Red Line (DART)

Last updated

Red Line
DART Red Line bullet.svg
Richardson August 2019 26 (Galatyn Park Station).jpg
Northbound Red Line train at Galatyn Park Station
Overview
Owner DART
Locale Dallas, Texas
Termini
Stations25
Service
Type Light rail
System DART light rail
Operator(s)DART
History
OpenedJune 14, 1996
Technical
Line length27.7 mi (44.6 km)
Track gauge 4 ft 8+12 in (1,435 mm)
Electrification Overhead catenary
Highest elevationAt grade, elevated, underground
Route map
Red Line (DART) Red Line highlighted in red
BSicon tKSTRa carrot.svg
BSicon lHST red.svg
BSicon KSTRa red.svg
Parker Road BSicon PARKING.svg
BSicon tSTR carrot.svg
BSicon lHST red.svg
BSicon STR red.svg
Downtown Plano
BSicon exSTR+l.svg
BSicon STR red.svg
BSicon etINT carrot.svg
BSicon exSTRq.svg
BSicon exCONTfq.svg
12th Street
(planned)
BSicon exSKRZ-G4hl.svg
BSicon MRP4q.svg
BSicon tSKRZ-G4hr carrot.svg
BSicon STR red.svg
BSicon exINT-L.svg
BSicon STR red.svg
BSicon tSTR carrot.svg
BSicon lHST red.svg
BSicon exlINT-R.svg
CityLine/Bush BSicon PARKING.svg
BSicon exCONTf.svg
BSicon tSTR carrot.svg
BSicon STR red.svg
BSicon tSTR carrot.svg
BSicon lHST red.svg
BSicon STR red.svg
Galatyn Park
BSicon tSTR carrot.svg
BSicon lHST red.svg
BSicon STR red.svg
Arapaho Center BSicon PARKING.svg
BSicon STR red.svg
BSicon tSTR carrot.svg
BSicon lHST red.svg
BSicon lhSTRae.svg
Spring Valley BSicon PARKING.svg
BSicon MRP4q.svg
BSicon tSKRZ-G4u carrot.svg
BSicon STR red.svg
BSicon tSTR+GRZq carrot.svg
BSicon STR red.svg
Arrow Blue Up 001.svg Orange Line service peak hours only
Arrow Blue Down 001.svg Orange Line normal service
BSicon tSTR carrot.svg
BSicon lHST red.svg
BSicon STR red.svg
LBJ/Central BSicon PARKING.svg
BSicon tSTR carrot.svg
BSicon lHST red.svg
BSicon hSTRa@g red.svg
Forest Lane BSicon PARKING.svg
BSicon tbSTR carrot.svg
BSicon hbKRZW red.svg
BSicon tSTR carrot.svg
BSicon lHST red.svg
BSicon hSTR red.svg
Walnut Hill BSicon PARKING.svg
BSicon tSTR carrot.svg
BSicon lHST red.svg
BSicon hSTRe@f red.svg
Park Lane BSicon PARKING.svg
BSicon tSTR carrot.svg
BSicon lHST red.svg
BSicon STR red.svg
Lovers Lane
BSicon STR red.svg
BSicon tSTR carrot.svg
BSicon tSTR+l cerulean.svg
BSicon STR+l cerulean.svg
BSicon CONTfq cerulean.svg
BSicon tINT black.svg
BSicon STR red.svg
SMU/Mockingbird BSicon PARKING.svg
BSicon tINTae red.svg
Cityplace/​Uptown
M-Line Trolley logo.svg
BSicon STR red.svg
BSicon tSTR black.svg
BSicon ftSTR+l.svg
BSicon fSTR+l.svg
BSicon fCONTfq.svg
DART Green Line bullet.svg to Buckner
BSicon tINT black.svg
BSicon STR red.svg
Pearl/Arts District
BSicon BUS2.svg
BSicon tINT black.svg
BSicon STR red.svg
St. Paul
M-Line Trolley logo.svg
BSicon tSTR black.svg
BSicon lHST red.svg
BSicon STR red.svg
Akard
BSicon tINT black.svg
BSicon STR red.svg
West End
BSicon BUS2.svg
BSicon ftCONTgq.svg
BSicon CONTgq carrot.svg
BSicon tSTR cerulean.svg
BSicon tSTRr black.svg
BSicon STRr carrot.svg
BSicon ftSTRr.svg
BSicon STR red.svg
BSicon CONTr+f.svg
BSicon tSTR cerulean.svg
BSicon STR red.svg
BSicon KINTe-L.svg
BSicon tINT-R cerulean.svg
BSicon STR red.svg
BSicon uKHSTa.svg
Union Station Dallas Streetcar Icon.png TRE logo.png BSicon LOGO Amtrak2.svg
BSicon uCONTgq.svg
BSicon MSTRq.svg
BSicon mtKRZu cerulean+u.svg
BSicon STR red.svg
BSicon uSTRr.svg
Dallas Streetcar to Bishop Arts
BSicon tSTR cerulean.svg
BSicon lHST red.svg
BSicon STR red.svg
Convention Center
BSicon tSTR cerulean.svg
BSicon SKRZ-G4o red.svg
BSicon tSTR cerulean.svg
BSicon lHST red.svg
BSicon STR red.svg
Cedars
BSicon STR red.svg
BSicon tSTR cerulean.svg
BSicon uABZl+l.svg
BSicon uKDSTeq.svg
Central Rail Operating Facility
BSicon tbSTR cerulean.svg
BSicon hbKRZWae red.svg
BSicon tINT cerulean.svg
BSicon STR red.svg
8th & Corinth BSicon PARKING.svg
BSicon STR red.svg
BSicon tSTRl cerulean.svg
BSicon STRl cerulean.svg
BSicon CONTfq cerulean.svg
BSicon HST red.svg
Dallas Zoo
BSicon HST red.svg
Tyler/Vernon
BSicon HST red.svg
Hampton BSicon PARKING.svg
BSicon KHSTe red.svg
Westmoreland BSicon PARKING.svg
BSicon tSTRq carrot.svg
BSicon STRq red.svg
Other service sharing
tracks with Red Line
BSicon tSTRq black.svg
BSicon STRq red.svg
Multiple services sharing
tracks with Red Line

