Nashville's Commuter Train - Starring the WeGo Star!

For fifteen years, Nashville's commuter rail service has been ferrying commuters between downtown and the suburb of Lebanon. Differing vastly from other systems in some way, how has Nashville's Star endured in one of the Southeast's fastest growing cities, and how prepared is it to meet the oncoming challenges?
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[@cmag19]

I liked that idea of reviving the section of the old Tennessee Central mainline. I think that’s something that could work eventually.

[@joeyknight8272]

Yes!

[@thewesternmind]

Interesting but for rail to really work, there needs to a regional component. I-40 between Memphis and Nashville is a nightmare. The cities are too close for air travel and traffic grows worse on the corridor every year. A rail line with a few stops, maybe Dickson and Jackson, makes a lot of sense IMO.

[@snoopyloopy]

Yep and especially with multiple trips a day.

[@somem8plebo1ye68]

The state is planning to get Amtrak to build one to Memphis and Nashville and if Amtrak declines they will build one themselves

[@williamerazo3921]

That’s state and Amtrak unless the cities on that corridor teams up and create a regional rail authority

[@nolantherailfan5048]

Yeah we definitely need a rail corridor between Memphis and Nashville

[@jonathanlifferth757]

Yes, PLEASE, I would LOVE to have a rail stop here in Dickson. I'd ride it all the time.

[@Tape_Time]

As someone who grew up in Nashville this was a joy to watch, thanks a ton.

[@HighIron]

You bet, I hope this has been insightful.

[@seanowens6888]

I wish we spent funds on the additional routes to Clarksville and Ashland City so we could get to Nashville easier. I wish the southern states had better train commutes in general

[@jackspicyeye9006]

As I live in tennessee, i truly miss seeing the locomotives in the Music City Star scheme with the one locomotive still in amtrak paint,

[@anthonyj.adventures9736]

I need this in HO scale. Love the livery.

[@wavesnbikes]

We need the Star to keep growing! Kudos for Nashville

[@mistermadmachine6311]

I never knew so many cities had commuter rail

[@TranscontinentalRailfan]

Even Washington, DC has two commuter railroads. Virginia Railway Express (VRE) and Maryland Area Regional Commuter (MARC).

[@6vitamin]

That's because most of them are awful. Outside of ny, this country doesnt have public transit. BUT, they used to! Many cities had trolleys and trains, and great bus service. But the trolleys were ripped out of the ground and covered up, and giant 4-8 lane freeways were constructed, all thanks to giant car corporations. This country had money and a deep desire to prosper, whether or not it made sense, or was ethical. Selling a car or two to every American was the goal of every board meeting in Detroit. There are some great docs and books on how car companies, and the bastardization of Levitt's Suburbia creation, have completely destroyed thriving, walkable, downtowns of many cities. Hell, just look at Houston before WWII, and look at it now. Sidewalks full of people, shops and cafes, life and activity....now it's an asphalt nightmare of ugly parking lots and parking garages, stroads with no sidewalks and obviously...no people.

[@ControlPointDonelson]

The "new" galleries are actually older than the Music City Star branded cars. They are just more reliable so we use them now

[@bn9900]

They are about the same age give or take a year or two

[@ControlPointDonelson]

@@bn9900 one of the engineers said older but information is limited

[@Metra167Productions]

@@ControlPointDonelsonThe Pullman ex CNW/ Music City Star cars are from the 1950s-1960s while the ex CB&Q cars made by Budd were made in the 1950s-1960s-1970s but most of the 1950s budd cars still are on Metra

[@ControlPointDonelson]

@@Metra167Productions people that work for the system told me that the budds are from the earliest CBQ order, at least the cab cars are, and then the Pullmans were from a 60s ordee

[@DelayInBlockProductions]

Excellent video!

[@TranscontinentalRailfan]

Awesome video! I support commuter railroads. My local commuter railroad, VRE has helped Northern Virginia grow.

