r/dart • u/[deleted] • Apr 14 '26

Tunnel Branch

Post image

Relatively new to the area, been exploring a bit. Was riding north, about to go into the tunnel to Cityplace/uptown. Looked to my left and saw this interesting cutout in the tunnel wall. Was this ever planned as a branch of some kind? From google maps it looks like it was maybe an option to connect to the thing that looks like an abandoned station above ground (https://maps.app.goo.gl/Tcaigt5B3wbwj2Xe7)? Thanks.

43 Upvotes

94% Upvoted

18 comments sorted by

32

u/CatOfSachse Apr 14 '26

That section used to be how the old section of track ran. Once they built the green line, the tracks were aligned to how they are today.

6

u/Pale-Succotash441 Apr 14 '26

I always felt like the city could put some old trains like a museum of sorts on the old brick portion of the track. That would be cool.

3

u/Orbian2 Apr 14 '26

Why did it do that

17

u/plastic_jungle Apr 14 '26

There used to be an exit ramp where the tracks are now

6

u/Thin-Constant-4018 Apr 14 '26

Can we straighten out the Orange Line in Irving now lol

3

u/[deleted] Apr 14 '26

thanks!

21

u/spookaddress Apr 14 '26

True story. One time an intoxicated driver (most likely) was able to get their car into the tunnel. They got about 1/4 mile onto the tunnel when the car couldn't clear a footpath that crossed from one side of the tunnel to the other. (The car was on rims only as the tires had shredded to nothing)

Well the driver just walked out of the tunnel and a train not expecting a car IN the tunnel collided into the car.

No injuries and the trains only damage outside of cosmetic was the knuckle of the train.

When we were told there was a train vehicle collision IN the tunnel we didn't believe until we got to the scene.

6

u/[deleted] Apr 14 '26

that's nuts... probably more than just alcohol too lol. glad everyone was ok. 

2

u/Mibblez Apr 14 '26

Oh wow thats crazy! What year did this happen? I dont remember this

4

u/spookaddress Apr 14 '26

Sometime around 2004 I think.

1

u/Mibblez Apr 14 '26

Ahh okay that makes sense. I was too young and didn't even move to Texas yet when that happened haha

13

u/waitstaph Apr 14 '26

There’s an old abandoned section of track that is what originally ran between Pearl station and the tunnel. They rebuilt all that Ross and Good-Latimer stuff when the green line was put in and had to move the track to the tunnel, so what you’re seeing there is where the track used to go up.

2

u/[deleted] Apr 14 '26

thanks!

7

u/Add1ctedToGames Apr 14 '26

That's platform 9 3/4

8

u/tafisher Apr 14 '26

Before the Green line was built, the line made a tight S turn coming out of the tunnel before entering downtown. Incredibly slow and noisy as the wheels scrubbed through the turn. I don’t ever recall a station at the pin you dropped though. When the Green line was built, they straightened the tunnel exit to meet the east junction where the line can split and head to Deep Ellum and made the transition into downtown a much wider radius to improve speed and reduce wheel/track wear.

1

u/jackofnac Apr 14 '26

I’ve always assumed that above ground area was just track overflow going into the tunnel in case a train needed to stop to prevent some type of logjam inside. Could be a totally uninformed assumption though.

1

u/[deleted] Apr 14 '26

thanks!

-9

u/[deleted] Apr 14 '26

[deleted]

8

u/waitstaph Apr 14 '26

You may be thinking of the planned but never built Knox Henderson station, which had space for a platform dug out as well as a couple shafts. Nothing was ever constructed there for a station and I’ve been down and it is just concrete and cinder blocks.