Never fear, the Red Line is here.
City Editor Figi here. 👋 I took CapMetro’s Red Line for the first time this week, and I have to say, I was impressed. Although the city’s full rail system is still a work in progress, seeing it in action felt distinctly like taking the rails in major cities.
If you have yet to enjoy a ride on the Red Line, here are a few reasons to give it a try.
- You don’t have to be walking distance to a station — although it helps — to take the Red Line. Leander, Lakeline, and Howard Stations offer Park & Ride, where you can leave your car for free.
- Taking a ride won’t set you back much — single rides on the commuter rail are $3.50, or $7 for a day pass. A 31-day pass will run you $96.25.
- Anyone under the age of 18 can ride the rail for free.
- You can buy tickets through your phone on the CapMetro App.
- The rail spans 32 miles and has nine stations near major areas of town.
![ATX_RedLine](https://6amcity.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/3caf9cf/2147483647/strip/true/crop/300x400+0+25/resize/750x1000!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fk1-prod-sixam-city.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F1b%2Fff%2F23bb04ad449092125bfa2218ff6c%2Funtitled-design-28.png)
The Red Line is just the first part of Project Connect, which aims to creating connecting rail lines throughout the city in the next decade.
Graphic via CapMetro
- Riding the line from Howard Station to Downtown took ~30 minutes and eliminated the need to pay for parking.
- The cabin was comfortable and clean, with plenty of room for bikes, groceries, and backpacks.
- I had a really productive day when I took the rail, perhaps due to the free Wi-Fi on board.
- If the Red Line doesn’t take you to your final destination, bus connections are available at certain stations.
- The Red Line offers supplemental trains on Austin FC game days, for an easy route to and from Q2 Stadium.
- In the event of an emergency, Express, Flyer, Rail and RideShare customers can get a taxi home with the Guaranteed Ride Home program.
Learn more about the Red Line.