The Orange Line is a 37-mile (60 km) light rail line in the Dallas, Texas metropolitan area. The line is operated by Dallas Area Rapid Transit as a part of its DART light rail system. It is the only east-west line in the system.
The line runs from Dallas Fort Worth International Airport to northeastern Dallas, passing through Irving's Las Colinas neighborhood and Downtown Dallas in the interim. During weekday peak periods, the eastern segment of the line is extended further north to Richardson and Plano.
Route
editFor publicity purposes, DART light rail is divided into eight corridors,[1] of which the Orange Line serves four.[2][3][4][5]
On average, an end-to-end trip on the line will take 76 minutes (if the eastern terminus is LBJ/Central) or 92 minutes (if the eastern terminus is Parker Road).[6]
Irving/DFW Corridor
editThe Irving/DFW Corridor, which has a length of 14 miles (23 km),[2] is the only portion of the Orange Line that is not shared with other DART light rail lines.
The line's western terminus is DFW Airport Terminal A, located inside Dallas Fort Worth International Airport.[7] The line exits the airport through the north and proceeds southeast through Irving's Las Colinas neighborhood, passing Dallas College North Lake and Irving Convention Center.
The line curves around Lake Carolyn before traveling south to John Carpenter Freeway (SH 114). Turning east, it parallels SH 114, passing the University of Dallas. At the former site of Texas Stadium, the line sharply redirects northeast, paralleling Storey Lane (Spur 482) and crossing the Elm Fork of the Trinity River. Upon reaching Northwest Highway (Loop 12), it curves southeast and merges with the Green Line, where it proceeds to Bachman station.
Northwest Corridor
editAlongside the Green Line, the Orange Line travels southeast along Denton Drive, passing Dallas Love Field (which is serviced through a shuttle at Inwood/Love Field station). When Denton Drive ends, the lines continue south through the Southwestern Medical District to Harry Hines Boulevard. They briefly follow Harry Hines to Interstate 35E, where they turn to follows I-35E to Downtown Dallas.
Downtown Dallas Central Business District
editAlongside the Green Line, the Orange Line enters Downtown Dallas at Victory Park. After stopping at American Airlines Center, the Orange Line turns east onto Pacific Avenue, which it shares with all other DART lines. It follows Pacific Avenue, and later Bryan Street, to the east side of downtown.
North Central Corridor
editAlong with the Red Line and Blue Line, the Orange Line turns north into a subway tunnel paralleling North Central Expressway (US 75). After passing the underground Cityplace/Uptown station, the subway tunnel ends at Mockingbird Lane. Above ground, the Orange Line and Red Line continue to parallel US 75 until the corridor's terminus at Parker Road station.
Other termini
editDuring non-peak hours, the line terminates at LBJ/Central station, just south of Interstate 635. A pocket track north of I-635 is used to move trains from eastbound to westbound service.
When individual trains are entering or exiting service, special termini near DART's two rail yards are used. Trains entering or leaving the Northwest Rail Operating Facility terminate at Bachman station, which is directly south of the yard. Trains entering or leaving the Central Rail Operating Facility will divert from Pearl/Arts District to the southern Green Line, stopping at Deep Ellum and Baylor University Medical Center before terminating at Fair Park.[8][9]
History
edit
Planning and construction
editLight rail transit in the Las Colinas area was first studied in 2000 as part of DART's Northwest Corridor study. The study proposed two lines, which evolved into the northern and western segments of the modern-day Green Line and Orange Line, respectively.[10] In 2006, the two lines (with their current colors) were incorporated into DART's 2030 Transit System Plan, with revenue service to D/FW Airport expected in 2013.[11]
On March 12, 2007, the City of Dallas officials and DART made an agreement to make Love Field Station a surface-level facility, concluding a long debate over whether or not to make it an underground station closer to the airport.[12][better source needed][13]
On December 5, 2007, the Dallas Morning News ran a story reporting that DART President Gary Thomas said a previous cost estimate of $988 million was too low. The new cost estimate for the 14-mile project was $1.8 – $1.9 billion, he said.[14] The $900 million overrun in costs caused considerable outrage among political leaders[15] in Irving, Texas, the city the line runs through on its way to Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport. The Irving leaders conducted an inquiry into the cost overruns.[16] Texas State Representative Linda Harper Brown sent an official letter to Mr. Thomas also inquiring about the project's cost overruns.[17]
