Houston Metro replaces Red Line rail service with shuttles ahead of Portugal-DR Congo match

Houston Metro temporarily replaced southbound Red Line rail service with shuttle buses on Wednesday ahead of the Portugal-DR Congo World Cup match at NRG Park.

The change ran between Downtown Transit Center and Burnett Transit Center, affecting fans traveling to the stadium and riders trying to leave after kickoff. The match was scheduled for noon on June 17, 2026.

Transit change before kickoff

The Chronicle reported that Metro swapped out southbound rail service and used shuttle buses in its place on the Red Line corridor. The outlet said the move was tied to an accident, although the broader operating picture also included crowding and weather planning around the event.

The Red Line is the main rail link used by many eventgoers heading to NRG Park, so the change had direct impact on match-day travel.

Crowd and weather concerns

Metro was already under pressure after Houston's previous World Cup match, when riders waited nearly two hours for rail service and more than 20,000 postgame rail riders created a bottleneck. Some riders also reported minor heat-related issues.

In a separate report, Metro Chair Elizabeth Gonzalez Brock said NRG Center would open as an air-conditioned waiting area for riders after the Portugal-DR Congo match. Officials were also watching for severe thunderstorms and possible street flooding that could affect bus routes.

What to watch

It was not immediately clear how long the shuttle substitution would remain in place, whether Metro issued a formal service alert with more operational detail, or whether the cited accident caused a broader Red Line disruption beyond the match-day corridor.

The service change came as Houston hosted its second 2026 World Cup match and transit agencies tried to avoid a repeat of the long postgame delays seen after the first game.