CapMetro to have weekend rail service

AUSTIN (KXAN) - Capital Metro said Tuesday that it will offer weekend passenger rail service starting with South by Southwest in March and continue the service for the next year.

Metrorail ridership numbers have remained above 1,700 riders a month since SXSW 2011.  More than 1,600 people took advantage of the Friday night and Saturday MetroRail service last year, the transit service said.

"The most common request that we get at Capital Metro is for weekend and evening service on our train system," Dan Dawson, CapMetro marketing manager. "So we feel that there is a market there. We already have the ground work if you will, the infrastructure is there, so why not put it to work?"

CapMetro said they have been working with the city of Austin to implement a full-time weekend service and believe the time is now. City Council will need to have a formal vote on the item next month.  

No ticket price increase is expected with the addition of the weekend service, according to Dawson.

Ridership on the rail has tripled since the service was first rolled out.