Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) has commenced the testing phase for its Silver Line trains, which are due to enter revenue service between late 2025 and early 2026.
In collaboration with Trinity Metro, DART has secured track availability to conduct rigorous tests on the new vehicles.
The Silver Line trains are operational on local tracks along the Trinity Railway Express (TRE) route and are making brief stops at each station.
Once operational, the DART Silver Line will be a 26-mile commuter rail serving seven north Texas cities from DFW Airport. This includes Grapevine, Coppell, Dallas, Carrollton, Addison, Richardson and Plano.
“It's exciting for everyone associated with this project because this means we’re that much closer to opening for revenue service and having passengers on these new trains. The goal is to operate these vehicles and ensure that all the systems are operating as they should while running, stopping and starting on the tracks. Much like a new car before it’s put on the lot, we want to make sure that everything is ready to go starting Day One for our customers.”
The new hybrid Silver Line vehicles have been manufactured by Swiss company, Stadler and assembled in Salt Lake City, Utah.
They are equipped with electric diesel multiple-unit-powered (DMU) engines and feature modern amenities such as multidirectional seats, overhead storage, and internal CCTV cameras.
Comprehensive testing of the vehicles is expected to continue until Summer 2025. This will be conducted in segments to ensure the functionality of each track segment and the corresponding response of the vehicle.
