All aboard, all day long on Austin rail

AUSTIN (KXAN) - Need to make trip to downtown Austin or north Austin in the middle of the day? Capital Metro’s Metro Rail could be your ticket.

“I'm happy they are running it during the day,” said Darryl Beasley, who boarded the train at its MLK Boulevard station.

Beasley said he’s been riding the Red Line since last March. He was one of a handful of passengers who hopped on the train during its first day of midday service.

“Right now during the middle of the day, my daughter is sick, so it allows me to get home and stay with her,” said Beasley.

Capitol Metro officials said they expect to gain riders like Beasley with the expansion of its Red line. They also expect to see more riders during rush hour now that the Red Line will give those riders more options.

“If you have a more flexible system and you provide more options, then that improves your quality of life and make transit a more competitive option,” said Capital Metro spokesman Adam Shaivitz.

That option will cost riders $2.75 for a two-hour pass or $5.50 for a full-day pass, the same price as peak hours.

Two trains will run back and forth between Downtown Austin and the Lakeline Station between 9:20 a.m. and 4 p.m. Trains will not make it to Leander during midday service.

Capital Metro officials said they budgeted $300,000 in the 2011 budget for new midday service.

“It is a good next step to us to evolve the system and ultimately provide a comprehensive regional transit system that this community needs,” Shaivitz said.