The line is operated by Dallas Area Rapid Transit as a part of its DART light rail system.

At the former site of Texas Stadium, the line sharply redirects northeast, paralleling Storey Lane (Spur 482) and crossing the Elm Fork of the Trinity River.

Upon reaching Northwest Highway (Loop 12), it curves southeast and merges with the Green Line, where it proceeds to Bachman station.

When Denton Drive ends, the lines continue south through the Southwestern Medical District to Harry Hines Boulevard.

Trains entering or leaving the Northwest Rail Operating Facility terminate at Bachman station, which is directly south of the yard.

Trains entering or leaving the Central Rail Operating Facility will divert from Pearl/Arts District to the southern Green Line, stopping at Deep Ellum and Baylor University Medical Center before terminating at Fair Park.

[10] In 2006, the two lines (with their current colors) were incorporated into DART's 2030 Transit System Plan, with revenue service to D/FW Airport expected in 2013.

On December 5, 2007, the Dallas Morning News ran a story reporting that DART President Gary Thomas said a previous cost estimate of $988 million was too low.

[14] The $900 million overrun in costs caused considerable outrage among political leaders[15] in Irving, Texas, the city the line runs through on its way to Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport.

[16] Texas State Representative Linda Harper Brown sent an official letter to Mr. Thomas also inquiring about the project's cost overruns.

[7] Hidden Ridge Station, which was planned with the rest of the Orange Line but deferred until further development justified its construction, opened to revenue service on April 12, 2021.

The original Northwest Corridor plan included two stations which were deferred pending future development of their surrounding sites.