View source for Red Line (DART)

{{Short description|Light rail line in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, Texas}}
{{Use American English|date=August 2024}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2024}}
{{Infobox rail line
| name                            = Red Line
| color                           = {{rcr|Dallas Area Rapid Transit|Red}}
| logo                            = DART Red Line bullet 2025.svg
| image                           = Richardson August 2019 26 (Galatyn Park Station).jpg
| image_width                     = 200px
| caption                         = Northbound Red Line train at Galatyn Park Station
| type                            = [[Light rail]]
| system                          = [[DART light rail]]
| status                          = 
| locale                          = [[Dallas]], [[Texas]]
| start                           = [[Parker Road Station|Parker Road]] (north)
| end                             = [[Westmoreland (DART station)|Westmoreland]] (south)
| stations                        = 25
| routes                          = 
| daily_ridership                 = 
| open                            = June 14, 1996
| close                           = 
| owner                           = [[Dallas Area Rapid Transit|DART]]
| operator                        = DART
| character                       = 
| stock                           = 
| linelength                      = {{convert|27.7|mi|km|1|abbr=on}}
| tracklength                     = 
| tracks                          = 
| gauge                           = {{RailGauge|ussg}}
| minradius                       = 
| electrification                 = [[Overhead catenary]]
| speed                           = 
| elevation                       = At grade, elevated, underground
| map                             = {{switcher
| {{maplink-road|from=Red Line (DART).map}} Red Line highlighted in red <hr />
| Show interactive map
| {{Red Line (DART)|inline=yes}}
| Show route diagram
}}
}}

The '''Red Line''' is a [[light rail]] line in [[Dallas, Texas|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 {{DART B}}.

==Route==
===Westmoreland to Downtown===
The southwestern terminus of the Red Line is at [[Westmoreland (DART station)|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 (DART station)|8th & Corinth]], the line merges with the {{DART B}}. 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 {{DART G}} and {{DART O}} 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 (Dallas)|Central Expressway]] ([[U.S. Route 75|US 75]]), with a stop at [[Cityplace (DART station)|Cityplace]]. The lines exit the tunnel at [[Mockingbird (DART station)|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, Texas|Richardson]] and [[Plano, Texas|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, Texas|Collin County]].

==History==
Much of the line was constructed on the former [[Texas Electric Railway]] route,  which 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 (Dallas)|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 {{convert|9|mi|km|1}} over its original length.  Later that year, the line was opened to the [[Parker Road Station]], an additional {{convert|3|mi|km|1}} of track, its current terminus.

==Plans for expansion==
[[File:DART Corridor from Plano to McKinney.png|thumb|DART-owned corridor from [[Parker Road station]] to Downtown [[McKinney, Texas|McKinney]] for possible future rail service expansion]]
The current northern terminus of the Red Line is [[Parker Road station]] in [[Plano, Texas|Plano]]. The further north suburb, [[Allen, Texas|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.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.cityofallen.org/1486/Public-Transit |title=Public Transit |publisher=[[Allen, Texas]] |access-date=9 April 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240409184745/https://www.cityofallen.org/1486/Public-Transit |archive-date=9 April 2024}}</ref>

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, Texas|McKinney]]. Either the Red Line or the [[Silver Line (DART)|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.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://communityimpact.com/dallas-fort-worth/plano/transportation/2022/02/17/regional-transportation-council-looks-to-extend-dart-rail-line-from-plano-to-mckinney/ |title=Regional Transportation Council looks to extend DART rail line from Plano to McKinney|last=Pirayesh |first=Erick |date=17 February 2022 |website=Community Impact |publisher=[[Community Impact Newspaper]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230818194910/https://communityimpact.com/dallas-fort-worth/plano/transportation/2022/02/17/regional-transportation-council-looks-to-extend-dart-rail-line-from-plano-to-mckinney/ |archive-date=18 August 2023}}</ref>

== Stations ==

===Daily Service===
:''Listed from north to south''

