Fannin South (METRORail station)

Fannin South
METRORail light rail station and Park & Ride
Fannin South Station
Location	1604 West Bellfort Avenue Houston, Texas
Coordinates	29°40′25″N 95°24′10″W / 29.67361°N 95.40278°W / 29.67361; -95.40278
Owned by	METRO
Line(s)	Red Line
Platforms	Island
Tracks	Two
Connections	METRO bus 18, 73
Construction
Structure type	At-grade
Parking	Yes, fee required
Disabled access	Yes
History
Opened	January 1, 2004
Services
Preceding station   METRORail   Following station Terminus Red Line Reliant Park toward Northline Transit Center

Fannin South is an island platformed METRORail light rail station in Houston, Texas, United States. The station was opened on January 1, 2004, and is operated by the Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County, Texas (METRO). Serving as the southern terminus of the Red Line, this is located at the intersection of Fannin Street and West Bellfort Avenue, and is co-located with the Fannin South Park & Ride facility, which is located close to Interstate 610.

The single island platform, includes two shelters are located on the platform covering small seating areas, featuring custom made ceramic panels created by artist Jonathan Brown. In having 1,437 spaces, this station is the only one along the Red Line with a designated parking facility operated by METRO (although others are located near private lots garages). The trip to the UH–Downtown station at the northern terminus takes 30 minutes with trains operating a six-minute intervals during weekdays, at twelve-minute intervals during the evenings and at twenty-minute intervals at night.

In December 1999, METRO officially announced the proposed alignment of what would become Houston's first light rail line. At the time of its announcement, METRO had conceptually indicated that there would be a station constructed at Fannin South with a park & ride only if an arrangement could not be reached with Harris County to utilize the parking lot at the Astrodome. Ultimately, the station would be constructed and in July 2001 the station was officially named Fannin South by the METRO Board.

As a result of construction of both the station and METRO's rail yard and shop facility, the city moved forward with a $2.4 million expansion of Fannin Street to allow for easier access to the station from Interstate 610. The station commenced operations on January 1, 2004.