Gold Line (Sacramento RT)

Gold Line
Overview
Type	Light rail
System	Sacramento RT Light Rail
Status	Operational
Locale	Sacramento, California
Termini	Downtown (west); Folsom (east)
Stations	27
Services	Route 507
Operation
Opened	March 12, 1987 (as Watt/I-80-Downtown-Butterfield)
Operator(s)	Sacramento Regional Transit District
Technical
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) standard gauge
Route map
	Blue Line
	Valley Rail (2020)

The Gold Line is a light rail transit line in the Sacramento Regional Transit District (RT) light rail system. Operating between Sacramento Valley and Historic Folsom stations, the lines runs primarily east-west in Sacramento (including downtown, Midtown, East Sacramento), portions of unincorporated Sacramento County, Rancho Cordova, Gold River and Folsom. Portions of the Gold Line run along the original initial alignment between 16th Street and Butterfield stations.

History

The first light rail line of the RT, which opened in 1987, was an 18.3-mile (29.5 km) route between Watt/I-80 station in North Sacramento, through downtown, and continuing east on Folsom Boulevard to Butterfield Way station. It was built at a cost of $176 million USD ($379 million adjusted for inflation), which included the cost of vehicles and maintenance and storage facilities. Much of the line, when it was first built, was single-tracked, though improvements over the 1990s allowed much of the original system to be double-tracked. The line was built mainly using the Sacramento Valley Railroad right-of-way, coupled with use of structures of an abandoned freeway project. A limited portion of the route runs on streets, mainly in downtown Sacramento.

The line became more popular than anyone anticipated, necessitating further expansions and improvements. Two new stations at 39th and 48th streets opened in 1995, and a 2.3-mile (3.7 km) extension to the Mather Field/Mills station was completed the same year. In June 2004, a further extension from Mather Field/Mills to Sunrise was opened.

On September 26, 2003, the South Line (now part of the Blue Line) opened for 6.3 miles (10.1 km) between the 16th Street station on the Watt/I-80-Downtown-Mather Field/Mills line and a station at Meadowview Road in the south end, which is the first phase of a planned longer 11.2-mile (18.0 km) line to Elk Grove. Much of the extension follows a railroad right-of-way. When it opened, 7 new stops were added to the system.

In June 2005, following a reconfiguration of the light rail system, the Sunrise-Downtown Line was created (it formerly continued beyond the downtown St. Rose of Lima Park station to Watt/I-80); it runs from St. Rose/K-Street to Sunrise with an extension to the Folsom area that opened on October 15, 2005. It has since been redesignated in color as the Gold Line. On December 8, 2006 it was extended even further to the downtown Amtrak depot (a.k.a. the Sacramento Valley Station), connecting the light rail system to the national rail system for the first time.

Line description

The Gold Line begins at its western terminus in downtown at the Sacramento Valley station where it connects with Amtrak. From there it travels on H Street in a single-track, then diverges into one-way tracks for 7th and 8th Streets where it joins the Blue and Green Lines. It then turns westward on O Street, southward on 12th, then eastward in an alley paralleling Q and R Streets. After passing the 16th Street station, the Gold Line splits from the Blue Line (the Green Line terminates at 13th Street station), crossing over the Bee Bridge before continuing on R Street in Midtown. It continues in its own right-of-way in East Sacramento next to Highway 50, then crosses under Highway 50 and parallels Folsom Boulevard for most of its length. The Gold Line then reaches its eastern terminus at Historic Folsom station in Folsom, although some trains terminate at Sunrise station.

Listing of stations on the Gold Line

Note: former stations are highlighted in gray. The 7th & K platform of the St. Rose of Lima Park station closed permanently as of September 30, 2016.

Station	Opened	Bike lockers	Transfers
Sacramento Valley Station	2006	No	Amtrak RT buses 30,31
7th & I/County Center (outbound only)	2007	No	Green Line Many RT buses
8th & H/County Center (inbound only)	2012	No	Green Line Many RT buses
8th & K (inbound only)	2006	No	Green Line Many RT buses
St. Rose of Lima Park (southbound: 7th & K)	1987	No	Blue and Green Lines Many RT buses Closed September 30, 2016
7th & Capitol (outbound); 8th & Capitol (inbound)	1987	No	Blue and Green Lines Many RT buses
8th & O	1987	No	Blue and Green Lines Many RT buses
Archives Plaza	1987	No	Blue and Green Lines
13th Street	1987	No	Blue and Green Lines
16th Street	1987	Yes	Blue Line RT bus 6
23rd Street	1987	Yes	No transfers on site
29th Street	1987	No	RT buses 38, 67, 68, e-tran, El Dorado Transit, Mercy Hospital Shuttle, Sutter Hospital Shuttle
39th Street	1995	Yes	RT bus 213, 214, UCDMC Shuttle
48th Street	1995	Yes	No transfers on site
59th Street	1987	Yes	No transfers on site
University/65th Street	1987	Yes	RT buses 26, 34, 36, 38, 81, 82, 87, Amador County Transit
Power Inn	1987	Yes	RT bus 61
College Greens	1987	Yes	RT bus 61
Watt/Manlove	1987	Yes	RT buses 72, 80, 84, 255
Starfire	1987	Yes	RT buses 80, 84
Tiber	1987	Yes	No bus transfers on site
Butterfield	1987	Yes	e-tran 70 and Roseville Transit 51
Mather Field/Mills	1998	Yes	RT buses 21, 72, 74, 75, VA Hospital Shuttle
Zinfandel	2004	No	No transfers on Site
Cordova Town Center	2004	No	RT bus 28
Sunrise	2004	Yes	RT bus 74
Hazel	2005	No	No transfers on site
Iron Point	2005	No	Folsom Stage Lines
Glenn	2005	No	Folsom Stage Lines
Historic Folsom	2005	No	Folsom Stage Lines

Fleet images

A CAF trainset Train at Mather Field/Mills station
A CAF LRV at Archives Plaza Station

External links

Route map:

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