Changes ahead for Hermann Park train?

We're not ashamed to admit it: We love the little train that goes around Hermann Park. The tiny cars, the meandering route, the tunnel, the bridge — all of it, we suppose, reminds us of our childhoods, when it didn't really matter that we were riding a train that just went in a big circle. So we're interested to see how a proposal to overhaul the train works out: Will it preserve what we love about the train, or take away all the fun? We'll have to see.

The proposal calls for spending $4 million on train upgrades, including new trains, new tracks, a new station and a revised route that would include three new stops. According to a report from last year, the stops would be near the Museum of Natural Science, the Hermann Park-Rice MetroRail station and the Memorial Hermann Hospital/Houston Zoo MetroRail station — so much of the train traffic might involve people headed from the MetroRail line to the museum and other parts of the park. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but it does make us wonder whether the train will keep its kid-friendly atmosphere. "It is a little bittersweet when some of the things that have been part of our life get a new life. But it is also great to see the development and the partnership [with the Hermann Park Conservancy] for a better quality of life and better environment for our citizens," City Councilwoman Pam Holm said.

The train proposal, part of $11 million in planned improvements for Hermann Park's Lake Plaza, will be considered at Wednesday's City Council meeting.