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RAIL EMPLOYMENT & NOTICES



Rail News Home Passenger Rail

2/10/2026



Rail News: Passenger Rail

Super Bowl pushes VTA ridership above expectations


After the game, VTA cleared more than 13,000 passengers from light-rail platforms in under 90 minutes, under NFL's two-hour crowd management benchmark.
Photo – Santa Clara VTA

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More than 18,000 NFL Super Bowl LX attendees rode Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) light-rail service on Feb. 8 to Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California, surpassing the authority's ridership expectations for the event. 

The transit agency placed extra signage and staged transit ambassadors around its light-rail and bus networks to ensure smooth connections for game-day passengers, VTA officials said in a press release. VTA also coordinated service transfers with Caltrain and Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART).

In total, about 30,000 Super Bowl attendees used VTA transit service for game-day travel.  Approximately 40% (12,000) transferred from Caltrain commuter-rail service to VTA buses at the Mountain View Transit Center. The remaining 60% (18,000) of passengers took VTA light-rail service from downtown San Jose or transferred from BART to VTA light rail at the Milpitas Transit Center, VTA officials said.

Combined, ridership on light-rail and bus services surpassed event planners' expectation by 5,000 and surpassed ridership records set during the 2023 Taylor Swift Eras Tour concerts, they added.

Following the game, VTA implemented a modified post-event service plan using two stations instead of its typical single-station event plan. VTA cleared more than 13,000 passengers from light-rail platforms in under 90 minutes, under NFL's two-hour crowd management benchmark, VTA officials said.



Contact Progressive Railroading editorial staff.

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