Select a topic from the list below to view in more detail.
Innovative Safety Outreach
The second tier of Capital Metro’s Rail Safety Plan is an innovative outreach effort that will allow Capital Metro to craft and disseminate safety information in a grassroots marketing style. The innovative safety outreach is guided by a community advisory group know as the Grassroots Rail Outreach Working Group (GROW). The GROW Group is made up of educators, school officials, emergency responders and community leaders to increase safety awareness in schools, childcare centers, churches and recreation centers along the rail line.
The Innovative Safety Outreach effort uses Austin’s creative industries to build fun safety education messages and use our strong sense of volunteerism to catapult those messages into the community. Capital Metro is going above and beyond other transit agencies developing a unique Innovative Safety Outreach to complement Operation Lifesaver.
Initiatives from the Innovative Safety Outreach effort include the first Girl Scouts Rail Safety patch, a Boy Scouts Rail Safety Patch, a Youth-Public Service Announcement contest, Safety Tips on Bus Radio, a rail safety website: www.stayoffthetracks.com, and much more!
Find out if you are near the tracks:
Rail Safety Outreach Materials Bi-lingual safety flyer distributed to elementary students near the rail line. English/Spanish English/Mandarin English/Vietnamese
Bi-lingual book covers distributed to all students near the rail line. Elementary Middle, High School
Girl Scouts Rail Safety Patch (click on the image for the patch requirements)
Boy Scouts Rail Safety Patch (click on the image for the patch requirements)
Capital MetroRail Safety FAQs
Capital Metro is currently testing the new rail vehicles. Safety is a top priority at Capital Metro and we want to keep you informed as we prepare for MetroRail service.
When and where does the testing occur?
On weekdays, MetroRail trains are running along the entire 32-mile rail line from Leander to downtown Austin for testing.
How fast will the trains go during testing?
During testing, the trains will run at operational speeds of 20-60 mph and no more than 20 mph at crossings. The average speed will be about 35 mph. The train will only travel at higher speeds in areas along the rail line that are less populated by homes and businesses.
Why is Capital Metro doing so much testing?
Capital Metro wants to ensure that the MetroRail service will run as smoothly as possible upon opening. The MetroRail trains must meet certain safety test requirements set forth by the Federal Railroad Administration before it can begin service. Additionally, Capital Metro will test the vehicles, the signal system, and train the engineers who will be operating the vehicles. This testing is critically important to a successful opening as it allows Capital Metro and its contractors to identify and resolve any issues before opening.
How will the testing affect me?
If you live in neighborhoods near the testing, you may see the train traveling back and forth frequently. These trains are faster and shorter than freight trains, so they will pass by more quickly. However, they are much quieter than freight trains so it’s important to be cautious and follow safety laws at railroad crossings.
Will the train blow its horn in my neighborhood?
Federal law requires trains to sound horns at crossings unless a quiet zone is established. A quiet zone is an FRA-approved section of track where trains are not required to sound horns at crossings. Quiet zones are established after the installation of quad gates, which prevent vehicles from driving around railroad crossings. Quiet Zones are in effect in Leander, Cedar Park and in Austin from U.S. Hwy 183 to Downtown and between McNeil/Merriltown Road and Gracy Farms Road. Capital Metro freight and passenger trains will still sound horns in emergency situations such as when there is a car or pedestrian on the tracks. Trains also are still required to sound horns when accelerating from a stopped position.
How will Capital Metro ensure pedestrian and traffic safety during testing?
Capital Metro has performed a massive outreach effort to increase awareness of the changes brought by MetroRail. The outreach includes working with Operation Lifesaver, a national rail safety program to educate the public about the dangers of railroads. And unlike any other transit system, Capital Metro has created an innovative grassroots outreach effort targeting children, senior citizens and the homeless.
Rail Safety Tips
Your safety is in your hands. Below are important tips that can save your life.
When you're in a vehicle...


When you’re on a motorcycle or bike…
When you're walking...
If you have children...
If you are a kid...
Overview
As Capital Metro works toward providing a rail service for Central Texas, the Authority is committed to the safety of passengers and the general public near the rail line.
Capital Metro knows that many places of work, worship, education, and play are very near the track. Capital Metro is taking a three pronged approach to ensuring the safety of our community. The first is physical rail safety, the second is a national standard of rail safety education, and the third is an innovative safety outreach effort.
Safety Initiatives
Capital MetroRail will run on 32-miles of existing freight tracks between Leander and Downtown Austin. At times the trains will reach speeds of 60 mph in some areas. These trains are much quieter and faster than the freight trains that currently travel along the rail line.
Capital Metro is committed to maintaining a high level of safety on and around the tracks. Some of Capital Metro’s safety initiatives include:
Additionally, emergency responders will be educated through a variety of outreach methods. The Capital Metro Rail Division works with emergency responders from Travis and Williamson Counties to ensure that our local emergency responders are educated on the situations and possible risks associated with railroad right-of-way issues, MetroRail, freight, and other train equipment, evacuation techniques, and many other possibly lifesaving techniques.
Operation Lifesaver
The first tier of Capital Metro’s safety education effort is the national safety outreach program known as Operation Lifesaver, a non-profit, international continuing public education program first established in 1972 to end collisions, deaths and injuries at places where roadways cross train tracks, and on railroad rights-of-way. Operation Lifesaver programs are sponsored cooperatively by federal, state, and local government agencies; highway safety organizations, and the nation’s railroads.
Capital MetroRail works in conjunction with Operation Lifesaver to provide safety presentations to schools, senior centers, scout troops, museums, churches, and many other groups and locations in order to educate the public about railway safety and increase awareness around railroad tracks.
To date, the Austin Operation Lifesaver team has presented to roughly 33,000 students, focusing on those schools that are within two miles of Capital Metro’s railroad tracks.
To request a presentation for your school, neighborhood, or organization, please contact Alissa Schram at alissa.schram@capmetro.org or (512) 369-7759.