Red Line (MARTA)

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Red Line
A Red Line train near Dunwoody station
Overview
Status	Operational
Locale	Atlanta, Georgia
Termini	North Springs (north) Airport (south)
Stations	19 (11 North, Five Points, 7 South)
Service
Type	Rapid transit
System	MARTA rail
Operator(s)	MARTA
Rolling stock	See MARTA rail#Rolling stock
History
Opened	1996
Technical
Character	at grade, elevated, underground
Track gauge	4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Electrification	Third rail, 750 V DC
Route map Red Line highlighted in red Show interactive map Legend  Red  N11 North Springs N10 Sandy Springs N9 Dunwoody I-285 N8 Medical Center N7 Buckhead  Gold  NE10 Doraville NE9 Chamblee NE8 Brookhaven/​Oglethorpe NE7 Lenox SR 400 N6 Lindbergh Center Armour Yard Armour Yards I-85 N5 Arts Center N4 Midtown N3 North Avenue N2 Civic Center N1 Peachtree Center Atlanta Streetcar 0 Five Points Blue Green S1 Garnett I-20 S2 West End Murphy Crossing S3 Oakland City S4 Lakewood/​Fort McPherson S5 East Point S6 College Park South Yard & Shops I-85 Red Gold S7 Airport Key Red Line Gold Line Red/Gold Blue/Green Yard tracks All stations are accessible This diagram: view talk Show route diagram

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.

The Red Line was originally called the North-South Line until MARTA switched to a color-based naming system in October 2009. The North-South Line, from its launch, was considered one line, denoted with an orange color on old system maps until 2006 when the North Branch and the Northeast branch were redesignated as the North-South Line (the current Red Line) and the Northeast-South Line (the current Gold Line). Using the Five Points station as a reference point, the North Line was designated for trips headed for North Springs, and the South Line was designated for trips headed for the Airport.

The rail line was part of the launch of MARTA north–south rail service in 1981. The first segment ran from the Garnett to the North Avenue stations, although the Peachtree Center opened the year after as an infill. In 1982, it expanded north to Arts Center, and in 1984, expanded as far north as Brookhaven and as far south as Lakewood/Fort McPherson. The East Point station opened, extending the line two miles to the south. A little more than a year later, the Chamblee station began service and served as the temporary terminus of the North Line. In 1988, the Airport station opened, and became the terminus of the South Line. In 1992, the North-South Line was extended northward to its current terminus at Doraville. In 1996, MARTA extended North Line services to Dunwoody. This created two branches of the North Line, and the Doraville branch was redesignated as the Northeast Line to avoid confusion. It finally extended north to its current terminus at North Springs in 2000.

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.

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.

listed from north to south

• Note: The east–west (now Blue/Green Line) platform opened in 1979.

• Red Line overview
• Red Line schedule