{| class="wikitable"
! Station
! Other lines
! Opened
! Notes
|-
| [[Parker Road station|Parker Road]]
| rowspan="2" | {{rint|dart|orange}} (peak only)
| rowspan="2" | December 9, 2002
| Terminus for Red and Orange Lines (peak only)
|-
| [[Downtown Plano station|Downtown Plano]]
|
|-
| [[12th Street station (DART)|12th Street]]
| rowspan="2" | {{rint|dart|orange}} (peak only) {{rint|dart|silver}}
| October 25, 2025
| Northernmost transfer for the [[Silver Line (DART)|Silver Line]]
|-
| [[CityLine/Bush station|CityLine/Bush]]
| December 9, 2002
| Formerly Bush Turnpike Station until March 14, 2016.
Southernmost transfer for the [[Silver Line (DART)|Silver Line]]
|-
| [[Galatyn Park station|Galatyn Park]]
| rowspan="3" | {{rint|dart|orange}} (peak only)
| rowspan="6" |July 1, 2002
|
|-
| [[Arapaho Center station|Arapaho Center]]
|
|-
| [[Spring Valley station (DART)|Spring Valley]]
|
|-
| [[LBJ/Central station|LBJ/Central]]
| rowspan="5" | {{rint|dart|orange}}
| Terminus for Orange Line outside peak hours
|-
| [[Forest Lane station|Forest Lane]]
|
|-
| [[Walnut Hill station (DART)|Walnut Hill]]
|
|-
| [[Park Lane station (DART)|Park Lane]]
| rowspan="3" | January 10, 1997 
|
|-
| [[Lovers Lane station|Lovers Lane]]
|
|-
| [[SMU/Mockingbird station|SMU/Mockingbird]]
| rowspan="2" | {{rint|dart|orange}} {{rint|dart|blue}}
| Northernmost transfer for the [[Blue Line (DART)|Blue Line]]
|-
| [[Cityplace/Uptown station|Cityplace/Uptown]]
| December 18, 2000
| Transfer to {{rint|dallas|mata|showtext=yes}}
|-
| [[Pearl/Arts District station|Pearl/Arts District]]
| rowspan="4" | {{rint|dart|orange}} {{rint|dart|blue}} {{rint|dart|green}}
| rowspan="12" | June 14, 1996
| Easternmost transfer for [[Green Line (DART)|Green Line]]
|-
| [[St. Paul station (DART)|St. Paul]]
| Transfer to {{rint|dallas|mata|showtext=yes}} (one block north)
|-
| [[Akard station|Akard]]
| 
|-
| [[West End station (DART)|West End]]
| Westernmost transfer station for the [[Orange Line (DART)|Orange Line]] and [[Green Line (DART)|Green Line]]
|-
| [[Dallas Union Station|EBJ Union Station]]
| rowspan="4" | {{rint|dart|blue}}
| Transfer to {{rint|dart|streetcar|showtext=yes}}, {{rint|texas|tre|showtext=yes}}, and {{rint|us|amtrak|showtext=yes}}
|-
| [[Convention Center station (DART)|Convention Center]]
| 
|-
| [[Cedars station|Cedars]]
| 
|-
| [[8th & Corinth station|8th & Corinth]]
| Southernmost transfer for the [[Blue Line (DART)|Blue Line]]
|-
| [[Dallas Zoo station|Dallas Zoo]]
| rowspan="4" |
| 
|-
| [[Tyler/Vernon station|Tyler/Vernon]]
| 
|-
| [[Hampton station (DART)|Hampton]]
| 
|-
| [[Westmoreland station (DART)|Westmoreland]]
| 
|}

===Special Event Service===
* [[Deep Ellum (DART station)|Deep Ellum Station]] <small>(Served regularly by {{DART G}})</small>
* [[Baylor University Medical Center (DART station)|Baylor University Medical Center Station]] <small>(Served regularly by {{DART G}}</small>) 
* [[Fair Park (DART station)|Fair Park Station]] <small>(Served regularly by {{DART G}})</small>
* [[Victory (TRE-DART station)|Victory Station]] <small>(Also served by {{DART G}}, {{DART O}})</small>

<gallery>
Image:Cedars Station.jpg|[[Cedars Station]] in the [[Cedars, Dallas, Texas|Cedars]] neighborhood of [[south Dallas]]
Image:DART Red Line @ Union Station.jpg|[[Union Station (Dallas)|Union Station]] in the [[Reunion District, Dallas, Texas|Reunion District]] of [[downtown Dallas|downtown]]
File:DART's West End Station in the West End Historic District of downtown Dallas.jpg|[[West End station (DART)|West End Station]] in the [[West End Historic District, Dallas, Texas|West End Historic District]] of [[downtown Dallas|downtown]]
</gallery>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
{{Attached KML|display=title,inline}}
* [https://www.dart.org/guide/transit-and-use/rail/rail-line-details/dart-red-line DART - Red Line]
* [https://dartorgcmsblob.dart.org/prod/docs/default-source/dart-maps/dartrailsystemmap24jan22-1.pdf Full DART Rail map]

{{Dallas Area Rapid Transit}}

[[Category:Dallas Area Rapid Transit light rail lines]]
[[Category:Passenger rail transportation in Texas]]
[[Category:Railway lines opened in 1996]]
[[Category:1996 establishments in Texas]]
[[Category:Red Line (Dallas Area Rapid Transit)| ]]