Red Line (MARTA)

Red Line
A Red Line train near Dunwoody station
Overview
StatusOperational
LocaleAtlanta, Georgia
Termini
Stations19 (11 North, Five Points, 7 South)
Service
TypeRapid transit
SystemMARTA rail
Operator(s)MARTA
Rolling stockSee MARTA rail#Rolling stock
History
Opened1996
Technical
Characterat grade, elevated, underground
Track gauge4 ft 8+12 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
ElectrificationThird rail750 V DC
Route map
Map Red Line highlighted in red
 Red 
N11
North Springs Parking
N10
Sandy Springs Parking
N9
Dunwoody Parking
N8
Medical Center Parking
N7
Buckhead
 Gold 
NE10
Doraville Parking
NE9
Chamblee Parking
NE8
Brookhaven/​Oglethorpe Parking
NE7
Lenox Parking
N6
Lindbergh Center Parking
Armour Yards
N5
Arts Center
N4
Midtown
N3
North Avenue
N2
Civic Center
N1
Peachtree Center Atlanta Streetcar
0
Five Points
S1
Garnett
S2
West End Parking
Murphy Crossing
S3
Oakland City Parking
S4
Lakewood/​Fort McPherson Parking
S5
East Point Parking
S6
College Park Parking
South Yard & Shops
Red
Gold
S7
Airport enlarge… Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport Parking
Key
Red Line
Gold Line
Red/Gold
Blue/Green
Yard tracks

Handicapped/disabled access All stations are accessible

The Red Line is a rapid transit line in the MARTA rail system. It operates between North Springs and Airport stations, running through Sandy Springs, Dunwoody, Atlanta, East Point and College Park.

History

What is now the Gold and Red Lines' shared section was originally opened on December 4, 1981, as the North-South Line between Garnett and North Avenue.[1][2] On September 11, 1982, an infill station at Peachtree Center opened, while the North-South Line was extended south by one stop to West End station.[1][2] On December 18 the same year, the North-South Line was extended northward to Midtown and Arts Center.[1][2] On December 15, 1984, the Lakewood/​Fort McPherson, Oakland City, and Lindbergh Center stations all opened, as did the Lenox, and Brookhaven on what was then the northernmost portion of the North-South Line (what is now the Gold Line).[1][2] East Point station opened on August 16, 1986, followed by Chamblee (now a Gold Line station) on December 19, 1987, and the College Park and Airport on June 18, 1988.[1][2] Finally, Doraville (later the northern terminus of the Gold Line) opened on December 29, 1992.[1][2]

On June 8, 1996, MARTA added a new branch of the North-South Line, with stations at Buckhead, Medical Center, and Dunwoody: the first rail stations served exclusively by what is now the Red Line.[1] To distinguish the two lines, the line to Dunwoody assumed the North-South Rail Line name,[3][4] while the line to Doraville became the Northeast-South Rail Line[5] (sometimes known as the Northeast Line for short).[3] However, both the North-South Line and the Northeast Line continued to be colored on maps in orange as a single North-South Rail Line.[3][6]

In December 2006, the North-South Line began to be colored as red, distinguishing it from the Northeast Line, which retained the color orange.[7] Later, in October 2009, MARTA introduced a color-coded system of naming rail lines, with the North-South Line being renamed to the Red Line, and the Northeast Line being renamed to the Yellow Line,[8] [9] and then to the Gold Line.[10]

Future

On March 25, 2024, Andre Dickens, the mayor of Atlanta, announced plans for four new infill stations on the MARTA rail network, with one of them, Murphy Crossing, being a station on the Red and Gold Lines' shared section. Murphy Crossing will be on the west side of the Atlanta Beltline.[11] On April 11, Dickens announced that another one of the four proposed stations will also be shared by the Red and Gold Lines: namely, Armour Yards, located near the similarly-named Armour Yard.[12]

Operations

Now known as the Red Line, it shares trackage with its counterpart, the Gold Line, between Airport and just north of the Lindbergh Center.

On weekdays, after 8:30 pm, Red Line shuttle train service operates between North Springs and Lindbergh Center stations only until the end of the service. On Saturdays and Sundays, Red Line shuttle train service operates between North Springs and Lindbergh Center stations only from 8:50 pm until the end of the service. When major single tracking occurs, Red Line train service operates between North Springs and Lindbergh Center stations only.[13]

Line description

The Red Line runs above ground, at-grade and below ground in various portions of its route. It begins at the northern terminus, the North Springs station in Sandy Springs. The non-revenue tracks extend northward from the station. It then goes southward paralleling GA 400 (Turner McDonald Parkway) before turning southeast to Dunwoody, then turning south to cross over I-285, then west before running south in the GA 400 median. In Buckhead, it crosses under the Gold Line before joining the Gold Line, going southwest paralleling I-85. It turns south through Midtown and enters downtown Atlanta, where it meets the Blue and Green Lines at Five Points station. Leaving downtown, the Red Line continues south, paralleling Lee Street and Main Street into East Point and College Park before reaching its terminus at the Airport station.

