Frequently Asked Questions

For information about Skyline operations and maintenance, please visit the City’s Department of Transportation Services (DTS) website:

• Visit Honolulu.gov/Skyline, or email skyline@honolulu.gov
• Call Skyline at 808-848-5555 (option 4)

We encourage passengers to learn more about Skyline, its system features, and how to ride.

The Honolulu Rail Transit Project is being built in three operating segments:

First Operating Segment (East Kapolei to Aloha Stadium)

• Trial operations, were completed in April 2023, including a full Safety and Security Certification process with local, state, and federal agencies.
• Segment 1 assets were transferred to the City’s Department of Transportation Services (DTS).
• Skyline opened to the public on June 30, 2023.

Second Operating Segment (Pearl Harbor to Middle Street)

• Includes four stations: Pearl Harbor, Airport, Lagoon Drive, and Middle Street.
• Trial Run is scheduled to begin in July 2025.
• System Demonstration will follow and must achieve an average of 98.5% availability over a rolling 30-day period.
• All riders must exit at Aloha Stadium during testing. Trains will not carry passengers in Segment 2 until all safety requirements are met.
• HART plans to transfer Segment 2 assets to DTS by October 2025. Mayor Rick Blangiardi has announced an opening target date of October 1, 2025.

Third Operating Segment (Kalihi to Civic Center)

• Includes six stations: Kalihi, Honolulu Community College—Kapālama, Iwilei, Chinatown, Downtown, and Civic Center.
• Guideway shaft construction in Iwilei is expected to begin summer 2025.
• Utility relocation work is underway to clear the way for columns, guideway, and stations.
• Downtown relocations (Kaʻaahi Street to Cooke Street) are nearly complete.
• Dillingham relocations (Middle Street to Kaʻaahi Street) are expected to be completed mid-2026.

Trial run is the final testing phase before a segment is approved for passenger service.

First Operating Segment:
Trial operations were completed in April 2023. The segment passed System Demonstration and safety certification, allowing transfer to the City’s Department of Transportation Services (DTS).

Second Operating Segment:
Trial Run is expected to begin in July 2025. The System Demonstration must achieve an average of 98.5% availability over a rolling 30-day period.
All riders must exit at Aloha Stadium during testing. Trains will not carry passengers in Segment 2 until all safety requirements are met.

HART’s 2022 Recovery Plan proposed an amendment to the original Full Funding Grant Agreement (FFGA), a contract between the City and County of Honolulu and the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) executed in 2012. The initial FFGA provided $1.55 billion in federal funding and outlined the project scope, 20 miles and 21 stations from East Kapolei to Ala Moana. However, when the project encountered challenges, HART submitted a 2022 Recovery Plan to the FTA, which proposed to truncate the project scope from the original 20 miles and 21 stations to 18.9 miles and 19 stations from the East Kapolei Station to the Civic Center Station; the FTA accepted this plan in September 2022.

The 2022 Recovery Plan also proposed the deferral of the Pearl Highlands Parking Garage. The scope change required an amendment to the Full Funding Grant Agreement (FFGA), which was necessary to maintain the funding needed to complete the remainder of the project.

Throughout 2023, HART collaborated with the FTA on amending the FFGA document, requiring approvals from various entities such as the U.S. Department of Transportation, the U.S. Congress, Governor’s Office, HART Board, City Council Committee on Budget, and Full City Council. The amended document was signed by Mayor Blangiardi on February 1, 2024. On April 24, 2024, HART received $125M of the remaining $744M in federal funds, the first funding received under the FFGA since 2017.

The destination of reaching Ala Moana is important because of the location of the Ala Moana Transit Center, the City’s largest bus transit center. More than 1,500 daily bus routes pass through Ala Moana Transit Center, where rail riders will be able to easily transfer to frequent bus service and continue their trips to Waikiki, UH, Hawaii Kai or elsewhere.

Ala Moana is also the Locally Preferred Alternative as approved by the Honolulu City Council. Despite the Amended Full Funding Grant Agreement that was finalized in February 2024 to have a temporary rail terminus at the Civic Center Station, the overall goal of reaching Ala Moana Transit Center does not change.

The goal is still for the rail project to reach Ala Moana Transit Center. Until then, when the temporary rail terminus is at the Civic Center Station, enhanced bus service will be provided to get riders to their final destinations. Frequent bus service will be available at both the Downtown and Civic Center Stations, including some direct bus service to Waikiki, University of Hawaiʻi, and to the Ala Moana Transit Center, where connections to other buses can be made.