Wheelchair symbol.svg All stations are accessible

The Red Line is a light rail line in Dallas, Texas operated by the Dallas Area Rapid Transit system. It began operations in June 1996, and is one of two inaugural light rail lines in the DART light rail system alongside the Blue Line.

Contents

Route

Westmoreland to Downtown

The southwestern terminus of the Red Line is at Westmoreland Station in southwest Dallas at the intersection of Illinois Avenue and Westmoreland Road. The southwestern part of the Red Line runs on a private right-of-way with grade crossings. Just before 8th & Corinth, the line merges with the Blue Line. The joint Red and Blue Line tracks then rise on to a viaduct that crosses Cedar Creek, the Trinity River, and a freight railroad line. At Lamar Street, the line turns north at a wye where a pair of tracks leading to one of two train yards on the system diverges. The Red and Blue Lines continue north, crossing the Landry Freeway, travelling under the Dallas Convention Center and stop at Dallas Union Station. After crossing over Main Street, the lines turn east as they merge with the Green Line and Orange Line and enter downtown Dallas. At this point, the lines leave their right of ways and operate on a dedicated street-running right of way.

Downtown to Parker Road

The four DART lines share a common section of track through downtown, with four stops: West End, Akard Street, St. Paul Street and Pearl Street.

After Pearl Street, street running ends and the lines return to private right-of-ways. The four lines diverge at a wye, with the Green Line diverging to the southeast while the Red, Blue and Orange Lines turn north, cross the Good-Latimer Expressway at grade, and descend into a long tunnel under the Central Expressway (US 75), with a stop at Cityplace. The lines exit the tunnel at Mockingbird. The Blue Line diverges from the Red Line and heads east, while the Red and Orange Lines turn north.

