Honolulu’s rail transit system to begin passenger operations on June 30

HONOLULU – Mayor Rick Blangiardi announced Wednesday that the first phase of the City and County of Honolulu’s long-awaited rail transit system will officially begin interim passenger operations at 2 p.m. on June 30, 2023, with a grand opening celebration at the Hālawa rail station featuring dignitaries and entertainment slated for earlier in the day.

“This is truly a momentous and historic day for the island of Oahu. Today’s announcement marks the culmination of decades of hard work, perseverance and overcoming difficult challenges of every kind,” said Mayor Rick Blangiardi. “We are all excited for the public to experience first-hand the transformative effect the rail will have for our island home.

“With today’s announcement, we are turning the page on the largest public works project in Hawaii’s history. On June 30, 2023, beginning at 2 p.m., residents who have been waiting for so long, will finally have the opportunity to board these beautiful trains, and ride them for the very first time,” the Mayor added.

The first phase of the City’s rail project covers a roughly 11-mile stretch between the Kualaka`i Station in East Kapolei and the Hālawa Station near Aloha Stadium. Passenger services to additional stations further east along the rail line are scheduled to commence in phases over the coming years.

All rides on the new rail system will be free for the entire opening weekend, a period spanning between 2 p.m. on June 30, the day the system opens, until the last train runs on Tuesday, July 4, 2023. Additionally, TheBus will also be waiving fares for all riders between July 1 and July 4.

Between 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. on June 30, rail passengers will be welcome to tour any of the nine stations that will be open for service and hop on any train, in either direction, free of charge. Fare gates at all nine stations will be open to all riders until service ends at 6 p.m. that evening.

Beginning on Saturday, July 1, the first full day of rail service, passengers must have a valid HOLO card in order to take advantage of the free fare service. Riders will be required to tap their HOLO cards at fare gates to enter individual stations, but fares will not be deducted from those cards.

Fare gates at the Hālawa Aloha Stadium Station. Fares gates have HOLO card readers

that riders must “tap” their loaded HOLO card to in order ride.

“The history behind our rail system is more than 50 years in the making”, says Roger Morton, Director of DTS. “The start of passenger service for our first segment of the rail line means a lot to not only myself, but for the entire City and County of Honolulu, and Oʻahu. I invite everyone, whether you live, play or work near the rail line, or if you don’t, to come down and try the system.”

From left to right: City Council Chair Tommy Waters; Jason Lurz, Head of Operations and Maintenance, Hitachi North America; Jon Nouchi, DTS Deputy Director; Councilmember Tyler Dos-Santos Tam; Lori Kahikina, P.E. Executive Director and CEO of the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation (HART); Mayor Rick Blangiardi; Domenico Fonteguerra, Project Director, Hitachi Rail Honolulu JV; Patrick Preusser, DTS Director of Rapid Transit, and Roger Morton, DTS Director

The City’s Department of Transportation Services (DTS), which will soon be taking over operational control of the first phase of the rail line from the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation, is conducting the free fare weekend to help the public familiarize themselves with how to access stations, board trains and “tap” HOLO cards to enter the train stations.

The Hālawa Station, the Keone‘ae Station at U.H. West Oʻahu and Honouliuli Station at Hoʻopili have park-and-ride facilities for guests who wish to park their cars at a station before riding the rail.

*Hālawa Aloha Stadium Station Park-and-Ride, features 580 spaces for riders who wish to park* *and jump onto a train. The station also features a TheBus only entrance/exit with bus stops* *and Handi-Van drop off points*

The Department of Transportation Services encourages anyone who does not have a valid HOLO card to obtain one prior to the start of interim rail operations. HOLO cards already function as the fare payment method currently being utilized on TheBus and will serve as the primary payment method for rail.

Adult HOLO cards can be purchased at local retailers, rail station ticket vending machines at the entrance of each rail station, or TheBus Pass Office. A list of retailers is available at www.holocard.net. Senior, Disability, and Youth riders can apply for a reduced-fare HOLO card at TheBus Pass Office at the Kalihi Transit Center (www.thebus.org for application requirements).

For more information about the HOLO card, please visit www.holocard.net or call (808) 768-4656.

For more information on the rail operations system, please visit: www.honolulu.gov/rail.

—PAU—