In the original ridership forecast for the Project, only about 10 percent of projected passengers were expected to have Kakaʻako or Ala Moana as their final destinations – meaning 90 percent would have exited rail before or at Civic Center Station, or transferred to a bus from Ala Moana.
Bus service from Downtown or the Civic Center will provide comparable connections for riders continuing beyond Ala Moana.

The City’s Department of Transportation Services (DTS) is Skyline responsible for the operation and maintenance of Skyline, along with the City’s bus and paratransit services.

For fare, HOLO card, or schedule information, visit Honolulu.gov/Skyline or call Skyline at 808-848-5555 (Option 4).

There are several reasons that a street-level rail system would not be feasible at this point of the Honolulu rail project, including:

• One significant reason is that the rail system is powered via a “third rail”, which is literally a separate rail that runs alongside the tracks. The trains receive electricity from the third rail, which carries 750 volts of electricity. Having a street-level system would require significant barriers to protect the public from the dangers of the third rail, which is currently achieved with the elevated guideway system.
• Another reason that a street-level system would be problematic is that the trains are expected to have approximate 6-minute headways (the time between trains) during peak hours of operation. That means, for a street-level system, certain intersections all along the route would need to be closed to traffic and pedestrians at least every 6 minutes for a train to pass. This would create additional traffic congestion on our streets that is avoided with the elevated guideway.

The planned 1,600-stall parking garage at the Pearl Highlands station will be deferred due to the excessive cost of building it at the originally planned location. However, HART and the City’s Department of Transportation Services (DTS) are committed to working together to find an alternative location for a garage. Several potential options have been discussed but much more research will need to be done before a plan can be developed.

In the meantime, DTS will add additional and enhanced bus service from North Shore and Central Oahu locations that will enable passengers to board the rail system at a planned bus transit center that will be built directly adjacent to the Pearl Highlands Station.

HART has, and continues to be, diligent in searching for ways to reduce the funding shortfall – and ultimately to get the Project to Ala Moana. Some ways that the shortfall is being addressed:

• Internal Cost Reductions: HART continues to look for ways to reduce its internal costs, including ways to improve efficiencies of internal processes, eliminate redundancies and better manage costs. An example is a 2021 streamlining of the organizational structure that will save $150–200 million over the remaining life of the project.
• Efficient Construction: Ways of reducing construction-related costs are also being evaluated. An example is the decision to implement a shift of a section of the guideway route along Dillingham Boulevard from the middle of the street to the mauka side, thereby eliminating the need to relocate certain utilities. This “mauka shift” will save approximately $150 million.
• Risk Mitigation: Risk reduction actions have been implemented, and are evaluated on an on-going basis, which will reduce future costs of procurement. A good example of risk mitigation is the work by HART to get the utility designs completed and approved before awarding the two recent utility relocation contracts. This work will save construction costs and also shorten the work schedule, adding to the construction savings. In the past, HART had awarded contracts without approved final designs, which is a considerable risk to the contractors proposing on the construction work.
• Seeking New Funding: In addition to the Recovery Plan, HART continues seeking new revenue sources for the Project.

The Mauka Shift refers to a plan to move a section of the rail guideway from the center of Dillingham Boulevard to the mauka side of the street. This mauka shift saves time and money for the Project by eliminating the need to relocate certain utilities.

Currently there is a complex web of electricity, water, sewer and fiber optics lines that run under Dillingham Boulevard. There are also two 138-kilovolt power transmission lines above ground on either side of Dillingham Boulevard. On the makai side, there are also 12- and 48-kilovolt power lines. For HART to move all of these power lines underground would be extremely difficult as there is not enough room to provide the clearances needed to service existing utilities. Moving the guideway to the mauka side of the street eliminates the need to bury all of the power lines on the makai side and avoids the need to move other existing underground utilities, thereby improving the Project schedule and reducing costs by approximately $150 million.

The City Center Utilities Relocation project moves undergound utilties—such as water, sewer, gas, electrical, and communications lines—to prepare for construction of the rail guideway and stations in the Dillingham, Iwilei, Downtown, and Kakaʻako areas.

The work is divided into three contracts:

• Downtown Utilities Relocation (Kaʻaʻahi Street to Cooke Street): Ongoing since 2022; are nearly complete.
• Dillingham Utilities Relocation (Middle Street to Kaʻaʻahi Street): Ongoing since 2022; are expected to be completed mid-2026.
• City Center Guideway and Stations Construction: Contract awarded in 2024; guideway shaft construction in Iwilei is expected to begin summer 2025.

Crews are relocating utilities, then repaving roads to make way for the next phase of rail construction.

Yes, steel plates are sometimes used during constructon. Contractors typically place cold mix asphalt around the edges and tack weld plates together to reduce noise and provide a smoother surface for vehicles.