Stations

listed from north to south

Station Code Opening
year
Rail Line
Transfer
Service pattern
Main Line
Regular service
Shuttle
8:30 pm – 1:00 am
North Springs N11 December 16, 2000[14]
Sandy Springs N10
Dunwoody N9 June 8, 1996[1]
Medical Center N8
Buckhead N7
Lindbergh Center[15] N6 December 15, 1984[1]  Gold 
Arts Center[16] N5 December 18, 1982[1]  Gold 
Midtown[17] N4  Gold 
North Avenue[18] N3 December 4, 1981[1]  Gold 
Civic Center [19] N2  Gold 
Peachtree Center[20] N1 September 11, 1982[1][21]  Gold  Streetcar 
Five Points[note 1][22][22] December 4, 1981[1]  Gold  Blue  Green 
Garnett[23] S1  Gold 
West End[24] S2 September 11, 1982[1][2]  Gold 
Oakland City[25] S3 December 15, 1984[1]  Gold 
Lakewood/Fort McPherson[26] S4  Gold 
East Point[27] S5 August 16, 1986  Gold 
College Park[28] S6 June 18, 1988.[29]  Gold 
Airport S7  Gold 
  1. ^ The east–west (now Blue/Green Line) platform opened in 1979.

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o "nycsubway.org: Atlanta, Georgia". www.nycsubway.org. Retrieved May 15, 2024.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g Sams, Douglas. "Jacoby eyes MARTA rail to Ford site". www.bizjournals.com. Retrieved May 15, 2024.
  3. ^ a b c "Getting There on MARTA - Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority". Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority. Archived from the original on August 1, 2003. Retrieved December 17, 2024.
  4. ^ "North-South Rail Line - MARTA". Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority. Archived from the original on August 10, 2003. Retrieved December 17, 2024.
  5. ^ "Northeast-South Rail Line - MARTA". Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority. Archived from the original on August 10, 2003. Retrieved December 17, 2024.
  6. ^ "MARTA - Getting There - Rail Schedules & Maps". Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority. Archived from the original on March 8, 2006. Retrieved December 17, 2024.
  7. ^ "MARTA - Getting There - Rail Schedules & Maps". Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority. Archived from the original on December 29, 2006. Retrieved December 17, 2024.
  8. ^ "MARTA launches color-coded rail system". www.metro-magazine.com. Metro Magazine. October 2, 2009. Archived from the original on January 26, 2021. Retrieved May 15, 2024.
  9. ^ "Rail Stations & Schedules". www.itsmarta.com. Archived from the original on August 19, 2009. Retrieved May 15, 2024.
  10. ^ Ariel Hart (February 11, 2010). "MARTA changes "yellow" line to "gold"". Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Archived from the original on February 14, 2010. Retrieved February 11, 2010.
  11. ^ Hansen, Zachary (March 25, 2024). "Atlanta mayor announces 4 new MARTA rail stations, including near Beltline". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Cox Enterprises. Retrieved April 12, 2024.
  12. ^ Bunch, Riley (April 11, 2024). "Mayor Dickens announces locations of new Atlanta MARTA stations". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Cox Enterprises. Retrieved April 12, 2024.
  13. ^ "Red Line". itsmarta.com. Retrieved December 18, 2024.
  14. ^ "MARTA North Springs Station Video". YouTube. Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority. Archived from the original on December 22, 2021. Retrieved July 22, 2015.
  15. ^ "http://itsmarta.com/ne-lin-overview.aspx"
  16. ^ "http://itsmarta.com/ns-art-overview.aspx"
  17. ^ "http://itsmarta.com/ns-mid-overview.aspx"
  18. ^ "http://itsmarta.com/ns-nor-overview.aspx"
  19. ^ "http://itsmarta.com/ns-civ-overview.aspx"
  20. ^ "http://itsmarta.com/ns-pea-overview.aspx"
  21. ^ "Peachtree Center Station Tour https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2DDOKOpKmJA"
  22. ^ a b "Five Points Station Tour: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gkLKot2vk3Y"
  23. ^ "http://itsmarta.com/ns-gar-overview.aspx"
  24. ^ "http://itsmarta.com/ns-wes-overview.aspx"
  25. ^ "http://itsmarta.com/ns-oak-overview.aspx"
  26. ^ "http://itsmarta.com/ns-lak-overview.aspx"
  27. ^ "http://itsmarta.com/ns-eas-overview.aspx"
  28. ^ "College Park Station http://itsmarta.com/ns-col-overview.aspx"
  29. ^ "Airport Station Tour https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wNcj6GOTen0"
KML is from Wikidata