Capital Metro wants volunteers to help with Red Line opening

By Joseph M. de Leon Wednesday, 17 February 2010

AUSTIN — Riders will soon be able to take a trip from Leander to downtown Austin on a 32-mile commuter rail line that is nearly ready to open to the public. Capital Metro officials hope that will happen before the end of March.

Once the Red Line opens, Alissa Schram, community involvement coordinator for Capital Metro, wants volunteers to help greet passengers as they board and exit the commuter rail line from Leander to downtown Austin during its first two weeks of operation.

Capital Metro officials expect to launch the Red Line, now two years behind schedule, sometime before April. Final non-passenger trial runs are scheduled to end in the first two weeks of March. Federal Railroad Administration workers must inspect and approve the rail system before it opens to the public.

“The opening of Capital MetroRail will be a major milestone achievement for our community and Capital Metro—something we can look back on and proudly remember that ‘we were there,’” Schram said in a statement. “This new mode of transportation represents a new day for public transportation in Central Texas and will be a source of pride for our region for generations to come.”

Volunteer attendants will join Capital Metro employees at all nine MetroRail platforms to put riders at ease. The ambassadors will work from about 5–9 a.m. or 4–8 p.m.

Volunteers must attend a training session before serving and agree to work at least two 3.5-hour shifts during the two-week welcome period. In return, ambassadors will receive a MetroRail Pass. Capital Metro officials have not yet decided when the pass will expire, but expect to offer passes good for a week or longer.

For details and to sign up, call 369-7759 or e-mail This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .