Dale, Dale, Dale, ATX! Austin FC fans have one more reason to celebrate in 2022.
Kicked off by Austin FC’s supporters band La Murga de Austin singing “McKalla, ah la-la”, state and local officials and CapMetro staff hammered symbolic railroad tracks on a hot Monday evening to officially break ground on the new train station.
McKalla Station is planned for completion in Fall 2023.
Capital Metro interim president Dottie Watkins proclaimed, “This will be the most fan-friendly rail station in the MLS.” And with a station that drops you off right in front of the stadium, it’s not hard to believe Ms. Watkins.
While the main man behind Austin FC’s game broadcasts, Adrian Healey, emceed the event, club president Andy Loughnane took a few minutes on stage to thank Verde faithful for their part in the formation of the club, the development of Q2 Stadium, and now, McKalla Station.
“Please give yourselves a round of applause. I know there’s a lot of people here who put in a lot of time—supporters, political allies, community allies—to make this incredible connection between club and community.”
– Andy Loughnane
Where is McKalla Station?
The new station is located on the east side of Q2 Stadium off Delta Drive. It’s one of the stops on the MetroRail Red Line, which runs from Leander to the convention center downtown.
About 20,000 Verde fans are expected to use the rail station on match days. From a look at the designs, riders will step off the platform and take the pedestrian path along Live Oak Park into Q2 Stadium’s Zebra Gate.
It will have two passenger platforms and a special event platform — to account for extra foot traffic on game days. In addition, the Red Line will get an upgrade to double tracking, an extra set of tracks, for higher frequency and more reliable service.
Finally, if you’ve been to a home match you’ve no doubt heard the blaring train whistle as you’re walking into the stadium. No more! Capital Metro will introduce quiet zones where train operators will NOT blow their horns as they cross every street.
Do you plan to take the train to Austin FC games once McKalla Station opens?
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