Question: How often are the Skyline train cars cleaned?
Answer: “Train interiors are cleaned every night. Train exteriors are washed every other day at the train wash facility at the Rail Operations Center. Spot cleanings are performed throughout the day onboard trains during regular operations as well. Any spilled liquids or messes must be cleaned once they are reported to operations staff, including train or station operators. Please remind riders that while food and drink in closed and secured containers are allowed in stations and on Skyline trains, consuming food and drinks are not allowed,” Travis Ota, spokesperson for Honolulu’s Department of Transportation Services, said Monday in an email.
So, to answer another reader’s question, yes, you can bring a Fourth of July picnic cooler on board, but you can’t consume anything from it. A seated rider may place a securely closed cooler on their lap, underneath the seat or in overhead storage, the Skyline website says.
Other readers also had questions after riding Oahu’s rail-transit system during its opening weekend, which Ota answered.
Q: For the grand opening, they had porta-potties at some stations. Will those remain?
A: No. “The porta-potties were scheduled in anticipation of crowds for the grand opening weekend (Friday to Sunday),” Ota said.
As previously reported, there are no permanent open-access public restrooms at any of Skyline’s stations. There is at least one permanent toilet at each station, for employees, which a passenger can use in an emergency; the bathroom must be unlocked by a station employee.
Q: Why didn’t they give the rail system a Hawaiian name? All the individual stations have Hawaiian names, and they are not common Hawaiian words, either.
A: “Skyline was one of many naming options studied to best represent Honolulu’s new modern rail line. Moving riders above ground-level congestion, Skyline trains operate on an elevated guideway, allowing riders expansive views from mauka to makai. After conducting public outreach, DTS aimed for a name which would be easily understandable for all and didn’t risk being mispronounced. The Hawaiian names considered (Hoku, ʻIlima, Kui, Moku, and Ola) did not appropriately reflect the qualities of the rail line, and had other kaona, or alternate meanings and qualities, not appropriate for a mode of transportation. After consulting with Native Hawaiian groups and individuals, there was consensus that Skyline was an appropriate name for the rail system and would complement our TheBus and Handi-Van systems. Additionally, Skyline trains and the system will shortly introduce branding related to the Hawaiian Manu o Ku, significant in traditional voyaging and navigation,” Ota said.
Q: When will the airport station open?
A: “The second phase of Skyline (Middle Street and Airport) is planned for opening mid-2025,” he said.
Mahalo
On June 26 we arrived from abroad in Honolulu. My wife had fallen in Japan’s Narita airport during transit. Before landing we requested help on arrival as she could not walk. We received exemplary service from emergency services, immigration and Hawaiian Airlines.
Everyone met our needs handsomely. My wife was assessed by Emergency Medical Response staff on board, then in the lobby and professionally transported to The Queen’s Medical Center at our request with utmost compassion. The immigration department was not far. In the lobby a gentleman asked us a few questions, examined our passports and took our pictures. The whole process took less than five minutes. A wonderful lady from Hawaiian Airlines staff accompanied me in a company car to the arrivals, assisted through customs and even called our family friend to pick me up. A compassionate aloha welcome by all parties especially under duress was so comforting. It is always wonderful to return home. — B. Huja
Write to Kokua Line at Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., Suite 7-500, Honolulu, HI 96813; call 808-529-4773; or email kokualine@staradvertiser.com.
