Presbyterian College > Academic Web Server > Jon Bell > Transit > (Cities | Types) > Austin

Austin, Texas: Capital MetroRail

Description

Austin's Capital MetroRail, operated by the Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Capital Metro), is a commuter rail line, 32 miles (51.5 km) long, connecting downtown Austin with the northwestern suburb of Leander. It uses tracks of the former Austin and Northwestern Railroad (later part of the Southern Pacific), which are now owned by the city of Austin and Capital Metro.

[Metrorail route and stations on Google Maps]

MetroRail's rolling stock consists of six articulated Stadler GTW diesel-electric railcars, a type which is in wide use in Europe.

Service is oriented towards workers commuting to downtown Austin, with six inbound trips in the morning and six outbound trips in the afternoon, and a gap in service between about 9:30 AM and 3 PM. There are also a smaller number of reverse-direction trips, three in the morning and four in the afternoon. Only one of these reverse trips in each time period runs the full length of the line; the rest begin or terminate at intermediate stations.

During the time periods when MetroRail trains are not running, the shortline Austin Western Railroad operates freight service over the line.

Operation began on 22 March 2010, about two years behind schedule, because of construction delays, disputes over regulation, and safety issues.

Light Rail or Commuter Rail?

Capital Metro originally planned MetroRail as a diesel light rail line, similar to New Jersey Transit's River LINE, which opened in 2004. The River LINE also uses Stadler railcars and shares tracks with freight trains on a time-separated basis (freight runs only at night when the light rail does not operate). The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) gave NJT a waiver which exempted the railcars from meeting crashworthiness and other standards which normally apply to locomotives and passenger coaches that operate in mixed service with freight trains. However, the FRA refused to give Capital Metro a similar waiver, so they had to meet the same standards that apply to traditional commuter rail lines, which use locomotive-hauled coaches, or electric multiple unit (EMU) trains. As a result, the MetroRail railcars are heavier and sturdier than the River LINE railcars.

For this reason, and because the service pattern is similar to other low-traffic commuter rail lines (only a few trips, primarily inbound in the morning and outbound in the afternoon), Capital MetroRail is classified as a commuter rail line even though it was originally intended to be light rail.

Other Sites

Pictures

These are from a one-day visit to Austin on 18 May 2010, about two months after service started.

A Morning Excursion

In order to accomplish a complete round trip over the line without spending the entire day in downtown Austin, I had to catch the first morning train from Leander at 5:25 AM. It arrived downtown at 6:27, then left at 6:41, returning to Leander at 7:43.

[picture] Departure from Leander was in pitch darkness.

[picture #1] | [picture #2] By the time I reached downtown, twilight had arrived.

[picture] Back at Leander, it is now daylight, although hazy.

Afternoon Train-Chasing

[picture] A daytime view of the downtown station. This is not a two-car train. The train at the right will leave first at 4:20 P.M., followed by the other one at 4:55.

[picture] An outbound train approaches the Plaza Saltillo station, with the downtown skyline in the background.

[picture] A train crosses Lamar Blvd. next to the Crestview station, which is to the left of the picture.

[picture #1] | [picture #2] Although the line is mostly single track, the Kramer station has two tracks so trains can pass. Here is a meet between inbound and outbound trains, followed by the departure of the outbound train.

[picture #1] | [picture #2] | [picture #3] The last few miles at the northern end of the line, approaching Leander, run alongside highway US 183, reminiscent of many old electric interurban lines.

A Puzzle!

Late in the afternoon on the day before I took the pictures above, I arrived in Austin and drove out towards Leander to see if I could spot a train. As I approached the location of the last picture in the preceding section, I saw a train… and a cluster of emergency vehicles! [picture]

Note the automobile on the track in front of the train. As I passed the scene, I could see that the left front corner of the auto had been smashed in, as if in a collision. As I turned around a few miles further down the road in Leander, an ambulance passed me with its lights flashing.

However, I saw nothing in the local TV news or newspaper about this incident, either that night or the following day, so I don't know the details of what actually happened.

Tickets

[front] | [rear] MetroPlus Day Pass, good on all of MetroRail and all Capital Metro buses for one day.

[front] | [rear] Capital Metro's ticket vending machines don't give cash change. Instead, they give you an Electronic Change Card which can be used only for ticket purchases from vending machines. ECCs expire in fifteen days.

This page was last updated on 30 June 2010.

Presbyterian College > Academic Web Server > Jon Bell > Transit > (Cities | Types) > Austin

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