Blue Line (Pittsburgh)

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Pittsburgh Light Rail Blue Line
Siemens SD-400s 4236.jpg
Blue Line train
Overview
OwnerPort Authority of Allegheny County
LocalePittsburgh
Stations24
Service
TypeLight rail
SystemPittsburgh Light Rail
Operator(s)Port Authority of Allegheny County
Depot(s)South Hills Village Rail Center
Rolling stockSiemens SD-400, CAF LRV
Daily ridership9,239 (2018)[1]
Technical
Track gauge5 ft 2+12 in (1,588 mm)
ElectrificationOverhead lines
Route map

Legend
Allegheny
North Side
Gateway
Wood Street
Penn Station
occasional use
Martin Luther King Jr. East Busway Amtrak
Steel Plaza
First Avenue
I-376.svgUS 22.svgUS 30.svg
I-376 / US 22 / US 30
Penn Lincoln Parkway
Station Square
Monongahela Incline South Busway
South Hills Junction
South Busway
LowerLeft arrow  Red Line
Boggs
Bon Air
Denise
South Bank
South Busway
McNeilly
Killarney
Memorial Hall
Overbrook
Junction
| Willow
St. Anne's
Smith Road
Castle Shannon
Bethel Park
Washington Junction
Casswell
Highland
Bethel Village
Dorchester
South Hills Village
Bethel Park
Upper St. Clair
South Hills Village
Rail Center

The Blue Line is a Pittsburgh Light Rail line that runs between Downtown Pittsburgh via the Overbrook neighborhood to South Hills Village (formerly 47S South Hills Village via Overbrook).

History[]

The line from South Hills Junction to Castle Shannon (now called the Overbrook Line) was first constructed by the Pittsburgh and Castle Shannon Railroad between 1872 and 1874.[2] In 1905 Pittsburgh Railways leased the route and between 1909 and 1910 converted it from narrow gauge to dual gauge and installed overhead power for trolleys.

Mid-20th century PCC streetcars continued to operate on the Overbrook Line until 1993, when concerns about the safety of the line led PAT to suspend service there pending reconstruction. This former Pittsburgh Railways trolley line had never been updated to current light rail system requirements. After receiving federal funding for Stage Two of the light rail system development, the Overbrook line was reconstructed as a fully rebuilt double-tracked line served by modern light rail vehicles, making this line a considerably faster commute.

The line was reopened on June 2, 2004, following major work which included doubling of the track and elimination of 22 traditional street level trolley stops in favor of eight new LRV style stations with platforms.[3]

Route[]

The line starts at Allegheny station on the North Shore, makes an additional stop at North Side, then proceeds under the Allegheny River and continues underground to Gateway Center, Wood Street and Steel Plaza. The line then surfaces at First Avenue. Leaving downtown, it crosses the Monongahela River on the Panhandle Bridge, stopping at Station Square before running through the Mount Washington Transit Tunnel. At South Hills Junction the Library branch rejoins the Beechview line and the former Brown Line, which ran over Mount Washington through the Allentown neighborhood. The Blue Line continues south through Beltzhoover, Bon Air, Carrick, Brookline, and Overbrook. At Bethel Park a transfer is provided to the Red Line, which reaches the same location via Beechview. Beyond Washington Junction the line splits.

The South Hills Village branch was created in 1987 to complement the Red Line, which runs through Beechview before reaching the same terminus. This line was originally operated using PCCs, most notably the 4000 series, because the new light rail cars were incompatible with the Overbrook line due to its age and condition. Service was suspended when the Overbrook Line closed in 1993, but was reinstated after that line was rebuilt and reopened in 2004.

On June 25, 2012, the Port Authority closed two stations on the South Hills Village Branch as part of a system-wide consolidation: Santa Barbara and Martin Villa.[4]

Until February 2020 the line consisted of 36 stations including the Library branch which was later adopted exclusively by the Silver Line.[5]

Station list[]

The Pittsburgh Light Rail has three types of stations. They are low platform, high platform, and underground. High platform and underground stations are wheelchair accessible as the train doors are level with the platform. Low platform stations are not wheelchair accessible as they require passengers to climb stairs to board the light rail vehicle.

Name Miles[1] Station Type Other services Municipality
Allegheny Disabled access 0.00 high platform      Red Line,      Silver Line Pittsburgh / Chateau
North Side Disabled access 0.51 underground Pittsburgh / North Shore
Gateway Center Disabled access 1.00 Pittsburgh / Central Business District
Wood Street Disabled access 1.26
Steel Plaza Disabled access 1.55
First Avenue Disabled access 1.88 high platform
Station Square Disabled access 2.41      Red Line,      Silver Line,      South Busway, Monongahela Incline Monongahela Incline Pittsburgh / South Shore
South Hills Junction Disabled access 3.25      Red Line,      Silver Line,      South Busway Pittsburgh / Mt. Washington
Boggs Disabled access 3.66      Silver Line Pittsburgh / Beltzhoover
Bon Air Disabled access 4.30 Pittsburgh / Bon Air
Denise Disabled access 5.09 Pittsburgh / Carrick
South Bank Disabled access 5.49      Silver Line,      South Busway Pittsburgh / Overbrook
McNeilly Disabled access 6.73      Silver Line Baldwin Township
Killarney Disabled access 7.06 Castle Shannon
Memorial Hall Disabled access 7.76
Willow Disabled access 8.31
St. Anne's 8.69 low platform      Red Line,      Silver Line
Smith Road 8.97
Washington Junction Disabled access 9.21 high platform Bethel Park
Casswell 9.69 low platform      Red Line
Highland 9.98
Bethel Village 10.46
Dorchester 10.75
South Hills Village Disabled access 11.02 high platform Upper St. Clair

References[]

  1. ^ a b "PAAC System Map". Port Authority.
  2. ^ "Historic American Engineering Record - Pittsburgh & Castle Shannon Railroad, Reflectorville Viaduct, Overbrook Trolley Line, crossing near Edgebrook Av, Pittsburgh, Allegheny County, PA". Retrieved March 20, 2010.
  3. ^ JW, RAH (July 1, 2004). "Five cities dedicate light rail lines". Railway Gazette. Retrieved July 29, 2010.
  4. ^ "Eleven T Stops Close June 25". Port Authority of Allegheny County. June 22, 2012. Archived from the original on August 18, 2012. Retrieved July 28, 2015.
  5. ^ "Port Authority to rename a light rail service to Silver Line Library".

External links[]

Route map:

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