In February 2010, DART officials warned that the first two phases of the Orange Line might be delayed due to TXDOT problems along State Highway 114, which the Orange Line route follows. Utility relocation and road construction was expected to delay access to portions of the construction area where the rail line and highway intersect. DART estimated that the delay could push the opening of the Las Colinas extension from December 2011 to August 2012; however, DART also advised that it was determined to keep the original schedule and minimize any delays.[18][19]
In June 2010, DART placed new Orange Line construction on indefinite hold due to declining revenue. However, on September 15, 2010, the agency said that due to cost savings and federal funds, the plans for the line have been revived.[20]
On December 13, 2011, DART awarded a contract to design and build the Orange Line extension from Belt Line Road to DFW Airport, valued at about $150 million, with construction to start in early 2012 and an opening date of August 18, 2014, ahead of schedule.[21]
Opening and operation
editThe Orange Line started operation on December 6, 2010, with weekday peak service from the Parker Road station to Bachman station on stations shared with DART's Red and Green lines. The first Orange Line-exclusive stations opened with the extension to Irving Convention Center on July 30, 2012,[22] and two more were added on December 3, 2012.[23] The current northwestern terminus, located at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, opened on August 18, 2014.[7] Hidden Ridge Station, which was planned with the rest of the Orange Line but deferred until further development justified its construction, opened to revenue service on April 12, 2021.[24]
Extension and rerouting proposals
editWhen the extension to the airport was created, the western terminus of the proposed Cotton Belt Corridor (now the Silver Line) was DFW Airport North. To enable transfers to the airport, a secondary extension would add DFW Airport North to the Orange Line between DFW Airport Terminal A and Belt Line. However, by the time the Corridor was approved in 2018, expansions to SH-114 and SH-121 rendered this extension infeasible. Instead, the Silver Line was extended south to DFW Airport Terminal B by sharing tracks with TEXRail.[25]
The D2 Subway project would reroute the line's Downtown Dallas segment into a new subway tunnel between Victory and Deep Ellum with four new underground stations. The project was originally set for completion in 2028 but is currently on hiatus.
Stations
editDaily service
edit- Listed from Northeast to Northwest. Peak-hour only service is highlighted.
| Station | Other lines | Opened | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| DFW Airport Terminal A | August 18, 2014 | Terminus; transfer to  TEXRail at adjacent DFW Airport/Terminal B station
| |
| Belt Line | December 3, 2012 | ||
| Dallas College North Lake Campus | |||
| Hidden Ridge | April 12, 2021 | ||
| Irving Convention Center | July 30, 2012 | ||
| Las Colinas Urban Center | |||
| University of Dallas | |||
| Bachman | December 6, 2010 | Westernmost transfer for Green Line | |
| Burbank | |||
| Inwood/Love Field | |||
| Southwestern Medical District/ Parkland | |||
| Market Center | |||
| Victory | November 13, 2004 | Transfer to  Trinity Railway Express
| |
| West End | June 14, 1996 | Westernmost transfer station for Red and Blue Lines | |
| Akard | |||
| St. Paul | Transfer to  M-Line Trolley (one block north)
| ||
| Pearl/Arts District | Easternmost transfer for Green Line | ||
| Cityplace/Uptown | December 18, 2000 | Transfer to M-Line Trolley
| |
| SMU/Mockingbird | January 10, 1997 | Northernmost transfer for Blue Line | |
| Lovers Lane | |||
| Park Lane | |||
| Walnut Hill | July 1, 2002 | ||
| Forest Lane | |||
| LBJ/Central | Terminus for Orange Line outside peak hours | ||
| Spring Valley | |||
| Arapaho Center | |||
| Galatyn Park | |||
| CityLine/Bush | December 9, 2002 | Formerly Bush Turnpike Station until March 14, 2016. Planned Silver Line transfer station | |
| Downtown Plano | |||
| Parker Road | Terminus for Red (full-time) and Orange Lines (peak-hour) |
Special event service
edit- Listed from East to West
- Lawnview (Also served by the Green Line)
- Hatcher (Also served by the Green Line)
- MLK, Jr. (Also served by the Green Line)
- Fair Park (Also served by the Green Line)
- Baylor University Medical Center (Also served by the Green Line)
- Deep Ellum (Also served by the Green Line)
Deferred
editThe original Northwest Corridor plan included two stations which were deferred pending future development of their surrounding sites.[26] To date, neither station has been constructed. While not listed as such in the original plan, Hidden Ridge station was also deferred until its opening in 2021.
Loop 12 station would be located at the intersection of Loop 12 and SH 114 near the former site of Texas Stadium.[26] The city of Irving has established a redevelopment plan for the site which includes the station.[27]
South Las Colinas station would be located on Teleport Boulevard near SH 114 and a former BNSF rail corridor. It would serve as an intermodal transit center between DART light rail, a proposed Las Colinas APT System extension, and a proposed commuter rail line on the BNSF corridor[26] that would run from Irving to Frisco.[28]
References
edit- ^ "DART Facts". Dallas Area Rapid Transit. Retrieved February 1, 2024.
