The Red Line is the older and longer line of the MetroLink light rail system in Greater St. Louis. It serves 29 stations across three counties and two states.
History
edit
Transit planning along the Airport/Central corridor began as early as 1971, when it was selected as the region's primary target for further study. In 1983, funding was approved to evaluate five mode alternatives, which culminated in a 1984 draft environmental impact statement. After a series of public hearings, the East–West Gateway Council of Governments adopted light rail as the region's preferred mode alternative.[1]: 203
The project's capital expense budget was $287.7 million (equivalent to $640 million in 2023 dollars), which covered design, engineering, construction, and testing.[1]: 201 The city of St. Louis acquired unused railroad facilities and property with an estimated value of $100 million and donated it to the project, supplying the local match.[1]: 201
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Construction on the initial 13.9-mile (22.4 km) alignment began in 1990. It opened on July 31, 1993 with 16 stations between North Hanley and 5th & Missouri.[2] The remainder of this initial 17-mile (27 km) alignment was completed on June 25, 1994, when the extension to Lambert Airport Main opened.[3] Three infill stations have been added to this original alignment: East Riverfront in 1994, Lambert Airport East in 1998, and Cortex in 2018.[4][5]
In 1998, construction began on the 17.4-mile (28.0 km), eight station St. Clair County, Illinois extension between 5th & Missouri and College, opening in May 2001. The total project cost was $339.2 million with $243.9 million paid by the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) and $95.2 million paid by the St. Clair County Transit District (SCCTD).[6] An additional $75 million, 3.5-mile (5.6 km) extension from College to the Shiloh-Scott station opened in 2003. It was funded by a $60 million grant from the Illinois FIRST (Fund for Infrastructure, Roads, Schools, and Transit) Program and $15 million from SCCTD.[7]
From its 1993 opening until October 27, 2008, the Red Line was known as the Lambert Airport branch.[8]
On July 26, 2022, portions of the Red Line were impacted by a flash flood that shut down the system for nearly 72 hours and caused roughly $40 million in damage.[9][10] Damages included nearly 5 miles (8.0 km) of track bed, two elevators, two communications rooms and three signal houses.[11] By that September, normal Red Line service had resumed while restricted service continued on the Blue Line.[12]
On July 31, 2023, Metro received $27.7 million in federal emergency disaster relief funding to help cover the cost of flood damage.[13]
Route
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The 38-mile (61 km) Red Line alignment begins at Lambert St. Louis International Airport, making stops at the Terminal 1 and Terminal 2 stations. It then proceeds through Kinloch before making a stop at the North Hanley station near Bel-Ridge. It makes 2 stops (UMSL North & UMSL South) at the University of Missouri St. Louis located in Normandy. After departing UMSL, trains divert south onto the former Wabash/Norfolk & Western Railroad's Union Depot line that once brought passenger trains from Ferguson to Union Station. It then travels into Pagedale stopping at the Rock Road station and then at Wellston's namesake station on Plymouth Street. From here, the Red Line crosses the St. Louis City/County boundary line at Skinker Boulevard, making a stop at the Delmar Loop station which serves the popular Delmar Loop area and is located just below the original Wabash Railroad's Delmar Station building. At the following station, Forest Park-DeBaliviere, the Red Line meets the Blue Line. From this station the two services share a track alignment with each other until the Blue Line terminates at the Fairview Heights station in Illinois.
Shared Alignment
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From the Forest Park-DeBaliviere station, the Red and Blue lines share the same set of tracks for the next 16 stations.[14] Continuing east, the Central West End and Cortex stations serve the popular Central West End neighborhood, Washington University Medical Center and Cortex Innovation Community. The Grand station transfers with the busy #70 MetroBus line and serves Saint Louis University and its hospital. Next, the Union Station, Civic Center, Stadium, 8th & Pine, Convention Center, and Laclede's Landing stations serve downtown St. Louis and its many popular attractions. Crossing the historic Eads Bridge into Illinois, the line serves the East Riverfront, 5th & Missouri, Emerson Park, Jackie Joyner-Kersee Center, and Washington Park stations in East St. Louis, Illinois. At the next station, Fairview Heights, the Blue Line terminates and the Red Line continues south to Belleville, Illinois to its terminus at the Shiloh-Scott station located at Scott Air Force Base.
