Going North: First Test of the MetroRail Red Line Extension

Crack open your urban rail fact books, and get out the corrective tape. Houston’s 7.5 mile light rail line just experienced a significant growth spurt. Yesterday marked the first ever test of the new North Line/ Red Line extension. Though not quite ready for prime time (the rail car was being towed by a diesel vehicle), the test run is a momentous occasion for the very auto-centric Bayou City. Houston’s only light rail transit line now increases from 7.5 miles to a whopping 12.8. Sure it’s a far cry from New York, but everyone has got to start somewhere. The extension will now connect Downtown Houston and the Medical Center to burgeoning neighborhoods in Houston’s Near Northside. 

The Southeast and East End lines are set to open sometime in 2014. 
 Check out the YouTube video of yesterday’s test run below…

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