Austin-area commuters who rely on CapMetro's Red Line will lose two peak-hour trips. Beginning October 12, the agency will eliminate one early-morning departure from Leander and one return trip from downtown Austin, shifting weekday service to regular 37-minute intervals, KXAN reported.
Here's what to know
Under the revised schedule, CapMetro's weekday timetable will send the last train out of downtown Austin at 7:42 p.m., while removing the 6:07 a.m. departure from Leander and the 7:20 a.m. trip from downtown Austin to Leander, KXAN said.
That schedule will continue until January 9, 2027.
During that period, Red Line trains will follow a steady 37-minute rhythm instead of the current variable gaps, which range from 25 minutes to more than an hour, per KXAN.
Losing two commute-hour departures leaves travelers going between Leander and downtown Austin with fewer chances to catch a train when they need one, making public transit a less practical way to get to work.
The cuts come as gasoline prices continue to soar, making car commuting even more expensive.
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More background
Meanwhile, midday travel remains constrained. The new timetable will continue the current practice of having no trains heading north to Leander — the Red Line's last stop — between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. That four-hour gap severely limits flexibility for riders traveling to and from Leander during the day.
When service is thinner during rush hour and still unavailable for part of the day, rail becomes harder to rely on as a lower-cost, lower-hassle alternative to driving, especially for communities like Leander farther from downtown Austin.
Where can I learn more?
These stories explore other rail developments in Texas and beyond. They cover efforts to revive an iconic Amtrak route, several Texas high-speed rail proposals, broader U.S. build-outs, and Caltrain's new electric service.
• In Texas, officials hope to revive the iconic Amtrak service after its final trip derailed.
• Backers say a high-speed rail revolution linking Dallas and Houston is close.
• A proposed line could make trips far faster between Fort Worth and Houston.
• In California, Caltrain has launched an electric train service connecting major cities with cleaner rides.
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