Tickets for the Galveston rail trolley are free the weekend of Oct. 1. After, the fare is $1. 

Fans of light rail in Galveston can breathe easy again. The island's famed rail trolley will return Oct. 1 after a 13-year service gap. In 2008, Hurricane Ike brought 12 feet of storm surge to the area, damaging all four of the city's trolley cars and knocking the rail line out of operation. Galveston has since offered rides on rubber-tired trolleys, but the original rails have remained dormant.

Now, three trolleys will return to service and traverse the shared lanes on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. Rides will be free for the cars' first weekend of operation starting Oct. 1. A $1 general fare will be implemented for all weekends thereafter. 

In 1988, rail returned to Galveston after a 50-year hiatus. It is once again returning to the island Oct. 1. 

"There is no better way to see the historic architecture of downtown Galveston and visit the restaurants and shops than by streetcar," Galveston Mayor Craig Brown told Galveston Daily News columnist Mary Beth Bassett. 

The history of Galveston's trolleys can be traced back to 1867, when the city first debuted its first fleet of mule-drawn streetcars in the downtown area. In 1891, electric trolleys were introduced to the grid and routes were established along the area now known as the seawall. 

Damage to Galveston, Texas during the 1900 Storm. Bath Street trolley operated along the seawall, giving passengers a close look at the Gulf of Mexico. When a hurricane crossed the island Sept. 8, 1900, pushing a huge tidal wave, a quarter-mile of the trestle, complete with rails and wooden supports, was washed along sweeping homes into the water and killing many of the thousands of residents living near the beach. 

Galveston's electric rails remained in service until 1938, and were later brought back in 1988 as a legacy project honoring the city's past.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) helped fund this latest restoration of the lapsed rail circuit, which was initially slated for completion by 2018, according to the Galveston trolley website. After a three-year delay, the latest iteration of Galveston's famous trolleys offer two lines traversing downtown and the seawall, passing each stop on the route every 30 minutes.

Will you be taking the inaugural trip this Friday? Let me know your thoughts on Twitter: @jayrjordan

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Jay R. Jordan writes about how we get around Houston, among other topics like the environment and hot takes on complimentary bread.