About the Music City Star

Q: When does the Music City Star operate?
A: The Music City Star operates Monday through Friday. For specific times, refer to the train's operating schedule.

Q: Where can I purchase tickets for the Music City Star?
A: Advance Purchase 1-Ride tickets, 10-Ride tickets and monthly passes are available at discounted prices and can be purchased at the following locations:

• Mt. Juliet and Lebanon City Halls
• Select Kroger stores along the corridor
• Riverfront Station (December-March, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., Friday; April-November, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday)

Monthly passes and 10-Ride tickets also can be purchased online.

Q: How will Music City Star passengers get to their workplaces once they arrive at Riverfront Station?
A: Buses meet each train upon arrival at Riverfront Station. The Route 93 Music City Star West End Shuttle travels up Broadway, West End and over to the Vanderbilt and Belmont campuses. There is no additional cost for Music City Star riders to take a Route 93 bus.

The Music City Circuit, a free, downtown circulator, provides service to Music City Star passengers arriving and departing Riverfront Station. Buses for the Blue Circuit have scheduled stops at Riverfront Station each weekday to meet customers on the arriving and departing trains:

• Blue Circuit — north/south to the Bicentennial Mall (Riverfront Station Bay 4)

Music City Star customers also have the option of boarding several other MTA buses to reach their destinations:

• 6 Lebanon Pike, 25 Midtown, 36X Madison Express and 44 MTA Shuttle — Riverfront Station Bay 3

Q: What route will the RTA-sponsored connecting buses take?
A: Maps showing the bus routes and schedules are available on the Connecting Bus Service page. The buses are timed to meet the trains as they arrive at Riverfront Station.

Q: How can I find the locations for the Music City Star stations?
A: Maps to each station are available on the individual station page on this website.

Q: How long does it take commuters to get to work using the Music City Star?
A: The train is not impacted by weather or traffic. It takes approximately 50 minutes from Lebanon to downtown Nashville; 40 minutes from Martha; 30 minutes from Mt. Juliet; 20 minutes from Hermitage and 15 minutes from Donelson.

Q: Where can Music City Star passengers park their cars?
A: All of the outlying stations — Lebanon, Martha, Mt. Juliet, Hermitage and Donelson — have Park & Ride lots. There is no charge for train passengers to use the lots.

Q: How many parking spaces do the Park & Ride lots have? Are there ADA spaces for people with disabilities?
A: Lebanon - 186 spaces, with 6 ADA spaces; Martha - 74 spaces, with 6 ADA spaces; Mt. Juliet - 168 spaces, with 6 ADA spaces; Hermitage - 240 spaces, with 8 ADA spaces; Donelson - 218 spaces, with 10 ADA spaces.

Q: Are there restrooms on the Music City Star?
A: There are no restrooms on the trains. However, Riverfront Station is equipped with restrooms.

Q: Are the Music City Star trains fully accessible?
A: Yes. Each rail car is ADA compatible. There are spaces for wheelchairs in each car and the conductor will use a manual bridge plate on the mini-high platform at the stations to assist those using wheelchairs in boarding and exiting the train.

Q: Why isn't there more regional rail service to the Lebanon Station?
A: Due to equipment and track constraints, the first train in the afternoon and the second train in the morning do not go out to the Lebanon Station. The rail line is a single track with only one passing track in Donelson.

Q: How do Music City Star passengers get home if they have an emergency during the day?
A: The RTA has an Emergency Ride Home Program (ERH) that is designed to provide regular users of the train with a way home in the case of an emergency. In order to utilize the ERH, riders must be registered in the program, and they have to take the Music City Star at least 15 times per month. Riders will receive six vouchers per calendar year that can be used in the case of an emergency only. Emergencies are described as sickness, an emergency concerning a family member or having to work unscheduled overtime. For more information, refer to the ERH page.

Q: Will there be an evening and weekend schedule for Music City Star passengers to go to dinner and entertainment events in Nashville?
A: The primary purpose is to get passengers along the East Corridor to and from their jobs, while reducing congestion on the roadways and limiting air pollution during the peak morning and afternoon hours. A late train operates on Friday evenings only, allowing citizens living along the corridor to come downtown, have dinner or visit area attractions, and return on a train departing Riverfront Station at 10:30 p.m. RTA also offers special event or charter trains to select events.

Q: What is regional rail?
A: Regional rail typically uses existing freight track and links a suburban area to the inner city, making fewer stops at stations along the corridor. Regional rail uses diesel fuel. Regional rail is unlike light rail or subway rail systems that carry passengers over shorter distances and make more frequent stops. Those systems also typically are powered by electricity.