UPDATE: VTA Restarts Light Rail On Sunday With Limited Service Ahead Of 49ers Preseason Game
SAN JOSE (CBS SF) – The Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority said limited light rail service will begin on Sunday, more than three months after trains were halted following the mass shooting at the rail yard.
"As we continue to bring back employees safely and compassionately, we will update the public on the level of light rail service we can safely continue to provide," the agency said in a statement Saturday.
VTA said starting 8 a.m. on Sunday, trains would operate on the Orange Line between the Mountain View Transit Center and the Alum Rock Transit Center, which includes the Milpitas BART station.
Trains will also cover part of the Green Line between the Civic Center station in San Jose and Old Ironsides station in Santa Clara.
VTA officials said service on both lines would run at least every 30 minutes from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Sunday.
Both the Green and Orange lines cover Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, which is hosting a preseason game between the San Francisco 49ers and the Las Vegas Raiders. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m.
A bus bridge will also operate along North First Street between Paseo de San Antonio and Baypointe on Sunday, with buses running hourly from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
After Sunday, VTA said the Orange Line, the partial segment of the Green Line and the bus bridge would continue to operate until further notice.
Starting Monday, the Orange Line will run every 20 minutes from 5:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. and every 30 minutes from 8 p.m. to midnight.
Meanwhile, the Green Line will operate from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., with trains running every 20 minutes before 8 p.m. From 8 p.m. until closing, trains would run every 30 minutes.
As for the bus bridge, buses will run every half hour from 5:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Rides on light rail will be free from August 29 through September 13.
Light rail trains have not been running since May 26, when an employee opened fire at the rail yard in San Jose, killing nine of his coworkers before turning the gun on himself.
The agency said service on the remainder of the Green line, along with the Blue line, would come back in phases. Dates to resume service on those lines have not been announced.