[@GreenbeanProductions]

Amazing vid man! This might be a second favorite commuter railroad besides NJT

[@6vitamin]

Really? I haven't really taken NJT besides Path from Jersey City into manhattan, but as ny'er that lived in Nashville for 8 years, the Star is basically a gimmick. It runs only like 5 times a day there and 5 back, and has a small route with few stops.

[@kellyfairbanks5330]

I live near mt. Juliet station and every time I go to my school at 8:15 I hear the train and I love it and I heard the train for more than 6 years of being near that station. idk if this comment satisfied you.

[@MinksMotorsandMore]

As someone who grew up in a community near Nashville and drove delivery around the metro area of Nashville for several years, the town would be best described as "too big for it's britches" now. Nashville's rapid growth in the last 5 years is something many of the older residents have come to resent and often see many modenrization plans as counter to the "small big city" feel they grew up with. An important thing to remember, many of the locals have not really been to other cities to experience even bad public transit much less good public transit. The outling coummunites of Nashville are now numbering more in population that the actual City limits; but no one in those outling communites wants to give their tax moeny to the city as they do not identify as being "from Nasvhille." Its unfortunatly something you'll have to drag them into kicking and screaming despite so many people complaining about I-40, I-65 and I-440 traffic.

[@willpotter22]

That’s america for ya.😅

[@Pensyfan19]

Very good video! Great job on interviewing someone from WeGo themselves to cover one of the most underrated commuter railroads in the U.S.! I don't think the first transit oriented development is along the Music City Star line though, since many similar developments have been built near other Train stations, such as Wyandanch, NY for the LIRR. Regardless, great video! My grandfather lived in Nashville for a certain amount of time, so it's heritage is part of my own as well.

[@christopherfederici2776]

If this were proposed now it would 100% pass with the current growth of the city. Can't wait for a proper rail in Music City - she deserves it! While we're here... Amtrak anyone? That's gotta happen!

[@georgeadams8031]

It was growing really rapidly at the time too, there's just a baffling amount of propaganda from various right-wing and otherwise NIMBY organizations and a lack of understanding of the benefits a proper rail-based transit system can bring to the city.

[@willpotter22]

They tried in 2018 but too much koch funded propaganda 😢

[@DavidSmith-pq3cm]

I'm from near Louisville, KY and this video made me think that I would love to see your take on any of the many interesting topics regarding the Louisville and Nashville Railroad

[@Rosetrainz]

but unfortunately the l&n don't stop here anymore

[@bn9900]

I love how they say they bought new cars to replace the old…. Both were built at the same time in 50-51 the “old cars” are Pullman Standard built fir the Chicago North western, the new ones were built for the Chicago Burlington and Quincy the same time. The first cab cars 790-795 arrived in 54-55

[@jonathanlifferth757]

This was a great video--I'm really hopefully that additional train routes will be added in the future!

[@jimpern]

At least you have one commuter rail system. Here in Atlanta, we have nothing!

[@eannamcnamara9338]

all day, high frequency is the only way to run a service!

[@That_Thicc_Cat]

I love your videos, keep up the great work!

[@HighIron]

Thanks.

[@That_Thicc_Cat]

@@HighIron you’re welcome

[@de-fault_de-fault]

I’ve lived my entire life in the NYC region, mostly on the New Jersey side, so I take getting around by train for granted. More recently I’ve been completely fascinated by some of the smaller, more obscure commuter rail systems around the country and really rooting for them to succeed. Not sure you can really make a case for that being the first transit oriented development in the country, considering even the town I live in grew up around its train station, which opened in 1839, but at any rate it’s good to see that kind of growth happening in regions that have been almost completely car-oriented for decades.

[@ControlPointDonelson]

I liked to learn how my favorite train started up and grew. Nice video!

[@shannongreenwell1278]

It would be great if they would come down to Clarksville, it would make travelers feel better when commuting to work and then back home.

[@harrisonofcolorado8886]

Great video Brian!

