Blue Line (MARTA)

Blue Line
Overview
Type	Rapid transit
System	Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority
Status	Operational
Locale	Atlanta, Georgia
Termini	Hamilton E. Holmes (west) Indian Creek (east)
Stations	15 (5 West, Five Points, 9 East)
Operation
Opened	1979
Operator(s)	MARTA
Technical
Track gauge	4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm)
Electrification	third rail
Highest elevation	at grade, elevated, underground

Blue & Green Lines
Indian Creek  Blue  I-285 Kensington Avondale Decatur East Lake Edgewood – Candler Park  Green  Inman Park – Reynoldstown King Memorial I-75 / I-85 (Downtown Connector) Georgia State Five Points Red and Gold Lines Dome Vine City Ashby Bankhead  Green  West Lake I-20 Hamilton E. Holmes  Blue

The Blue Line is a rapid transit line in the MARTA rail system. It operates between Hamilton E. Holmes and Indian Creek stations, running through Atlanta, Decatur and portions of unincorporated DeKalb County.

The Blue Line was previously called the East-West Line until MARTA switched to a color-based naming system in October 2009. The East-West Line, from its launch, was considered one line (denoted with the Blue Line color on old system maps) until 2006 when the West branch and the Proctor Creek branch were redesignated as the East-West Line (the current Blue Line) and the Proctor Creek Line (the current Green Line).

The rail line was part of the initial launch of MARTA rail service in 1979. The first segment ran from the East Line segment from Georgia State to the Avondale stations upon the opening in June of that year. By the end of 1979, it extended west to the Hightower station (now Hamilton E. Holmes) on the West Line segment, which serves as that station's terminus. Although the North-South line was expanded throughout the 1980s, the East-West line did not see any extension since its opening until 1992 when the Proctor Creek branch of the line opened to its terminus at Bankhead station. It finally extended to its current eastern terminus at Indian Creek in September 1993.

Now known as the Blue Line, it shares trackage with its counterpart, the Green Line, between just west of Ashby and Edgewood/Candler Park.

Stations

listed from west to east

• Note: The North-South (now Red/Gold Line) platform opened in 1981.

External links

Route map:

• Blue Line overview
• Blue Line schedule