Honolulu’s rail system has reached a critical stage, with extensive trial testing underway in advance of actually accepting riders and moving them from one point to another.

If all goes well, the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation (HART) will turn operations over to the city Department of Transportation Services (DTS) before passenger service begins in early 2023.

Would-be rail riders can now begin to anticipate the day when they can catch the train, and envision how they will use it. And that means it’s time for the DTS and the city’s machinery to get in gear.

The city can make use of this testing period over the next few months to ramp up communications with the public and demonstrate its capabilities, while building enthusiasm for riders.

Once operational, Honolulu will have achieved a significant milestone: Building the nation’s first fully automated, driverless light metro rail system. But first, the city must prove the system to be safe, useful and attractive to riders.

There are at least 90 days of testing ahead, along with training for rail employees, with a goal of running 98.5% successfully for a 30-day period before HART completes a handover.

The responsibility is immense. As with any public transportation mode, the city is obligated to run the rail with the highest degree of safety for passengers, providing fastidious oversight and maintenance.

The public should be assured that DTS is prepared for any eventuality, including emergency situations, with protocols in place.

When it begins, the rail will provide service between Kapolei and Halawa, at Aloha Stadium (the system’s second half into downtown remains under construction). Trains will be able to transport riders to the University of Hawaii-West Oahu, Ho‘opili, West Loch, Waipahu, Leeward Community College, Pearl Highlands and Pearlridge along the route. This will bring riders to shopping areas and to transfer points with TheBus — an exciting prospect for riders who will be served by the new options.

Requirements for purchasing tickets are relatively intricate. If new riders are expected to get on board, the city should begin pushing out information across a wide variety of channels.

Providing free rides at the onset, to build familiarity and interest, would be well advised.

HART fares will be paid with a HOLO card, an electronic payment system that is synced with TheBus. There will be HOLO card vending machines at rail stops; HOLO cards can also be ordered online and reloaded at holocard.net, or picked up at satellite city halls on a cash-only basis. Disabled riders have more restrictions, and should call 808-768-4656 for locations and assistance.

Daily rates range from $1 for Handi-Van eligible riders to $3 for adults, with categories in between. A daily cap ranges from $2 for the Handi-Van-eligible to $7.50 for adults; once a rider has reached the fare limit, additional rides are free for the day.

Monthly passes are $6 to $80; $20 monthly for riders receiving Medicare, with a disability or 65 and older. Student monthly passes are $40.

Annual passes for adults will be $880; for students, $440.

Anticipation for the rail to begin running comes against the backdrop of waiting for Federal Transit Administration (FTA) approval of HART’s 2022 Recovery Plan, submitted June 3. The plan proposes a truncated route — short of rail’s long-envisioned end at Ala Moana Center — with an “interim” end at South Street in Kakaako, plus deferral of a Pearl Highlands parking garage.

If the plan is accepted, the FTA will release a final $744 million in federal funding, out of $1.55 billion pledged for rail. The overall cost of the project between Kapolei and Kakaako is estimated at nearly $10 billion.

With so many delays and snafus, and the ballooning costs involved in the saga of Honolulu’s rail project, it’s imperative to get the opening right.