[@IndustrialParrot2816]

oh its the sounder yeah that train that stopped at the stadium

[@DerpyPossum]

this was a great video! 👍

[@williamerazo3921]

Lol. Hamilton station is not the first TOD. Lol 😂 that was funny Af

[@crapman1290]

i saw a wego engine going back to nashville through the csx henderson subdivision

[@BnuuyBoi2005]

Interesting documentary

[@fredrickfraser1659]

Are you planning on making videos on other smaller commuter rail lines such as Shoreline East

[@6vitamin]

Is that the Connecticut line? I took it from Grand Central to Stamford in the summer, was a gorgeous trip, and pretty much the same amount of time as driving without traffic.

[@fredrickfraser1659]

@@6vitamin that’s Metro-North, Shoreline East runs from New London & Old Saybrook to New Haven & occasionally Bridgeport & Stamford

[@roberthultman9691]

Excellent video, Brian, look forward to more..........

[@Boypogikami132]

When I first saw the WeGo. I thought it was a Metra and someone either edited the paint or someone graffitied the train. Then I realized the WeGo writing.

[@LukeLovesTrains-Mr.RailYard]

I am working on making soon on the A2TC project that will bring commuter rail to Northern Michigan.

[@charlesferebee263]

OUTSTANDING. ! WELL DONE. 🇺🇸

[@willpotter22]

We got a study being conducted currently to connect Memphis, Nashville, and Knoxville and results will be posted no later than july 2023 by the TACIR

[@TenACgal]

PLEASE add a lavatory!

[@willberestartingthischanne9984]

Nice Video

[@timezerohour8864]

Can you do a review of the Austin Metro Rail in the future? I live in apartment that is kind of like this. And Austin has a major traffic problem as well.

[@harysuper]

Nice video. I loved taking this train into downtown when I was visiting family in TN. Where did you find the footage for the opening ceremony and the videos of the rail line before the opening? Thanks!

[@bennytes7980]

You should do the Milwaukee Road railroad and why they closed

[@seamusmckeon9109]

Nashville could’ve had a LRT. Sad to think about

[@chrisscott8934]

Who knew those metra by level cars are still surviving

[@simonsv9449]

I feel like they built this commuter railway along the wrong corridor. Would have made much more sense to build it from Columbia via Spring Hill, Franklin, Brentwood and Downtown Nashville up to Goodlettsville. That would have gotten better ridership since those parts of the Nashville Metro Area are more populated.

[@GreenbeanProductions]

Brian:it’s 5 a clock Me:ummmmmm no it’s 6:14 PM

[@HighIron]

It’s always 5 o’clock somewhere

[@potto1488]

@@HighIron it is currently 5:07 somewhere

[@maxtherailfan309]

Nice dude

[@stupidloser]

Man I do so want passenger rail here in Louisville.

[@thetrainhopper8992]

There are reasons why you don't have off year elections for big packages. Or maybe the state should nut up and do something about it.

[@superdominic64official]

You should do one on tri rail

[@NorthwestDaylight]

Decent update remake Still miss the old though

[@stuew6]

Should check out GO Transit in Toronto

[@Mushytrr]

You live in Nashville? That’s cool I live in Knoxville

[@empirestate8791]

More dense development is needed. Continuously expanding the suburbs with sprawl won't make a transit-friendly city. It will result in more traffic.

[@beckigreen]

I have a question. I grew up in Hendersonville, and wondered why the train service couldn’t include a stop in Hendersonville. Someone that works at CSX told me that CSX owns the railroad tracks and it would cost a million dollars per track mile to make this happen and that no one wants to pay that. Is the above true? What I was told?

[@travelsofmunch1476]

The 2018 referendum failure was one of the largest disasters for American transit in the 21 century. Nashville could have had multiple light rail lines and so much more😢

[@williamerazo3921]

We they got a new branding

[@snoopyloopy]

DMUs!

[@thatsimulatorguy]

Southern idaho 👁👄👁

[@wilsoncounty6679]

If you're in the area, and would like to ride the train, this video explains how to catch it. kzbin.info/www/bejne/qYfWpGiPoddmq68