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[quote user="blue streak 1"] Railway age article Austin has had some surges some equaling Norfolk. <a href="http://railwayage.com/index.php/blogs/lyndon-henry/austins-metrorail-—-the-little-train-that-can-and-does.html?channel">http://railwayage.com/index.php/blogs/lyndon-henry/austins-metrorail-—-the-little-train-that-can-and-does.html?channel</a>= Any comments Sam1?? [/quote] I take the 7:45 a.m. train from Leander to MLK, where I transfer to a bus that goes to the University of Texas, at least two days a week.  After Lakeline, which is the first stop south of Leander, the train is packed.  It is standing room only for people getting on further down the line.  Accordingly, I don't doubt that 1,000 people, on average, are using the train twice a day, thus bringing the ridership to 2,000 per day.   Capital Metro has added service throughout the day, although unfortunately the mid-day trains do not originate at or go to Leander.  The only go as far as Lakeline.  The reason, according to Capital Metro, is because it does not have enough equipment to run to Leander during the day.  Supposedly they need to hold out two of the six Stadler sets for maintenance and reserve. In any case, getting back to Leander means that I have to transfer from the train to a bus at Lakeline or take a bus all the way from UT.   In addition to adding service during the day, Capital Metro is running special trains for events such as South by Southwest, which was mentioned in the article, as well as others.  Also, it has added Friday and Saturday night service, which runs until midnight, for folks taking in the Sixth Street entertainment district.  Austin has a vibrant music scene, especially on the weekends, and music fans from all over the country flock to Sixth Street, which has numerous music venues.  It is not quite like New Orleans, but it is close in some respects.   Adding additional service to attract more riders has upped the cost.  The 2011 operating costs were $3 million more than the 2010 operating costs. Moreover, many of the people who ride the train during the day are doing so on student and government discount fares. I have not looked at the numbers recently, but the train is pricy to say the least.  That having been said, it is more comfortable than the bus.
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