Red Line bounces back after troubled McKalla launch for Austin FC opener, officials say

Passengers taking Capital Metro's commuter rail for Austin FC's second home game were treated to enhanced service and fewer delays, a result of what officials called a "do-over" after the launch of a new station last month was beset by mechanical issues and poor communication.

The service, called the Red Line, runs 32 miles between Leander and downtown Austin. On Feb. 24, the Austin-area transportation authority opened McKalla Station, located outside Q2 Stadium in North Austin, in time for Austin FC's season opener. Elected leaders and transit officials marked the event as the latest deliverable as part of Project Connect, the $7.1 billion public transportation investment and accompanying property tax increase approved by voters in 2020.

"I could not be prouder of my team's unwavering commitment to delivering quality service, especially during busy times like these," CapMetro CEO Dottie Watkins said in a statement Tuesday. "Their hard work makes all the difference in our community."

Austin FC's next weekend home game is Saturday, when the team will face off against Philadelphia Union with a 7:30 p.m. kickoff. The game will coincide with the last weekend of South by Southwest.

Whether CapMetro plans to bolster its service, including by putting in-person staff at every station as it had for Austin FC's second home game this weekend, is unclear — a CapMetro spokesperson did not provide that information by the deadline.

CapMetro Chief Operations Officer Andrew Skabowski estimated a "couple hundred" people abandoned plans to take a train to the season opener, opting to drive themselves, use a ride-booking service, or give up attempting the game in person. The next day, in a public apology posted to X, formerly Twitter, Watkins said the service fell short of expectations.

CapMetro expected a bump in ridership for the second home game on Mar. 9 because of SXSW and Austin FC's second home game. More than 6,400 people rode the Red Line throughout the day, with more than half of those — about 3,300 — using the train to make the Austin FC game, said Jorge Ortega, the CapMetro spokesperson. About 700 people rode a bus to the game.

CapMetro offered fare-free rides on Feb. 24 to celebrate the opening of McKalla. The next day, as part of its acknowledgment of service issues, Watkins said CapMetro would offer fare-free rides the day of the second Austin FC home game.

The Red Line had some issues on Mar 9. Nearly 15 minutes after 10 a.m., CapMetro sent a notice to customers saying the line had an approximately 18-minute delay at Lakeline Station. Within the hour, a second notice advised customers of delays at the downtown station. CapMetro ran buses between the downtown station and the next two stations — Plaza Saltillo Station and MLK Jr. Station — to address the delays.

A third notice at 12:18 p.m. said the Red Line was experiencing "slight delays" at the time, advising users that CapMetro staff positions at the stations could assist with any questions. The plan to station CapMetro staff at all the stations was to address communication shortcomings on the line in the lead-up to the Austin FC opener.

CapMetro did not provide an explanation of what caused these delays.

Bill McCamley, the executive director of Transit Forward, a nonprofit advocacy group supporting Project Connect, rode the Red Line four times on Saturday, he said in an interview. The experience represented a "night and day" difference, he said.

Last month, before kickoff for the Austin FC opener, McCamley nixed his plans to attend the game after northbound trains stopping at Plaza Saltillo Station were at capacity. Two days later, during a public CapMetro board meeting, McCamley called on CapMetro to quickly address the shortcomings ahead of upcoming events in Austin, including SXSW and Copa America.

"It was a massive, massive improvement in service in a number of different areas," McCamley said of his experience using the Red Line on Mar. 9.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Riders see better service on CapMetro rail after poor McKalla launch