USA: Dallas Area Rapid Transit has begun adding low-floor sections to its 115 KinkiSharyo light rail vehicles under a programme to be completed in 2010. The number of seats is increased from 75 to 100 on the 'Super Light Rail Vehicles', the first of which will begin carrying passengers shortly.
Supplied from Japan in kit form, the 15 tonne centre sections are 9·4 m long with a set of doors on each side and steps to the end sections. A prototype entered service in 2002, and has now been withdrawn for modifications to meet updated specifications.
Platforms are being modified to accommodate the longer cars, and to allow DART to run trains of up to three SLRVs in multiple
- On April 11 DART President Gary Thomas confirmed that work on the 45 km Green Line is on schedule, with the four-station first phase between Pearl, Fair Park and South Dallas set to open in September 2009. The 15-station second phase to Pleasant Grove, Farmers Branch and Carrollton will be ready by the end of 2010.
Multiple working and more seating will boost capacity on the DART network.
