Leander MetroRail Line To Lakeline, Downtown Austin Halted

LEANDER, TX — MetroRail service from Leander to the Lakeline station will be halted this week through June 29 to accommodate construction, transit officials said.

The temporary halt will take place from June 15 to June 29, Capital Metro officials announced on their website. The shutdown will allow uninterrupted construction on a mandated system of train signals and sensors, CapMetro officials explained.

"No worries!" CapMetro officials added, pointing to alternative routes to Lakeline and downtown Austin, and MetroExpress Routes 985 and 987 from Lakeline to Leander. Alternatives are as follows:

• MetroExpress Route 985 provides all-day weekday service between Leander, Lakeline and downtown. Commuter Single Ride: $3.50/Day Pass: $7
• MetroExpress Route 987 serves UT and downtown with weekday (morning and early evening) commuter service. Commuter Single Ride: $3.50/Day Pass: $7.

The 985 express bus stops at Lakeline before heading to downtown Austin. The 987 express bus also stops at Lakeline, and goes to the University of Texas and downtown.

CapMetro officials call the construction as "investing in the future of MetroRail," noting the major improvement projects along the 32-mile MetroRail line include a federally mandated Positive Train Control system to ensure the service's long-term safety.

CapMetro spokesman Peter Partheymuller told Patch the Leander station had 223 daily boardings this spring. In a response to another question, he said the The 985 typically has 42 daily trips — 22 southbound and 20 northbound. During the renovations project, it will have 54 trips — 28 southbound, 26 northbound — for an additional 12 trips, 6 in each direction.

>>> Image courtesy CapMetro