Houston METRORAIL goes the extra mile, posts ridership records during Super Bowl LI
February 16, 2017
News
Super Bowl LI in Houston marked the first time that the National Football League champion was determined in overtime. The city’s light-rail line went the extra distance as well.
METRORAIL broke ridership records over the extended Super Bowl LI celebration. More than 700,000 boardings during the nine-day period were tallied on METRORail and METRO special shuttle buses, according to the transit agency.
Four of the five highest single-day ridership totals in METRORail’s history occurred Wednesday, Feb. 1, through Saturday, Feb. 4. Approximately 109,500 Saturday boardings set a new one-day rail record.
“The feedback we have received has been tremendous,” said METRO Board Chair Carrin Patman. “So many have called and messaged about their positive experiences using METRO over these past several days.”
METRO’s new Green and Purple lines saw three straight days of highest single-day ridership.
“This effort was more than two years in the planning and to see the community embrace and rely on our services in such a big way is extremely rewarding,” said METRO President & CEO Tom Lambert. “Our expanded transportation network has grown rapidly in the last three years, and METRO’s dedicated staff proved we can deliver when it’s time for a world-class event and every day.”
Special METRO shuttles also helped people reach the largest Super Bowl events with an estimated 26,700 boardings. That figure combined with 680,100 boardings on METRORail totals 706,800 on METRO’s Super Bowl Connection service.
An operating session on the Split Rock Mining Co. Railroad is pretty straightforward. A three-person crew works the freelance HO-scale railroad with the sole purpose of transporting iron ore mined in Northern Minnesota to a freighter on Lake Superior. Instructions for the operators can be communicated in a few words before the shift begins. Pull all loads at the mine. Take them to the boat. Take all empties from the boat back to the mines. Rinse and repeat. There are no car cards or manifests. Switching is done by colors, and, yes, there is a rhyme and reason on this Alco-driven layout based on railroading on the Iron Range in Minnesota.
A new generation of freelance railroads is taking model railroading by storm, gaining prominence through online videos and social media. The ages-old modeling technique is attracting young modelers and unlocking creative license in veteran hobbyists.
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G&G Model Shop in Southwest Houston credits flexibility and personalized service for its 80 years serving the model railroad community. Rapido Trains delivers an N-scale replica of the Santa Fe Railway’s storied SFRD RR-56 refrigerator car, reviewed in this issue. Also, the romance of the circus and railroads united in the circus train, which endured as the greatest shows on earth’s sideshow. And more!