Work hours vary by project:

Downtown Utilities Relocation

• Monday through Saturday: 7:00 am to 5:30 pm and 8 pm to 5 am.

Dillingham Utilities Relocation

• Ongoing 24/7
• Left turns are restricted from Kamehameha Highway and Dillingham
• Boulevard from Middle Street to Kaʻaʻahi Street, including some driveways
• Nightly lane clousures may occur on cross streets at the intersections of
• Kamehameha Highway and Dillingham Boulevard from 7 pm to 5 am.

Guideway and Stations Construction

• Ongoing 24/7
• Beginning Monday, June 9, 2025, through September 2030, one lane of Ka‘aʻahi Street (between Dillingham Boulevard and Ka‘a‘ahi Place) will be closed 24/7 for rail station and guideway construction

To stay informed about construction progress and lane closures, sign up for HART’s eBlast newsletter at HonoluluTransit.org or email info@honolulutransit.org to request updates.

HART also hosts quarterly Business and Community Meetings with its contractors for the Honolulu Rail Transit Project. Meeting dates are listed on HART’s Upcoming Events calendar and may change if they fall on holidays.

The Honolulu Rail Transit Project is being built in three operating segments:

First Operating Segment (East Kapolei to Aloha Stadium)

• Trial operations, were completed in April 2023, including a full Safety and Security Certification process with local, state, and federal agencies.
• Segment 1 assets were transferred to the City’s Department of Transportation Services (DTS).
• Skyline opened to the public on June 30, 2023.

Second Operating Segment (Pearl Harbor to Middle Street)

• Includes four stations: Pearl Harbor, Airport, Lagoon Drive, and Middle Street.
• Trial Run is scheduled to begin in July 2025.
• System Demonstration will follow and must achieve an average of 98.5% availability over a rolling 30-day period.
• All riders must exit at Aloha Stadium during testing. Trains will not carry passengers in Segment 2 until all safety requirements are met.
• HART plans to transfer Segment 2 assets to DTS by October 2025. Mayor Rick Blangiardi has announced an opening target date of October 1, 2025.

Third Operating Segment (Kalihi to Civic Center)

• Includes six stations: Kalihi, Honolulu Community College—Kapālama, Iwilei, Chinatown, Downtown, and Civic Center.
• Guideway shaft construction in Iwilei is expected to begin summer 2025.
• Utility relocation work is underway to clear the way for columns, guideway, and stations.
• Downtown relocations (Kaʻaahi Street to Cooke Street) are nearly complete.
• Dillingham relocations (Middle Street to Kaʻaahi Street) are expected to be completed mid-2026.

The rail track from the Hālawa (Aloha Stadium) to Kahauiki (Middle Street) is now energized. The third rail, which powers the trains, carries 750 volts of electricity—contact is deadly.

Although stations may appear finished, they remain active work zones. Entry to secured rail areas and the guideway is strictly prohibited.

Segment 2 is scheduled to open by October 2025, pending safety certification and transfer to the City’s Department of Transportation Services (DTS).

RAIL HAZARDS AND SAFETY TIPS

• Keep out of rail stations under construction and all active work sites.
• Do not attempt to cut or hop fences to enter secured facilities.
• The system is equipped with 1,500+ security cameras.
• The automated trains move in any direction at any time without warning.
• Keep off the rail track. The third rail is energized 24/7 with 750 volts of electricity. Any contact with the third rail will result in immediate death.
• Trespassing at rail facilities is strictly prohibited, and violators will be prosecuted (HRS S708-814).

• In late 2020, it was discovered that there was a misalignment of the wheels and rails in the double-crossovers (also known as “frogs”) due to the wheels being too narrow. As a precaution, speed restrictions were put in place for all trains traveling through the double-crossovers. An independent industry expert was engaged to evaluate the situation and recommend a solution. The recommendation, that was agreed to by HART, DTS and HDOT, included a short-term solution of performing a weld of the double-crossovers to fill the gap caused by the narrow wheels. The permanent solution is to replace the wheels. The welding work has been completed. Wheel replacements on the fleet of vehicles has begun. All trains will eventually be fitted with the new wheels.

• It was also discovered that the track gauge in certain areas of the double crossovers was too tight. The tracks have been adjusted and the gauge issue has been resolved. Based on the work that has been performed, tested and approved, the speed restrictions for the trains has been lifted and normal testing operations are underway.

An elevated guideway keeps trains separate from street traffic, reducing delays caused by cars, pedestrians, or other vehicles.

It also helps maintain a reliable schedule and reduces the rail system’s footprint by avoiding the need to acquire street-level space in busy corridors.