Tennessee's Music City Star marks 10th anniversary

The Regional Transportation Authority of Middle Tennessee (RTA) today is holding a ceremony to mark the 10th anniversary of the Music City Star commuter-rail service.

The event will include remarks from Megan Barry, mayor of Nashville, Tenn.; RTA Chair Kim McMillan; and Randall Hutto, mayor of Wilson County, Tenn.

The agency also will offer free rides to "thank riders as well as provide non-riders with an opportunity to explore the convenience of the Music City Star," RTA officials said in a press release.

The commuter-rail route runs from Lebanon, Tenn., to the Riverfront Station in downtown Nashville. Trains run along a 32-mile corridor owned by the Nashville & Eastern Railroad Corp.

"The Music City Star has done an incredible job of making riding public transit more convenient and enjoyable for those traveling into Nashville over the past 10 years," said the RTA's McMillan, who also serves as mayor of Clarksville, Tenn. "We are proud of how it is consistently attracting new riders and becoming a viable solution to the region’s growing traffic congestion problems."

The Music City Star began operations on Sept. 18, 2006.