Metro trains tackle Super Bowl traffic, hit new high

Fans arrive by Metro rail to NRG Stadium for Super Bowl Sunday, Feb. 5, 2017, in Houston. Fans arrive by Metro rail to NRG Stadium for Super Bowl Sunday, Feb. 5, 2017, in Houston. Photo: Melissa Phillip, Houston Chronicle Photo: Melissa Phillip, Houston Chronicle Image 1 of / 74 Caption Close Metro trains tackle Super Bowl traffic, hit new high 1 / 74 Back to Gallery

Sunday might have been the Super Bowl, but Saturday was Metro’s super day.

Ridership estimates released Monday by Metropolitan Transit Authority showed rail use skyrocketed to 109,500 trips on Feb. 4 as people moved around the area for festivities. The use shatters the previous one-day rail record of 98,600 on March 16, 2016, during the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo.

“We are thrilled we were able to serve the community in such a meaningful way,” Metro chairwoman Carrin Patman said, in a news release.

AIRPORT TRAFFIC: 'Thanksgiving on steroids' at Houston airport after Super Bowl

On a typical Saturday, Houston’s rail system rarely carries more than 30,000 people.

For the 10-day period around the Super Bowl, Metro officials estimate they handled 680,100 trips by rail and another 26,700 via shuttle buses.

Sunday, the rail system handled 70,400 trips, most to and from NRG Stadium. A typical Sunday for Metro rail use is about 20,000 to 23,000 trips, depending on weather and other factors.

>>>Scroll through the above gallery to see what Houston learned from Super Bowl LI