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.
The 53 replacement vehicles are expected to improve service reliability, boost vehicle performance, and strengthen the system's overall resilience, while giving riders a more comfortable trip, according to Dallas Express. The purchase is expected to help DART respond to current ridership demand and accommodate future growth, and the contract solicitation covers vehicle design, manufacturing, operational and maintenance training, diagnostic equipment, spare parts, and the formal decommissioning of 52 existing legacy units, per HigherGov. DART issued a request for proposals for the new vehicles before the grant award came through, formally kicking off the procurement process.
Officials Frame the Grant as Part of a Decade-Long Overhaul
Trey Walker, DART's interim executive vice president and chief development officer, said the FTA grant supports the agency's DART Transform initiative and allows the agency to reinvest in aging infrastructure for safe, reliable, and innovative transit options in the decades ahead. DART Transform is described as the agency's 10-year program focused on modernizing its system and managing aging assets, with investments spanning vehicles, passenger and operating facilities, system infrastructure, and resiliency. Walker also said the new grant complements a separate $25 million U.S. DOT BUILD grant DART secured earlier in the summer for platform modifications at eight Dallas stations, work intended to prepare those stops for the incoming light rail fleet, according to Railway Supply.
DART's service area stretches across a 700-square-mile, 12-city footprint that includes Dallas, Plano, Irving, Garland, Carrollton, Richardson, Addison, Farmers Branch, Rowlett, University Park, Cockrell Hill and Glenn Heights. That regional scale is part of why the fleet overhaul matters beyond Dallas proper, but it also explains why the agency's finances remain so politically fraught: DART's FY 2025 operating budget of $757.9 million leans heavily on $900.4 million in local sales tax revenue collected across those member cities.
Federal Wins Collide With Local Budget Fights
The new grant lands amid ongoing tension between DART and several of the suburban cities that help fund it. As Hoodline has previously reported, cities like Plano have argued their sales tax contributions outstrip the transit service they receive, and some suburban leaders have floated leaving the agency altogether. Texas state lawmakers and several member cities have also proposed reallocating or cutting DART's 1% dedicated sales tax revenue by as much as 25%, a move DART officials have warned could blow a $234 million hole in the agency's annual operating budget.
That fiscal pressure has come alongside a leadership transition. DART President and CEO Nadine Lee announced in March that she would step down without seeking a contract extension amid the tense funding negotiations with suburban member municipalities, leaving the agency to manage major capital programs like the light rail procurement under interim leadership. Dallas City Council members have also clashed with DART over capital funding reallocations, after the agency pulled $30 million from planned transit fixes earlier this year. Whether the newly won federal capital dollars can offset those deeper operating-budget uncertainties remains an open question as DART moves forward with replacing its aging light rail fleet.
