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.