Stations
editFrom Lambert Airport to Shiloh-Scott (west to east)
| Station | Transfer | City/town served | County | Opening date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lambert Airport Terminal 1 | Edmundson | St. Louis County | June 25, 1994[15] | |
| Lambert Airport Terminal 2 | Woodson Terrace | December 23, 1998[16] | ||
| North Hanley | Carsonville | July 31, 1993[17] | ||
| UMSL–North | Normandy | |||
| UMSL–South | ||||
| Rock Road | Pagedale | |||
| Wellston | Wellston | |||
| Delmar Loop | Independent city of St. Louis | |||
| Forest Park–DeBaliviere | Blue | |||
| Central West End | ||||
| Cortex | July 31, 2018[18] | |||
| Grand | July 31, 1993[17] | |||
| Union Station | ||||
| Civic Center | ||||
| Stadium | ||||
| 8th & Pine | ||||
| Convention Center | ||||
| Laclede's Landing | ||||
| East Riverfront | East St. Louis | St. Clair County | May 14, 1994[19] | |
| 5th & Missouri | July 31, 1993[17] | |||
| Emerson Park | May 5, 2001[20] | |||
| Jackie Joyner-Kersee Center | ||||
| Washington Park | ||||
| Fairview Heights | Fairview Heights | |||
| Memorial Hospital | Belleville | |||
| Swansea | Swansea | |||
| Belleville | Belleville | |||
| College | ||||
| Shiloh–Scott | Shiloh | June 23, 2003[21] | ||
Public artwork
editIn the initial design phase of MetroLink, Metro's Arts in Transit program commissioned a group of artists to design unique bridge piers for MetroLink viaducts. Collaborating with architects and engineers, the artists designed the arched supports that reflect an inverted version of the arch motif used throughout the MetroLink system. The bridge pier style is a signature of MetroLink design and appears in the subsequent St. Clair and Cross County extensions.[22]
In 2008, the Arts in Transit program commissioned a work for the alignment along Interstate 70 near Lambert Airport. Titled St. Louis Rhythm and created by Richard Elliot, it was made using roadway reflectors on 16 concrete Jersey barriers that are activated by the headlights of passing cars.[23]
In 2011, another Arts in Transit commission was installed on the shared alignment near Interstate 64 on the bridge over Vandeventer Avenue. Titled Blue Train and created by Clark Wiegman, a cubist locomotive represents the opening eight bars of the melody of “St. Louis Blues.” During the day, this piece appears as a locomotive spewing a trail of notes or an unfurling piano roll. At night, it becomes a geometric abstraction about linear dynamism and the implied form of the bridge punching through the surrounding ambient light.[24]
Projects in progress
editMidAmerica Airport extension
editIn 2019, the St. Clair County Transit District was awarded $96 million in Illinois infrastructure funding to build a 5.2-mile (8.4 km) extension of the Red Line from Shiloh-Scott to MidAmerica St. Louis Airport in Mascoutah.[25] This extension will include two 2.6-mile (4.2 km) segments, a double-track and a single-track segment, along with a station at the airport.[26] Construction on the extension began in 2023 with Metro expecting to begin operations in early 2026.[27][28][29]
System rehabilitation
editIn 2023, Metro began a system-wide rehabilitation program that will last up to two years.[30] Work on the Red Line will include the rehabilitation of the Union Station and downtown subway tunnels, including the Laclede's Landing, Convention Center and 8th & Pine subway stations.[31] Elsewhere, curve tracks, catenary wire, system conduit, staircases and retaining walls are to be upgraded or replaced.[32] Three stations are to receive platform rehabilitations: Jackie Joyner-Kersee Center, Rock Road and Wellston.[32]
In 2024, Metro expects to complete upgrades to the Supervisory Control Automated Data Acquisition (SCADA) and Public Address/Customer Information (PA/CIS) systems. The upgraded SCADA/PA/CIS will operate as an integrated system that monitors and controls operations and will allow Metro to provide real-time arrival information to passengers, such as live displays at stations.[33]
Previous proposals
editPreviously proposed extensions of the Red Line are defunct; regional leaders have said their priorities are proposed expansions in the city of St. Louis and North St. Louis County.[34]
St. Charles County
editA plan to expand MetroLink 16–20 miles (26–32 km) from St. Louis Lambert International Airport northwest to St. Charles County was abandoned after St. Charles County voters twice rejected a sales tax for the extension in 1996; subsequently, all MetroBus service was ended.[35] Had the extension been funded, the route would have used the Old St. Charles Bridge (now demolished) over the Missouri River to access the county.
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b c Campion, Douglas R.; Wischmeyer, Jr., Oliver W. (1988). Infrastructure Rehabilitation and Technology Sharing in Bringing LRT to St. Louis (PDF) (Report) (221 ed.). Transportation Research Board. Retrieved October 14, 2019.
- ^ "History". Metro Transit – Saint Louis. Retrieved November 7, 2023.
- ^ Tipton, Virgil (June 22, 1994). "Takeoff: MetroLink Opens Lambert Stop Saturday". St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
- ^ "UrbanRail.Net > North America > USA > Missouri > St. Louis Metrolink". www.urbanrail.net. Retrieved September 14, 2023.
- ^ "Soon-to-open Cortex MetroLink Station is more than just another stop, say regional transit leaders". STLPR. Retrieved September 14, 2023.
- ^ "Metro – Inside MetroLink". Metro. Archived from the original on September 11, 2008. Retrieved October 23, 2007.
- ^ "Metro – Inside MetroLink". Metro. Archived from the original on September 11, 2008. Retrieved October 23, 2007.
- ^ "World.nycsubway.org: St. Louis, Missouri". Nycsubway.org. Retrieved April 10, 2016.
