Middle Tennessee’s only commuter train may soon add evening and weekend service

Despite the quintessential Nashville experience of getting stuck behind a train, most Nashvillians don’t actually ride trains that often.

There’s only one commuter train in the region — the WeGo Star — and that’s not likely to change anytime soon. However, the Regional Transportation Authority is looking to better its service. After two rounds of public meetings, the RTA has unveiled a draft of proposed Star improvements.

These include things like additional service on weekday evenings and Saturdays, plus the continuation of Sunday service for Titans games and other special events.

Right now, the Star, which transports riders between Nashville and Lebanon, only operates during morning and afternoon rush hours.

Jason Deiter, a frequent Star rider, polled a thousand residents around Lebanon. He said the consensus was overwhelming.

“By and far, the thing that people want the most is nighttime service and weekend service,” Deiter said.

Adding service does offer the promise of potentially increasing ridership, which has struggled to recover post-pandemic.

In 2019, the Star saw more than 200,000 riders. That dropped to just 34,000 in 2020. Ridership has steadily increased year-to-year since then, but with merely 102,000 riders in 2023, it has yet to exceed 50% of pre-pandemic levels.

Courtesy WeGo

A look at monthly WeGo Star ridership levels over the last five years.

Deiter thinks that could potentially change with increased awareness. He says he has that thought every time he drives instead of rides and, invariably, gets stuck in traffic.

“I’m not sure how many people even know that the Star even exists, to be honest with you,” Deiter said. “I look at the big billboards on the side of the road, and I think, ‘This would be a perfect spot to put a big Star ad right on the side of the highway saying, “Hey, there’s a better alternative than being stuck on I-40!”‘”

How to fund the changes has yet to be decided.

There has been some talk about using dollars from the upcoming transit referendum, if approved, to enhance the Star. Right now, the train’s inclusion in the referendum is largely limited to spacing out its service, system improvements and adding shuttles to downtown and midtown.

The RTA is set to take action on the proposed recommendations in the fall. Davidson County voters will decide on the referendum Nov. 5.