Some Hawkeye fans hoping to avoid traffic congestion in Iowa City are hopping the train to get to the game. Iowa Northern Railway rents its so-called “Hawkeye Express” to the University of Iowa athletic department for use on Saturdays during the football season.
The six-car, double-decker train can haul up to 6,000 fans to each game. Riders board the train in Coralville, near Highway 6 and the Coral Ridge Mall, and they are delivered to the base of Kinnick Stadium.
Sabin says the Hawkeye Express is not exclusively for Hawkeye fans. “We see a lot of the visiting fans using the train now, and it’s always a lot of excitement. There’s a sound system on so the pre-game show is on and if anyone gets on while the game is still on they can be listening to the football game on the loudspeakers and everybody has a pretty good time,” Sabin says.
“It’s a great way to go in for the excitement of the football game.” Tickets to ride the train are 10 dollars for adults. Children 12 and under ride for free. Departures from Coralville start three hours before kick-off and it takes about eight minutes to ride from Coralville to the stadium.