July 13, 20121 - TRA Newswire -

Citing delays from COVID-19, agreements on land and rail access, Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) announced that the opening of the 26-mile east-west Silver Line will be pushed back to 2024.

The line from DFW International Airport through northern Dallas county to Plano was scheduled to open in 2022. Delays in land acquisition and agreements with freight rail operators as well as pandemic slowdowns resulted in the new target date.

DART spokesman Gordon Shattles said that some of the cities along the route have asked for design changes, resulting in some delays.

The Silver Line, originally called the Cotton Belt because it follows the route of the old Cotton Belt Railroad, has been an idea on the drawing boards since 1990 and was shelved for over 15 years with no dedicated funding available. The project is expected to cost $1.2 billion and will offer a direct route from Collin and Northern Dallas county cities to DFW Airport and with a connection to Fort Worth.

The next series of Silver Line Regional Rail Virtual Community Meetings beginning on Monday, July 19. DART staff and the design-build contractor will be on hand to outline the latest design and construction developments and answer questions.

The Silver Line project will traverse seven cities between DFW Airport, Grapevine, Coppell, Dallas, Carrollton, Addison, Richardson, and Plano, and include 10 new stations. The primary purpose of the Silver Line is to provide passenger rail connections and service that will improve mobility, accessibility and system linkages to major employment, population, and activity centers in the northern part of the DART service area.

The Silver Line will connect with the Trinity Metro TEXRail commuter rail line at DFW North station providing access to Downtown Fort Worth and various other Tarrant County locales. The Silver Line will also connect with the Denton County Transportation Authority (DCTA) A-train commuter rail line providing access to various Denton County locations, DART's Green Line providing access to Dallas Love Field and Downtown Dallas via Downtown Carrollton Station, and DART's Red and Orange Lines at CityLine/Bush Station, giving riders easy access to Downtown Plano and the eastern side of the DART network.

Silver Line Community Meeting - Coppell / Cypress Waters
Monday, July 19, 6:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.
Phone #: 469-391-0632
Conference ID: 469 991 010

Silver Line Community Meeting - Carrollton
Wednesday, July 21, 6:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.
Phone #: 469-391-0632
Conference ID: 603 227 673

Silver Line Community Meeting - Addison
Thursday, July 22, 6:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.
Phone #: 469-391-0632
Conference ID: 662 024 173

Silver Line Community Meeting - Richardson
Tuesday, July 27, 6:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.
Phone #: 469-391-0632
Conference ID: 947 152 510

Silver Line Community Meeting - Plano
Wednesday, July 28, 6:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.
Phone #: 469-391-0632
Conference ID: 290 948 296

Silver Line Community Meeting - Dallas
Tuesday, August 3, 6:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.
Phone #: 469-391-0632
Conference ID: 528 886 184

To find your virtual meeting link, go to www.dart.org/silverline.

More information about the DART Silver Line Regional Rail project can be found at www.dart.org/silverline.