CapMetro’s CEO publicly apologized Sunday afternoon, less than a day passengers experienced massive delays and crowded trains during Austin FC’s season opener and the highly anticipated inauguration of the $60 million McKalla station.

“To every customer that was affected by delays or was frustrated by lack of clarity in our communication about the challenges we were experiencing, I sincerely apologize, said CEO Dottie Watkins in a thread on X, formerly Twitter.

The McKalla station is seen as a crown jewel for CapMetro, a direct route for fans to take the train to and from home soccer matches at Q2 Stadium. Instead, fans took to social media to blast the delays before and after Saturday’s Austin’s FC 2-1 loss to Minnesota United FC.

Passengers documented their concerns about the crowded trains, which reached capacity by the train’s second stop, at Saltillo. Buses transported spillover passengers from Downtown/Saltillo to McKalla, though many would-be passengers opted to take ride-shares instead. According to a statement released February 22, the McKalla station is intended to “provide more convenient, reliable, and efficient options to the Q2 Stadium and the surrounding neighborhood.”

Watkins promised to make amends by making all CapMetro Rail rides on March 9, “fare-free, all day, for all customers on the Red Line. It’s going to be SXSW, another Austin FC match day, and we’re going to have all hands on deck. We will improve, thanks for riding.”

Austin FC is scheduled to play at 7:30 pm, March 9 against St. Louis City SC at Q2 Stadium. The SXSW Conference, a global conference in Austin, runs from March 8-16.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Ausin FC fans suffer delays on CapMetro’s Red Line for home opener