By Mosaic RE Dallas | Market Update by Janelle Rawlston | Dallas-Fort Worth | Dallas, Collin & Denton Counties | MBA · Certified Senior Advisor · Relocation | Founder, Mosaic RE Group

A New $2.1 Billion Rail Line Connects Seven DFW Cities to the Airport — Here’s the Real Story Behind It

Most people who’ve heard of the Silver Line know it as “the new train to the airport.” That’s true, but it undersells what actually happened here: a $2.1 billion, 26-mile rail line opened on October 25, 2025 — with a full weekend of station celebrations and free rides across the entire DART system to mark the occasion — and it’s beginning to reshape how buyers think about commute times, development, and value across seven DFW cities.

Here’s what it actually connects, and why it’s worth paying attention to if you’re buying, selling, or just trying to understand where North Texas growth is heading next.

What the Silver Line Actually Connects

The line runs from East Plano to DFW International Airport’s Terminal B, adding 10 new stations across Addison, Carrollton, Coppell, Dallas, Grapevine, Plano, and Richardson. It connects to DART’s existing Green Line at Downtown Carrollton and to Trinity Metro’s TEXRail at the airport, giving riders a path all the way to downtown Fort Worth on the same trip. A ride from Plano’s Shiloh Road station to the airport takes about an hour, with trains running every 30 minutes at peak times and hourly the rest of the day, seven days a week.

Early Ridership Is Modest, But That’s Normal for a New Line

As of December 2025, DART reported weekday ridership on the Silver Line at roughly 1,600 riders a day — still early days for a brand-new service, and the agency’s own long-range projection puts daily ridership closer to 10,000 by 2040 as the corridor fills in with more housing and jobs. New transit lines typically ramp up slowly as development catches up to the infrastructure, and DART has said ridership on a service this new is expected to start lower than it will eventually run.

The Real Estate Story Behind the Rail Line

This is the part that matters most for anyone watching the market. Research from the University of North Texas has found that development around DART’s existing stations has generated more than $18 billion in economic impact across North Texas over the past 25 years — and that figure doesn’t even include the Silver Line yet, since the line hadn’t opened when that research was compiled. DART’s own leadership has pointed to a consistent pattern: residential and office space near DART stations tends to command noticeably higher rents than comparable space farther away.

You can already see this playing out along the new line. In Carrollton, a mixed-use apartment development called Eviva opened within walking distance of the Trinity Mills Silver Line station, giving residents a car-free path into parts of Dallas — exactly the kind of transit-oriented project cities along the corridor are hoping to attract more of as the line matures.

What This Means for Buyers and Sellers Along the Line

If you’re comparing homes in Addison, Carrollton, Coppell, Richardson, or Plano, proximity to a Silver Line station is now a real factor worth weighing alongside school districts and square footage — the same way decades of DART light rail development have shaped value along the Red, Green, Orange, and Blue Lines. It’s still early enough in the Silver Line’s life that this corridor hasn’t fully priced in what the rail line will eventually mean, which is exactly the kind of window worth understanding before it closes.

FAQ

When Did the DART Silver Line Open? The Silver Line opened for passenger service on October 25, 2025, after years of construction and delays.

What Cities Does the Silver Line Connect? The 26-mile line runs from East Plano to DFW International Airport’s Terminal B, with stations across Addison, Carrollton, Coppell, Dallas, Grapevine, Plano, and Richardson.

Does Proximity to a DART Station Affect Home Values? Research from the University of North Texas has found that development around DART stations has generated more than $18 billion in economic impact over the past 25 years, and DART’s leadership has pointed to residential and office space near stations consistently commanding higher rents than comparable space farther away.

If you’re weighing a move along the Silver Line corridor or just want to understand what it could mean for a home you already own, we’d love to talk through it with you.

Let’s connect. 

Blog Article by Janelle Rawlston | with Mosaic RE Group at Compass, Kaity Gonzalez and Kristi Stacy 

Let Mosaic RE Group guide you through your next move, and make your experience seamless. Call us at 469-360-2161 or email us at mosaicregroup@compass.com.