We rode the Hill Country Flyer on September 19, 2026, from Cedar Park to Burnet and back. We rode…read morein the Silver Pine car, which dates back to 1948. The seats were extremely comfortable and the car was air conditioned. Our volunteer guide, Steve, was friendly, knowledgeable, and full of entertaining stories about train travel.
On this particular day, there was, unfortunately, a mechanical issue with our engine, resulting in a nearly four hour stop directly on the newly built wooden trestle over the San Saba River. The situation was unavoidable, and while inconvenient, I commend the staff aboard the train for their exemplary handling of the situation.
Their number one priority was safety. It would have been potentially dangerous to exit the train into the wilderness of the Texas Hill Country. We would have had to walk along the train tracks, down an embankment, and then cross a natural low water crossing. A plan was put into place on how best to accomplish this, which would have included help from the fire department, sheriff, a Utility Task Vehicle for anyone who could not make such a trek, and four Cap Metro buses that were brought in to provide transportation back to the depot, if necessary, but only as a last resort.
We waited, stopped, for nearly four hours, but we were given updates approximately every 20-30 minutes by staff members that visited each car, with the opportunity to ask questions and share whatever concerns we may have had. Sheltering in place was the safest option for all involved. The A/C continued to run, we had a working bathroom, and extra water was brought in for us. Snacks were also available. Staff made sure that we were informed, comfortable, entertained throughout the wait. There was a passenger in another car who had some sort of medical issue. Fire department paramedics and a sheriff boarded the train to assist that passenger.
ASTA's head mechanic actually interrupted his vacation in Houston to pick up a part, meet the train, and make the repair on site. He was already in route, even as the personnel on board were diagnosing the problem. Once the mechanical problem was fixed, we were able to return to the station, later than planned, but we were always comfortable, informed, and never in danger.
Even after the trip, ASTA went above and beyond to make the situation right. They emailed all passengers, offering one of 3 choices for compensation:
* A full refund for your tickets
* Exchange your tickets for a future Hill Country Flyer ride this year
* A voucher for the full value of your tickets, to use at your convenience
While we appreciate these options greatly, I don't feel that any compensation is actually necessary. ASTA is a not-for-profit entity with the primary purpose of helping to restore old trains and bring the joy of riding the rails to others, including families who otherwise could not afford excursions such as this.
All in all, we had a wonderful day and could not have been more impressed with their handling of a difficult situation. We will definitely ride with them again!