "The ads were facts about the project so people could be educated about what was really happening."

The team also engaged directly with the community. "We had numerous community events to make sure everyone understood what was going on," Molina said. "We also created a website to answer questions about what was going on."

Noise was a primary concern for area residents. The system includes the newest technology, and the trains are super quiet. The hybrid system is diesel- and electric-powered and doesn't require an overhead catenary system.

Due to the implementation of quiet zones at every intersection along the 26-mi. alignment, trains do not use their bells or whistles; horns are used only for safety purposes.

Another way DART is minimizing the noise around the tracks is by installing 200,000 sq. ft. of sound walls. They are part of a $50 million betterment program.

Active, Phase Two

The Silver Line became active in October 2025. The first week, it had 6,000 riders. DART projects there will be an average of 3,100 riders per week in the future.

As part of the project construction, a 26-mi. regional trail network also was constructed, with phase one completed so far. Although the train is up and running, work continues. The team, led by the Archer Western Herzog Consortium, is working on phase two.

During this phase, the team is building additional sections of the trail along the train route. The team expected to complete phase two in 2027.

WPS photo

Funding for phase three is under way. The trail will align with a regional trail. The team also is building a maintenance facility in Plano to house the trains.

Finally, one last major element of the project involves the construction of massive arches over U.S. 75 in Richardson.

"The arches will serve as a gateway into the city," Landa said.

With the Silver Line up and running, DART has increased accessibility for Dallas and its northern suburbs. Residents traveling around the area and to the airport will have a public transportation option. The economic opportunities around the new regional rail service are exciting and will help grow the cities along the line.

Some Numbers

Here are some numbers associated with the project.

• 6,523,232 total man-hours needed to design, construct and manage the delivery of the project

• Number of pedestrian bridges: 7

• Number of guideway bridges: 34

• Number of rail crossings: 49

• Number of noise/betterment walls: 61

• Number of new stations added: 12

• Tons of ballast: 360

• Number of concrete ties: 148,000

• Square footage of walls: 22,250 lineal ft.

• Number of park and rides: 9

• Number of parking spaces: 3,50

• Number of track-ft.: 322,835 (61 m.)

Finances

DART expected to proceed on the Silver Line Project in the 2030s. However, DART was able to move the project forward.

Securing funding for the $2.01 billion project (the original budget was $1.26 billion, rising to $1.69 billion before settling on the final amount) was challenging.

DART was able to advance the project by securing a close to a billion-dollar RIF loan from the Federal Railroad Administration. By securing the low-interest loan, which DART will pay back after the system is in operation, DART was able to proceed earlier than initially anticipated. CEG