The Red Line then travels through north Dallas, Richardson and Plano. Most of the line runs at grade level with grade crossings, although portions of the route run on elevated viaducts. The line terminates at the Parker Road Station at Park Boulevard near Central Expressway in Collin County.

History

Much of the line was constructed on the former Texas Electric Railway route. That service ceased operations in 1948.

The Red Line was part of the initial launch of DART's light rail testing and service in 1996. At the time, the line only ran from Westmoreland Station to Pearl Station in the northeast corner of downtown. In 1997, the Red Line was extended to Park Lane Station, and was the first DART line to use the 3.5-mile twin tunnels. On December 18, 2000, Cityplace Station, the southwest's first commercial subway station was opened along the Red Line underneath Cityplace Tower in the tunnel under the Central Expressway.

In 2002, the Red Line extended into Richardson, ending at Galatyn Park Station, extending the light rail service 9 miles (14.5 km) over its original length. Later that year, the line was opened to the Parker Road Station, an additional 3 miles (4.8 km) of track, its current terminus.

Plans for expansion

DART-owned corridor from Parker Road station to Downtown McKinney for possible future rail service expansion DART Corridor from Plano to McKinney.png
DART-owned corridor from Parker Road station to Downtown McKinney for possible future rail service expansion

The current northern terminus of the Red Line is Parker Road station in Plano. The further north suburb, Allen, is eligible to join DART. However, active Red line service is unable to expand further north because Allen is currently unable to levy the 1% sales tax required for DART membership. [1]

The North Central Texas Council of Governments (NCTCOG) in a 2022 meeting discussed the possibility of expansion of the Red Line corridor from Plano through Allen to McKinney. Either the Red Line or the Silver Line could be extended north. The study proposed seven stations between the current Parker Road Station and the hypothetical northern terminus Downtown McKinney Station. The extension would be 18 miles long, cost between $700 million and $900 million to construct, and is estimated to have 7,000 to 8,000 riders a day by 2045. [2]

Stations

Daily Service

Listed from north to south
StationOther linesOpenedNotes
Parker Road     (Rush Hour only)December 9, 2002Terminus for Red and Orange Lines (Orange Line During peak-hour only)
Downtown Plano
CityLine/Bush Formerly Bush Turnpike Station until March 14, 2016. Planned Silver Line transfer station
Galatyn Park July 1, 2002
Arapaho Center
Spring Valley
LBJ/Central     Terminus for Orange Line outside peak hours
Forest Lane
Walnut Hill
Park Lane January 10, 1997
Lovers Lane
SMU/Mockingbird         Northernmost transfer for the Blue Line
Cityplace/Uptown December 18, 2000Transfer to M-Line Trolley logo.svg M-Line Trolley
Pearl/Arts District             June 14, 1996Easternmost transfer for Green Line
St. Paul Transfer to M-Line Trolley logo.svg M-Line Trolley (one block north)
Akard
West End Westernmost transfer station for the Orange Line and Green Line
EBJ Union Station     Transfer to Dallas Streetcar Icon.png Dallas Streetcar, TRE logo.png Trinity Railway Express, and BSicon LOGO Amtrak2.svg Amtrak
Convention Center
Cedars
8th & Corinth Southernmost transfer for the Blue Line
Dallas Zoo
Tyler/Vernon
Hampton
Westmoreland

Special Event Service

References

  1. "Public Transit". Allen, Texas. Archived from the original on April 9, 2024. Retrieved April 9, 2024.
  2. Pirayesh, Erick (February 17, 2022). "Regional Transportation Council looks to extend DART rail line from Plano to McKinney". Community Impact. Community Impact Newspaper. Archived from the original on August 18, 2023.
Template:Attached KML/Red Line (DART)
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