Houston Metro train to travel the new North/Red Line extension

The first Houston Metro train to travel the new North/Red Line extension will be tugged along the track by a special railcar mover beginning May 28, as Metro starts testing clearance on the 5.3-mile line.

This extension of the currently operating Main St./Red Line is ahead of schedule and more than 80 percent complete. The tracks do not yet have electric power, so movement is guided by a shuttlewagon. The clearance testing will run over the course of the week.

The train will travel slowly, about three mph, with crews monitoring progress to ensure operational functions (tracks, poles, underground and overhead wiring) are in order before electrical testing begins this summer.

The Metro rail expansion project adds 15.3 miles and 24 stations to its current 7.5-mile Main Street/Red Line. The North/Red Line begins at UH-Downtown and will open for passengers in December 2013, the first of the three new lines currently under construction.