by lpetrich
I'm using the official capitalization here.
Houston METROrail's first line opened in 2004, going 7.5 miles from University of Houston - Downtown south to Fannin South.
It has had an unusually large number of car crashes, about 20 times the average for similar systems by route mile (METRORail - Wikipedia). It is not clear what has been causing them.
However, it is recently being extended, with one line recently opened, two lines under construction, and two lines planned. The opened line is a northward extension of the existing line, going from UH - Downtown 5.3 miles north to the Northline Transit Center. It opened on December 21: New METRO Houston North Line light rail extension to open for business with celebration | abc13.com, New northside light rail line opens with free rides - Houston Chronicle The system map of active lines: Rail Schedule from Houston METRO's site.
System Map at Go METROrail shows the existing lines, the under-construction lines, and the planned lines. What's under construction:
East End Line testing - it should start in January 2014. The other two segments should start testing not long afterward. All three segments should open some time in 2014.
The planned ones await funding for their construction. Here they are:
About commuter rail in Houston, it is still in planning stages. I've found Regional Commuter Rail Connectivity Study, and they are looking at several lines using existing rail lines that radiate out of downtown Houston.
Houston METROrail's first line opened in 2004, going 7.5 miles from University of Houston - Downtown south to Fannin South.
It has had an unusually large number of car crashes, about 20 times the average for similar systems by route mile (METRORail - Wikipedia). It is not clear what has been causing them.
However, it is recently being extended, with one line recently opened, two lines under construction, and two lines planned. The opened line is a northward extension of the existing line, going from UH - Downtown 5.3 miles north to the Northline Transit Center. It opened on December 21: New METRO Houston North Line light rail extension to open for business with celebration | abc13.com, New northside light rail line opens with free rides - Houston Chronicle The system map of active lines: Rail Schedule from Houston METRO's site.
System Map at Go METROrail shows the existing lines, the under-construction lines, and the planned lines. What's under construction:
- Downtown: from Theater District east across the existing line to EaDo/Stadium. It branches there into the next two lines.
- East End: from EaDo/Stadium 3.3 miles east to Magnolia Park.
- Southeast: from EaDo/Stadium 6.6 miles southeast to Palm Center.
East End Line testing - it should start in January 2014. The other two segments should start testing not long afterward. All three segments should open some time in 2014.
The planned ones await funding for their construction. Here they are:
- University: from Hillcroft about 10 miles east, crossing the existing line and the Southeast Line, and ending at Eastwood.
- Uptown: from Bellaire on the University Line about 4 miles north to the Northwest Transit Center.
About commuter rail in Houston, it is still in planning stages. I've found Regional Commuter Rail Connectivity Study, and they are looking at several lines using existing rail lines that radiate out of downtown Houston.