DART celebrates 20 years of light rail service

DALLAS - Twenty years and billions of dollars later, Dallas Area Rapid Transit calls its rail line something to be proud of.

DART plans to celebrate its 20th anniversary Tuesday with events at Union Station in Downtown Dallas. There will be live entertainment, giveaways and an oversized “Happy Anniversary” card.

Trains first rolled through Dallas on June 14, 1996. The 11-mile network of Red and Blue lines stretched from Pearl Station in the north through Downtown Dallas to the 8th and Corinth Station, where the two lines separated.

The Blue line continued mostly due south to Illinois Station and the Red line went southwest to the Westmoreland Station.

Now two decades and 360 million passenger trips later DART rail is the longest in North America at 90 miles and 62 stations in eight cities.

This October, it will expand even more with the opening of a three-mile Blue line extension from the Ledbetter Station to UNT Dallas.

A second rail through Downtown Dallas is also still in the development phase. It’s scheduled to open in 2021.

LINK: www.DART.org/DARTRail20