The state of Hawaii marked a milestone with the opening of its much-awaited Honolulu Rail System.
Hawaii’s first rail system and its largest infrastructure project officially opened its 11-mile first phase.
Honolulu’s transportation services department said about 9,000 passengers waited in line to ride the Skyline on the first day of its operations.
“It was exciting because I’ve been to New York before and it was kind of like the subways,” said Oahu resident Jazelle Guerrero. “It’s nice that they have something here in Hawaii.”
The project has been 55 years in the making, from planning to overcoming major challenges with delays and funding shortfalls in its final years.
Many passengers were relatively pleased with the experience and only had minor concerns.
“There were not enough chairs but we expected that because it was the first day and a lot of people wanted to try it,” said May Van Luyn.
The Honolulu Metro operates using 20 four-car vehicles that will each have a capacity of at least 800 passengers.
The first phase of the rail line spans nine stations, from Halawa to East Kapolei. The second segment of the Skyline is already in the works and is scheduled to open in July 2025.
Source : ABSCBNNews
