DRM designed the Overhead Catenary System (OCS), including construction-ready design documents needed for the system procurement and installation, as part of the $188 million Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) Blue Line Extension design-build project. This project’s scope involves extending the existing LRT line, which currently terminates at the LRT Station in downtown Garland by approximately 4.8 miles to the east, to a newly built station in Rowlett.

Our firm has prepared requisite structural and electrical designs and performed a Load Flow Analysis on the traction power system to determine whether the size and locations of the four traction power substations provided by DART under a separate contract will support the system during normal and perturbed operating conditions. Our firm prepared interim OCS construction staging plans, allowing the temporary de-energizing of the existing catenary system at the east end of Garland Station. Normal operation of the existing DART service to the station was not interrupted during this part of the project. Our firm is conducting submittal and shop drawing reviews, and supporting the pre-revenue and revenue testing of the system.  Wilbur Smith Associates provides complete engineering services for all types of rail systems.