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Rail News Home Passenger Rail

6/22/2011



Rail News: Passenger Rail

Metrolink, DART and TRE set ridership records


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Three urban transit systems recently posted record riderships as a result of special events.

Metrolink posted more than 5,500 round-trips — a high-water mark — over the weekend of the June 18 because of a U2 concert in Anaheim, Calif., Metrolink officials said in a prepared statement. The agency doubled the number of trains available to concert-goers to accommodate the 11,000 boardings.

“In all, we estimate our passengers saved over $35,000 in parking costs for more than 2,000 cars that could have been on the roadway, adding to severe congestion,” Metrolink Chief Administrative Officer Bob Turnauckas said.

Meanwhile, Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) and Trinity Railway Express (TRE) set ridership records in the Dallas/Fort Worth area during a June 16 parade and public celebration of the Dallas Mavericks’ National Basketball Association championship.

DART rail and bus and TRE commuter-rail ridership totaled 310,400 on June 16, breaking the previous average weekday record of 256,386 set in September 2008. DART provided 151,000 trips, surpassing the record 132,800 set during a University of Texas-Oklahoma University football game. DART’s weekday rail ridership typically averages 75,000.

TRE sets its record at 26,500 trips, besting the previous record set during a free day of ridership in July 2006.