Not only that, but service that terminates at 9 pm, and on the weekends, it starts at 8 am and ends at 8 pm. Spending $2 billion (almost) to run 1 train per hour. However, the real true killer for the silver line, worse than every single problem it has, is the frequency and levels of service. UTD is also a great ridership demand generator (DART's most successful bus routes serve UTD). It has potential, with great connections to other transit and land use thats better than a lot of existing DART stations, and potential (key word: potential) future high density development that will further boost ridership. 3-4 high performing bus routes would have been able to match or exceed the silver line's ridership without the big capital cost and years of debt repayment that will be necessary for the silver line.īut now that its being built, I want it to be the best it can be. I know the silver line is a controversial subject, and I have to agree with a lot of the criticismĭ2 was more important and should have come first, and money going towards bus instead of the debt repayments would have been able to attract more riders and give the suburbs better transit than the silver line will. If you cant go, send an email to and let them know that you couldn't make the public meeting, then leave your suggestions. Make your voice heard at any one of these meetings: Not only that, but I want the silver line to run between 4 am and 1 am, matching DART's bus and light rail service. This will reduce wait times, trip times, make for easier transfers, and significantly boost ridership. If you find this reporting valuable, consider making a tax-deductible gifttoday.I will get into why in a minute, but I think during these meetings, if you can go, you should advocate for higher frequency on the silver line. Got a tip? Email Gloria at News is made possible through the generosity of our members. Gloria Farris covers Fort Worth and Tarrant County. Trinity Metro declined to comment unless provided written questions in advance. He says that riders can register for DART alerts through their website for any updates related to train times. It is possible that the train speeds will go down if temperatures go up again. Shattles said that they are monitoring the weather conditions on a day-to-day basis. Slowing down the speed allows the operator to look out for buckling that could derail the train and prevent it in the first place.ĭART is back to its normal speeds for now. Gordon Shattles, DART spokesman, said the track temperature was about 150 degrees Fahrenheit on August 20. ![]() The faster a train goes, the more energy and heat it develops on the tracks. Reducing a train's speed cuts down on the heat it creates. The metal wires expand in extreme heat, which can make them sag. The heat similarly may affect the wires above the trains that provide power. The phenomenon that Dancila described is called a “sun kink” - the rail expands out and creates a risk of derailment. “It causes them to stop being straight and to become curved.” ![]() “As the temperatures continue to increase, that creates some stress in the rails, and it causes buckling,” he said. Stefan Dancila, an associate professor in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at the University of Texas at Arlington, said that extremely hot temperatures can cause serious complications. This design may be considered faster and smoother but it means that expanding steel has nowhere to go but out. Rather 1/4-mile long segments of metal are welded together at the ends. And that creates more volume.ĭART officials say that their tracks are continuous welded rails with no gaps in between segments. Increases in temperature make the molecules in the metal vibrate. When temperatures rise, most metals - in this case steel - expand. Why do trains have to slow down to accommodate the heat? Let’s go back to Physics 101. Officials warned that these speed restrictions would cause 10-to-20-minute delays for passengers. on July 19 and 20 after National Weather Service predicted extremely high temperatures.ĭART's trains traveled at 30 mph or less, compared to their usual maximum speeds of 65 mph. Trinity Metro reduced their speeds to 40 mph for three days (July 18-20).Īnd Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) reduced their train speeds between 1 p.m. ![]() At least two local transit authorities have reduced train speeds.
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