- ^ a b "Irving/DFW Corridor: Bachman to DFW Airport Station" (PDF). Dallas Area Rapid Transit.
- ^ "Northwest Corridor: Downtown Dallas to North Carrollton/Frankford Station" (PDF). Dallas Area Rapid Transit.
- ^ "Downtown Dallas Central Business District: Convention Center to Pearl Station" (PDF). Dallas Area Rapid Transit.
- ^ "North Central Corridor: Downtown Dallas to Parker Road Station" (PDF). Dallas Area Rapid Transit.
- ^ "Travel Times" (PDF). Dallas Area Rapid Transit. April 12, 2021. p. 2.
- ^ a b "DFW Airport Station". Dallas Area Rapid Transit. Retrieved January 31, 2024.
- ^ "Orange Line Weekday/Entre Semana To Parker Road Station" (PDF). Dallas Area Rapid Transit. January 24, 2022.
- ^ "Orange Line Weekday/Entre Semana To DFW Airport Station" (PDF). Dallas Area Rapid Transit. January 24, 2022.
- ^ "Final Report Major Investment Study for the DART Northwest Corridor" [report]. DART Historical Archive, pp. 189. The Portal to Texas History, University of North Texas. Retrieved 2024-02-01.
- ^ "2030 Transit System Plan" (PDF). Dallas Area Rapid Transit. 2006. p. 66. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 25, 2009.
- ^ "The Dallas Morning News". www.dallasnews.com. February 9, 2007.
- ^ "Rail will not tunnel under Love Field". Dallas Morning News. Archived from the original on September 27, 2007. Retrieved March 12, 2007.
- ^ "A new cost estimate". Dallas Morning News.[dead link]
- ^ Formby, Brandon (December 8, 2007). "Irving leaders to press DART on Orange Line delays". Dallas Morning News. Archived from the original on December 10, 2007.
- ^ Formby, Brandon (December 12, 2007). "Irving leaders scold DART for soaring cost on rail project". Dallas Morning News. Archived from the original on September 29, 2008.
- ^ "Letter from Rep. Linda Harper-Brown to Mr. Gary Thomas" (PDF). Dallas Morning News. December 11, 2007. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 11, 2008.
- ^ Lindenberger, Michael A.; Formby, Brandon (February 24, 2010). "Irving light-rail segments may be delayed". The Dallas Morning News. Archived from the original on February 27, 2010.
- ^ "First segments of DART Rail Orange Line likely delayed". DART.org (Press release). February 23, 2010.
- ^ Lindenberger, Michael A. (September 15, 2010). "DART finance committee OKs service changes, new debt in $1.26 billion budget". Archived from the original on October 19, 2012. Retrieved September 15, 2010.
- ^ "DART awards design-build contract for DFW Airport connection". Progressive Railroading. December 15, 2011. Archived from the original on May 9, 2012. Retrieved December 16, 2011.
- ^ Formby, Brandon (July 30, 2012). "Irving's Orange Line ushers in new era in North Texas mass transit | | Dallas Morning News". Transportationblog.dallasnews.com. Archived from the original on November 3, 2012. Retrieved June 24, 2016.
- ^ Leszcynski, Ray (December 4, 2012). "Big day for DART as routes are extended to Rowlett, D/FW Airport". Dallas Morning News. Archived from the original on September 21, 2013. Retrieved June 24, 2016.
- ^ "DART Celebrates Opening of Hidden Ridge Station in Irving". DART.org (Press release). April 9, 2021. Retrieved April 25, 2021.
- ^ U.S. Department of Transportation; Federal Transit Administration; Dallas Area Rapid Transit; Federal Aviation Administration (November 9, 2018). "Cotton Belt Corridor Regional Rail Project: Final Environmental Impact Statement/Record of Decision" (PDF). p. 2-32.
- ^ a b c "Northwest Corridor Light Rail Transit Line to Irving and DFW Airport in Dallas County, Texas: Final Impact Statement" (2008-07-17) [report]. DART Historical Archive, pp. 2-15, 2-16, 2-17, 2-19. The Portal to Texas History, University of North Texas. Retrieved 2024-02-01.
- ^ Asrawi, Ariana (December 28, 2023). "Curious Texas investigates: What's next for the old Texas Stadium site in Irving". The Dallas Morning News. DallasNews Corporation.
- ^ Sandoval, Stephanie (March 9, 2008). "BNSF rail service proposed by cities - A coalition would study route that runs from Irving to Frisco". The Dallas Morning News. A. H. Belo Corporation – via NewsBank.