CRAIG T. KOJIMA / CKOJIMA@STARADVERTISER.COM
Mayor Rick Blangiardi announces the opening of Honolulu’s rail transit system in Halawa today.
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The long-awaited Honolulu Rail Transit is finally opening in June, city officials announced today.
That’s when the first phase of the city’s rail project, which covers a roughly 11-mile stretch between the Kualaka‘i Station in East Kapolei and the Halawa Station near Aloha Stadium, officially begins running.
Passengers will be able to board at 2 p.m. on June 30, for free, and tour any of the nine stations that will be open for service and hop on any train, in either direction, officials said. Fare gates at all nine stations will be open to all riders until service ends at 6 p.m. that evening.
There will be a fare-free weekend, with free rides offered for the entire opening weekend, from 2 p.m. on June 30 until the last train runs on the Fourth of July. TheBus will also be waiving fares for all riders between July 1 and 4.
Starting 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.
Park-and-ride facilities are available at the Halawa Station, the Keone‘ae Station at UH-West Oahu, and Honouliuli Station at Hoʻopili.
A grand opening celebration is scheduled at the Halawa rail station before the official opening on June 30.
Adult HOLO cards are available at local retailers, rail station ticket vending machines at the entrance of each rail station, or TheBus Pass Office. Visit holocard.net or call 808-768-4656 for more information.