DART gets $70 million grant to replace 53 aging light-rail vehicles serving Dallas

Dallas Area Rapid Transit received a $70 million Federal Transit Administration grant to support replacement of 53 light-rail vehicles that were purchased more than 30 years ago.

The award moves DART’s Dallas-serving fleet replacement project into procurement, but it does not mean new trains are arriving immediately. DART said it has issued a request for proposals; the agency has not announced when replacement vehicles will be delivered or enter passenger service.

What the grant supports

DART said the federal money will support the replacement of 53 older light-rail vehicles. The agency projects that newer vehicles could improve service reliability, strengthen system resilience, provide a more comfortable ride and help meet current and future ridership needs.

The vehicles are part of DART Transform, the agency’s 10-year modernization and asset-management program. The replacement effort covers vehicles originally purchased in the 1990s.

Those are projected benefits, not changes riders should expect immediately. The grant does not itself change current train schedules or place new vehicles into service.

Procurement is underway

DART said it has begun the procurement process, including issuing a request for proposals. That is a purchasing step, not a completed vehicle order or contract award.

The agency said the vehicle purchase is included in its 20-year financial plan. The next major milestones are the evaluation of proposals, selection of a manufacturer and execution of a purchase agreement.

Separate funding will prepare platforms

The vehicle grant is separate from $25 million in U.S. Department of Transportation funding DART received earlier in 2026 for platform modifications. Those station changes are intended to prepare the system for the future fleet.

The platform funding is related infrastructure support and is not part of the $70 million vehicle award.

Part of a $166 million federal package

The FTA announced the Dallas award on September 3, 2026, as part of a $166 million package for three rail-vehicle replacement projects. DART received $70 million. Pittsburgh Regional Transit received $82.7 million for 45 light-rail vehicles, and Philadelphia’s SEPTA received $13.3 million to replace older regional railcars.

The FTA’s Rail Vehicle Replacement Grants program competitively funds capital projects to replace rail rolling stock, including passenger-carrying vehicles used in rail public transportation. The program is intended to address aging equipment and support more reliable, safer and more convenient service.

For Dallas riders, the immediate result is federal funding and an active procurement process—not a new train in service. DART has not announced when the 53 replacement vehicles will be delivered or begin carrying passengers.

Sources

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