Dallas Area Rapid Transit has landed a $70 million federal grant to help replace 53 light rail vehicles, some of which have been rattling along the tracks for more than 30 years. The award comes as the agency works to modernize a fleet that first rolled out when DART Light Rail began service back in 1996, even as DART navigates a bruising fiscal fight with the suburban cities that help fund it.
The money comes from the Federal Transit Administration’s Rail Vehicle Replacement Grants program, part of a $166 million nationwide pot announced by U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation. Federal officials noted that roughly one-third of subway and commuter rail vehicles nationwide are more than 25 years old, a problem they say drives up delays and maintenance costs. DART was one of only three transit agencies nationwide to receive a share of that funding, according to The Dallas Express, and the agency’s award represented 42% of the federal funds set aside for rail vehicle replacement.
DART’s $70 million ranked as the second-largest of the three grants handed out, trailing the $82.7 million that Pittsburgh Regional Transit received for 45 vehicles and topping the $13.3 million awarded to the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority for regional railcars, per Progressive Railroading. The competitive program is a set-aside of the State of Good Repair Formula Grants Program created under the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, and federal rules cap grant funding at 80% of net project costs, meaning DART still has to cover a local matching share. The transit agency has folded that light rail vehicle purchase into its 20-year financial plan, the outlet reports.
Replacing a Fleet That Predates DART’s Own Anniversary
DART currently operates 163 Kinki Sharyo light rail vehicles across a 93-mile system with 66 stations, moving more than 171,000 passengers each day across trains, buses, regional rail, the Trinity Railway Express, paratransit, and its GoLink on-demand service. June 14 marked the 30th anniversary of DART Light Rail, which began with an 11-mile starter network in 1996 before growing into one of the longest light rail systems in the country, and many of the original vehicles from that startup phase have now logged more than 30 years of continuous service…