VTA Offers New ‘49ers Express Train’

For the first time, football fans have a chance to cruise to Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara more quickly, and for a bit more cash, thanks to a new VTA "49ers Express Train," which kicks off Sunday, just in time for the 49ers vs. Houston Texans pre-season opener.This is the first time that the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority has offered an express train directly to the stadium, said VTA spokeswoman Stacey Hendler Ross.Tickets went on sale Thursday, and cost $149 for a light rail season pass, or $20 per ticket. Regular Sunday round-trip tickets are $4. And these trips (with many stops in between) will still be in service, if passengers don't want to pay for the more direct, and expensive ride.But what riders will gain is time. For example, there are normally 11 stops passengers getting on in Mountain View heading to Great America. Now, the express will now makes just one stop in between. As another example, passengers who get on at the Santa Teresa station will only have to make seven stops on the way to the stadium, instead of the normal 26 stops.For fans leaving the game, the express train will be a boon, Hendler Ross said. Often after a game, 10,000 people have to wait...