Blue Line (Pittsburgh)

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).

Pittsburgh Light Rail Blue Line
Blue Line train
Overview
OwnerPittsburgh Regional Transit
LocalePittsburgh
Stations24
Service
TypeLight rail
SystemPittsburgh Light Rail
Operator(s)Pittsburgh Regional Transit
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) Pennsylvania trolley gauge
ElectrificationOverhead line, 650 V DC
Route map

Allegheny
North Side
Gateway
Wood Street
Penn Station
occasional use
Martin Luther King Jr. East Busway Amtrak
Steel Plaza
First Avenue
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

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, 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.

NameMiles[1]Station TypeOther servicesMunicipality
Allegheny Disabled access0.00high platform     Red Line,      Silver LinePittsburgh / Chateau
North Side Disabled access0.51undergroundPittsburgh / North Shore
Gateway Disabled access1.00Pittsburgh / Central Business District
Wood Street Disabled access1.26
Steel Plaza Disabled access1.55
First Avenue Disabled access1.88high platform
Station Square Disabled access2.41     Red Line,      Silver Line,      South Busway, Monongahela Incline Monongahela InclinePittsburgh / South Shore
South Hills Junction Disabled access3.25     Red Line,      Silver Line,      South BuswayPittsburgh / Mt. Washington
Boggs Disabled access3.66     Silver LinePittsburgh / Beltzhoover
Bon Air Disabled access4.30Pittsburgh / Bon Air
Denise Disabled access5.09Pittsburgh / Carrick
South Bank Disabled access5.49     Silver Line,      South BuswayPittsburgh / Overbrook
McNeilly Disabled access6.73     Silver LineBaldwin Township
Killarney Disabled access7.06Castle Shannon
Memorial Hall Disabled access7.76
Willow Disabled access8.31
St. Anne's8.69low platform     Red Line,      Silver Line
Smith Road8.97
Washington Junction Disabled access9.21high platformBethel Park
Casswell9.69low platform     Red Line
Highland9.98
Bethel Village10.46
Dorchester10.75
South Hills Village Disabled access11.02high platformUpper St. Clair

References

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