On Oct. 25, the Dallas Area Rapid Transit system will unveil its Silver Line, a 26‑mile rail route connecting Plano, Richardson, Dallas, Addison, Carrollton, Coppell and Grapevine to Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport. The estimated cost of the route’s construction was $2 billion.
DART is offering free rides on all trains and buses on the Silver Line’s opening day and full complimentary Silver Line service through Nov. 8 to invite residents to experience the new corridor firsthand.
DART President & CEO Nadine Lee said in a DART news release that the opening was “a realization of a promise kept to our riders and our region.”
“This state‑of‑the‑art train will improve connections, create new access to jobs, and drive economic growth across North Texas,” she said.
She additionally said that the Silver Line shows that, “we heard them, and we delivered.”
Gary Slagel, chair of the DART Board, echoed that sentiment. “The Silver Line is a major step forward in building a stronger, more connected region … We are proud to open its doors and welcome the community aboard.”
DART purchased the Cotton Belt Corridor in December 1990 for future transit use, according to its website. Planning and engineering stretched over multiple decades. The construction for the Silver Line began in 2019 with a projected cost of $1.1 billion at the time, and service was expected to begin in December 2022.
The Silver Line experienced multiple delays during the COVID-19 pandemic. Opening dates were pushed to spring 2023, then 2024, and eventually to the current schedule of 2025.
The system will operate hybrid/commuter service with trains running every 30 minutes during peak periods and hourly off‑peak linking into DART’s existing light rail lines and bus services.
In remarks at DART’s State of the Agency event, Lee said that the Dallas-Fort Worth Metro is growing rapidly, and that the transportation infrastructure must keep pace. She also said the agency faces tough budgeting choices; this year’s cuts to some bus services have caused scrutiny. But Lee said expanding services such as the Silver Line remain important to DART’s mission. DART spokesperson Laura Varela confirmed the project’s price tag is about $2.1 billion, with annual operational costs projected to exceed $25 million.
DART officials say safety and community impact were also central to their rollout strategy. Quiet zones have been established so trains won’t constantly sound horns at crossings, except in emergencies. “Safety has been one of our biggest priorities as we’ve pushed through on this project,” said Trey Walker, DART vice president of capital programs.
Still, challenges remain. The Silver Line opens amid tightening budgets and route reductions in other parts of the DART system. Ridership may not meet DART’s projections, particularly given Texas’s strong car culture and spread‑out urban regions.
As Oct. 25 draws near, anticipation is building. The Silver Line could be a step forward in improving public transportation in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, which has become the third fastest growing metroplex in America according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s population growth report published in March.
