Hush Now: DART Silver Line Quiet Zones Take Effect in Dallas, Plano, and Other Member Cities

Future commuters and nearby neighborhoods alike are going to have some peace and quiet, courtesy of the DART Silver Line Regional Rail. The new 26-mile regional rail service — coming to seven North Texas cities including Grapevine, Coppell, Dallas, Carrollton, Addison, Richardson, and Plano — has begun activating quiet zones near its tracks and stations.

DART began testing the Silver Line’s rail vehicles, crossings, and tracks earlier this year, using lights and horns while approaching intersections. Newly activated quiet zones will silence the train horns as they travel through the respective cities.

Dallas, Addison, and Coppell were the first cities where the zones were activated at the end of July. The cities of Plano, Carrollton, and Richardson will have the quiet zones activated by the end of August. Testing will continue in Plano, Carrollton, and Richardson with the goal of DART opening for passenger service before the end of 2025.

Specifically, quiet zones ensure residents, motorists, and pedestrians will no longer consistently hear the train horn as the vehicles approach a rail crossing or station. Train horns will only be used when necessary for safety, such as an object on or near the track obstructing the train’s path forward.

DART worked with the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) and six of the seven member cities to create a quiet zone ordinance. Grapevine is the only city out of the seven where the train’s horn will routinely sound at intersections.

“Safety has been one of our biggest priorities as we’ve pushed through on this project, so we want to thank everyone for their patience as we’ve worked through all the requirements needed with FRA officials to get these quiet zones active,” said Trey Walker, DART vice president of capital programs. 

In order to qualify for the quiet zones, DART worked the FRA officials to ensure that areas along the route have additional safety measures such as fencing, quad gates at rail crossings, and curbs which keep cars from driving around gates at crossings.