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Come Aboard: DART's 26-Mile Silver Line Train Boosts Connectivity in New Way for Region
bizjournals.com
The first east-to-west transit connector in the suburbs north of Dallas is officially rolling, and I recently tested it out to see just how long an excursion to the airport might take on a line that seemed like a fantasy when it was pitched decades ago.
DART’s new $2 billion Silver Line, connecting Plano to DFW Airport, opened to the public Saturday, Oct. 25. The agency is offering free rides on the line until Nov. 8, and many took advantage of the deal on the initial weekend.
The line starts at Shiloh Road Station in East Plano, marked by an electrical-plug sculpture referencing a nearby electrical substation. When I began my journey to the airport Saturday afternoon, the train was mostly full of suburbanites, who take the DART only on special occasions such as to American Airlines Center for sporting events or Fair Park for the State Fair.
Some passengers I spoke to said they drove from Garland to give the Silver Line a shot and see if it was a viable option to reach the airport for cheap. Another couple said the free ride was "a dry run" to determine exactly how long it would take to get to DFW. They noted the Silver Line hadn’t yet landed on Google Maps, so they wanted to check it out for themselves before going on a vacation they have planned for later this year that departs from DFW International Airport.
"We’re excited to hopefully use the DART system more," one-half of the Garland couple, Phyllis Malaluan, told me. "We usually use other cities' public transit, and we wish we had the same infrastructure back home."
After chatting with riders for about 10 minutes, we started embarking on our 26-mile journey to the airport. I felt like a kid on a class field trip — this was my Polar Express. Excitement among passengers was palpable and chatter was incessant as the tram trekked through Plano at speeds up to 79 miles per hour. I heard some children squealing once the train started moving, colorful balloon animals in hand from celebrations held earlier that day. Never before had I witnessed this much enthusiasm for public transit in North Texas.
It didn’t hurt too that the seats on the Stadler-designed trains were comfortable and clean, and there seemed to be an abundant amount of USB chargers. Some tables were arranged between four seats, and there was plenty of railing for standing passengers. The train was also well-lit and fully air conditioned.
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