DART to test Silver Line trains on stretch between Plano and Richardson, August 25-28

Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) will begin a second test run of vehicles on the Silver Line regional rail line beginning Sunday, August 25.

Testing on Silver Line tracks will be exclusive to Segment C of the project, which falls between Waterview Parkway and Shiloh Road Station. Testing times will run from 9am to 6pm throughout the week.

Flaggers will be present at each railroad crossing, where required by Federal Railroad Administration guidelines, to help drivers and pedestrians navigate traffic safely and accurately. Engineers and rail crews will test the timing and duration of gates, lights and warning signals at each crossing to ensure safe crossings for both freight and passenger rail that will share corridor operations once the Silver Line is in service. of income.

“Safety for the public, operators and our employees is a top priority as we undergo this testing period,” said Trey Walker, DART's vice president of design and construction. “We're going to check everything from top to bottom and review, adjust and re-test to make sure we can travel down the corridor safely and anyone near the rail line knows we're up and running. “

Drivers and pedestrians. can expect to see both Silver Line vehicles and CPKC freight rail trains running on the tracks during testing as crews will test a rail break between City Line Drive and Waterview Parkway. The freight rail service will only continue to operate during normally scheduled hours (between 9pm and 6am) once the testing is complete.

Testing of the Silver Line vehicles will include running its simulated route with stops at 12^th Street, CityLine/Bush and UT Dallas stations with no passenger pick-up or drop-off points. All stations are still active construction sites, so spectators are not allowed on nearby platforms or walkways.

Quiet zones, which allow trains to sound their horns only when there is a potential hazard on or near the tracks, will not be in effect during the test. Crews will also test the track and system configuration on the entire stretch beginning Monday, August 19, but no train activity is anticipated. To learn more about the Silver Line Regional Rail Project, please visit www.dart.org/silverline.