Rail preview: Soft opening of Kapolei-to-Pearlridge route could happen next year

The first section of the rail system might open to the public as early as October 2020, but the ride may be a little shorter than the rail authority had previously planned.

Top executives from the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation took media representatives on a tour of several mostly completed rail stations Friday, and announced there may be a “soft opening” of the rail line from East Kapolei to the Pearlridge station about 15 months from now.

The rail authority has already set a target of opening the rail line from Kapolei to Aloha Stadium by the end of 2020, and HART CEO Andrew Robbins said that is still the plan.

However, Robbins said the rail authority is considering a soft opening in October 2020 to Pearlridge because “we don’t want to open with 40,000 people in a football game” at Aloha Stadium. “Some of the experienced operations people would rather kind of ramp up into what you could call full limited service,” he said.

The city Department of Transportation Services is planning a major bus system interchange at Pearlridge, which is another consideration, he said. That said, “we definitely do plan to go to Aloha Stadium, if not in October, then possibly a month later,” he said.

The initial soft opening would likely be on a weekend, and if the city agrees, riders would be allowed to try out the rail system for free, Robbins said. “That will be just bring your family, give it a try, that kind of thing,” he said.

“Part of it is, we don’t want people to be disappointed on Day One with massive lines to get onto the system,” he said.

He said he does not know how many people would ride the line during the interim opening, but it would certainly be significantly fewer than the 119,600 weekday boardings projected after the entire 20-mile line opens. HART plans to open the entire line from Kapolei to Ala Moana Center by the end of 2025.

The media tour Friday included stops at stations at the University of Hawaii at West Oahu, West Loch and Leeward Community College.

The West Loch and UH-West Oahu stations, officially known by the Hawaiian names Hoaeae and Keoneae stations, are both more than 90% complete, while the LCC station is 87% complete.

During the tour, HART officials pointed out safety features such as the see-through automated passenger screen gates that will prevent people from falling from the platforms onto the tracks and will slide open automatically when trains arrive to allow people to board.

They also stressed efforts to make the stations attractive with engraved columns, works of art and features such as simulated coral stone at the UH-West Oahu station.

Once the system is fully operational, it will run for 20 hours a day, closing only from midnight to 4 a.m. Trains will arrive every five minutes during peak travel times and every 11 minutes during off-peak periods, and will take three to four minutes to travel from one station to the next, according to the rail authority.