The continued progress of the Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) Silver Line Regional Rail Project is bringing freight rail service back to the cities of Plano and Richardson started earlier this month.
DART and CPKC, formerly Kansas City Southern Railroad, agreed to cease freight operations in July of 2022, allowing Archer Western Herzog (AWH), DART’s design-build contractor, construction crews more room to work and advance major construction of the Silver Line project. The agreement gave DART the ability to move about the corridor with its construction plans while rerouting CPKC freight traffic out of the area. Once the project advanced to the point where the reroute was no longer necessary, the agreement would allow CPKC to resume freight service.
For the commuters and residents in Plano and Richardson driving near the Silver Line corridor, this means warning systems and crossing signals dormant for about 20 months will be active again.
“We are grateful to CPKC for working with us to make this section of the Silver Line corridor as safe as possible for our crews and commuters as we advanced the project,” said Trey Walker, DART vice president of capital design and construction. “Now that we are continuing that progress, we want to continue to stress safety, ensure the public is aware of these changes, and adhere to the crossing signals and warning signs.”
DART has been in communication with the cities and school districts in Plano and Richardson, as well as their eastern neighbors along the railroad tracks of Murphy and Wylie to ensure residents and commuters are aware of the return of freight rail service to the area. New signage, warning systems, and existing crossing signals were tested and operational before freight trains returned to the tracks.
The return of CPKC freight operations will affect 12 at-grade crossings in Plano and two in Richardson on the Silver Line pathway. Testing of the systems and crossing signals will take place Sunday, March 3, from 9 am to 5 pm with flaggers at crossings as a safety precaution for vehicle traffic.
Normal freight operations will begin Monday, March 4, and run at night after 10 pm and include evening trips.
The DART Silver Line is a 26-mile commuter rail that traverses seven North Texas cities (Grapevine, Coppell, Dallas, Carrollton, Addison, Richardson, Plano) between DFW Airport and Shiloh Road in Plano. The regional rail alignment crosses three counties (Collin, Dallas, Tarrant) and will provide service to improve mobility and accessibility across the northern portion of the DART service area. DART Silver Line revenue service is scheduled to begin in late 2025 to early 2026.
To learn more about the Silver Line Regional Rail Project, please visit DART.org/silverline.
Source: DART
