PHOENIX -- Valley Metro engineers said Thursday night's high speed test of light rail overnight near 50th and Washington streets was successful.

"Things went great. The train performed the way it was designed to perform and that's all good," said Joe Murie with Valley Metro.

"We had a very safe operation. We worked very, very well with Phoenix PD to secure intersections to make sure we were really safe," Murie said. "We're checking the propulsion, how the train accelerates, how it breaks, how it decelerates and everything went really, really well."

Metro engineers fired the train up to 55 mph. It was the first train tested, with 49 others to follow.

Murie said the testing will continue. "Tonight was just the first train 101 we call it. We have to run that train for many, many, many months before we will accept the train from the manufacturer. This is part of the qualification testing."

The first 20 miles of light rail will be fully operational by late 2008.