Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) had a groundbreaking for its new Silver Line Equipment Maintenance Facility on Thursday, October 24.
At the event, DART President and CEO Nadine Lee told invited elected officials, federal agency representatives, business executives and DART employees about the benefits of the new facility and its impact on the surrounding area.
“We are grateful to our partners at the City of Plano for sharing the vision of bringing this facility to Plano, allowing DART to continue investing our agency’s assets into our member cities and growing transit opportunities across the DART service area,” Lee said. “The Silver Line is a major piece to solving the mobility puzzle in North Texas by providing a strong east to west connection between Plano and DFW Airport.”
The new facility is being built behind a 20,000+-square foot office building DART purchased earlier this year at 3201 Technology Drive in Plano’s industrial district, a news release said. The purchased office building will serve as the operations and maintenance home for Silver Line staff once the regional rail is in revenue service.
Construction of the facility will be within DART’s rail right-of-way (approximately 14 acres), near the end of the Silver Line track alignment and a few hundred feet from the Shiloh Road Station, which will cause minimal impact on road traffic and the surrounding area, DART officials say. The facility will feature two new buildings for the Silver Line vehicles to be housed, cleaned, and maintained as well as an underground fueling tank, a canopy structure for cover when dispensing fuel and a storage yard for all the vehicles.
By working with Plano officials to secure the construction of a full maintenance facility, DART reportedly saved over $30 million in capital costs and almost $1 million in annual operating expenses in comparison to a shared facility off the Silver Line alignment.
“The Silver Line EMF is proof that it takes a lot of various groups working together to deliver a project that will benefit many,” said Dee Leggett, DART Executive Vice President and Chief Development Officer. “With the area’s continued growth, we believe DART having a dedicated presence in Plano is a win for everyone.”
Once constructed, the Silver Line EMF would become just the fourth regional rail facility in the North Texas region and the only one in Collin County, joining Irving (TRE), Lewisville (DCTA) and Fort Worth (Trinity Metro). DART anticipates the entire 40,000 square foot complex to house 65 current and new permanent employees with additional room to grow in the future.
To learn more about the Silver Line Regional Rail project, please visit www.dart.org/silverline.
Source: Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART)