- ^ Lindsey (August 16, 2022). "MetroLink Flood Damage Update". metrostlouis.org. Archived from the original on September 12, 2022. Retrieved September 12, 2022.
- ^ Schrappen, Colleen (August 21, 2022). "MetroLink to resume full service, but cost for flood repairs could double". STLtoday.com. Archived from the original on September 12, 2022. Retrieved September 12, 2022.
- ^ Wanek-Libman, Mischa (July 29, 2022). "Metro St. Louis estimates flood damage between $18-$20 million". Mass Transit. Retrieved February 19, 2024.
- ^ Jerry (September 1, 2022). "MetroLink Changes Starting September 5: Blue Line Service to Operate Between Shrewsbury and Forest Park". Metro Transit – Saint Louis. Retrieved March 18, 2024.
- ^ Schlinkmann, Mark (August 1, 2023). "Metro gets nearly $28 million in federal aid to cover repairs after 2022 flood". STLtoday.com. Archived from the original on September 5, 2023. Retrieved September 5, 2023.
- ^ "MetroLink Schematic Map" (PDF). Metro St. Louis.
- ^ "Clinton to Spend Friday in St. Louis". The Daily Journal. Flat River, Missouri. June 24, 1994. p. 4. Retrieved April 15, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "MetroLink's East Terminal Station Opens Today at Airport After Seven-Month Delay". The St. Louis Post-Dispatch. December 23, 1998. p. B1. Retrieved April 15, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b c Lindecke, Fred W. (August 1, 1993). "Area Riders Throng to Try MetroLink". The St. Louis Post-Dispatch. pp. 1A, 6A. Retrieved April 15, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Metro Marks Opening of Cortex Station". The St. Louis Post-Dispatch. August 1, 2018. p. A12. Retrieved April 15, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Goodrich, Robert (April 27, 1994). "E. St. Louis Starring in MetroLink". The St. Louis Post-Dispatch. p. B1. Retrieved April 15, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Leiser, Ken (April 30, 2001). "MetroLink Extension Opens This Weekend With Parking to Spare". The St. Louis Post-Dispatch. p. A9. Retrieved April 15, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Sutin, Phil (June 19, 2003). "Changes in Schedule Will Affect MetroLink and 22 Bus Routes". The St. Louis Post-Dispatch. p. N2. Retrieved April 15, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Bridge Piers". Arts in Transit, Inc. Retrieved October 3, 2022.
- ^ "St. Louis Rhythm". Arts in Transit, Inc. Retrieved October 3, 2022.
- ^ "Blue Train". Arts in Transit, Inc. Retrieved October 3, 2022.
- ^ Schlinkmann, Mark (June 14, 2019). "Illinois to pay for long-sought MetroLink extension to MidAmerica Airport". STLtoday.com. Archived from the original on November 2, 2021. Retrieved September 20, 2022.
- ^ "Trajectory for Transit in 2022 Points to Need for Continued Collaboration". January 19, 2022. Archived from the original on February 3, 2022. Retrieved February 2, 2022.
- ^ "When will MetroLink extension to MidAmerica Airport be complete? How much will it cost? - MidAmerica St. Louis Airport (BLV) | Mascoutah, IL". flymidamerica.com. July 14, 2021. Archived from the original on September 20, 2022. Retrieved September 20, 2022.
- ^ Cella, Kim (November 1, 2023). "Construction Underway on MetroLink Extension Project in St. Clair County". St. Clair County Transit District. Archived from the original on November 7, 2023. Retrieved November 7, 2023.
- ^ "Construction underway on 5-mile MetroLink extension from Scott AFB to MidAmerica Airport". STLPR. December 28, 2023. Archived from the original on February 4, 2024. Retrieved February 5, 2024.
- ^ "MetroLink Improvements". Metro Transit – Saint Louis. Retrieved September 26, 2023.
- ^ "Transit Infrastructure Improvements". Metro Transit – Saint Louis. Archived from the original on August 29, 2023. Retrieved September 26, 2023.
- ^ a b "MetroLink Improvement Projects". Metro Transit – Saint Louis. Archived from the original on September 25, 2023. Retrieved September 26, 2023.
- ^ "MetroLink Improvement Projects". Metro Transit – Saint Louis. Archived from the original on September 25, 2023. Retrieved September 26, 2023.
- ^ Schlinkmann, Mark (November 17, 2021). "St. Louis County back in picture for north-south MetroLink expansion". STLtoday.com. Archived from the original on September 11, 2022. Retrieved September 11, 2022.
- ^ Uptergrove, Kate (July 7, 2015). "St. Louis County to explore MetroLink expansion; St. Charles County says no". MidRiversNewsMagazine.com. Archived from the original on September 25, 2022. Retrieved November 7, 2023.
External links
edit- Metro – Official website for Metro Transit
- Bi-State Development – Official website for Bi-State Development
- St. Clair County Transit District – Official website for the St. Clair County Transit District
- Citizens for Modern Transit – St. Louis transit advocacy group
- Arts in Transit Website