Blue Line (Dallas Area Rapid Transit)

The Blue Line is a light rail line in the system of mass transit in Dallas, Texas (USA), operated by the Dallas Area Rapid Transit system. Along with the Red Line, it is one of the original modern rail lines in Dallas.

Blue Line train at Downtown Rowlett
Overview
Statusoperational
OwnerDART
LocaleDallas, Texas
Termini
Stations23
Service
TypeLight rail
SystemDART Light Rail
Operator(s)DART
History
OpenedJune 1996
Technical
Line length26.8 mi (43.1 km)
Track gauge4 ft 8+12 in (1,435 mm)
ElectrificationOverhead catenary
Highest elevationAt grade, elevated, underground
Route map

Downtown Rowlett Parking
Downtown Garland Parking
Forest/Jupiter Parking
LBJ/Skillman Parking
Lake Highlands
White Rock Parking
Mockingbird
Parking
Knox-Henderson
(deferred)
Cityplace/Uptown
McKinney Avenue Transit Authority
D2 Subway (planned)
Deep Ellum
§
Baylor University Medical Center
§
Fair Park
§
Pearl/Arts District
St. Paul
McKinney Avenue Transit Authority
Akard
West End
Victory
§
Union Station Dallas Streetcar Trinity Railway Express Amtrak
Dallas Streetcar
to Bishop Arts
Convention Center
Cedars
DART South Maintenance Facility
8th & Corinth
Parking
Morrell
Illinois Parking
Kiest Parking
VA Medical Center
Ledbetter Parking
Camp Wisdom Parking
UNT Dallas Parking
future extension to
Dallas Southport Center
Disabled access All stations have step-free access
§ special events only

Route

The southern terminus of the line is currently at UNT Dallas in south Dallas at University Hills Blvd. just south of Camp Wisdom Rd. The line runs north, under the Dallas Convention Center and through downtown Dallas. After leaving Mockingbird, the line diverts to the northeast towards White Rock Lake. The line then goes north and then east into Garland, finally ending in Rowlett.

History

The rail line was part of the initial launch of DART's light rail service in 1996. At the time, the line only ran from Illinois to Pearl in the northeast corner of downtown. In 1997, the Blue Line was extended south to Ledbetter and was extended along the Red Line to Mockingbird in 1999, in preparation for the future extension to Garland.

On September 24, 2001, the Blue Line extended to White Rock, just northwest of White Rock Lake. On May 6, 2002, the Blue Line was extended to the LBJ/Skillman, just beyond LBJ Freeway (Interstate 635). It was extended to Downtown Garland on November 18, 2002, and to its current northern terminus, Downtown Rowlett, on December 3, 2012.[1]

DART's 2030 Transit System Plan, approved in October 2006, calls for the Blue Line to be extended south beyond Ledbetter to the University of North Texas at Dallas, as well as a branch along Bonnie View road to Interstate 20 and the SouthPort Intermodal Terminal. The plan also includes a new Lake Highlands station near Skillman Street and Walnut Hill Lane, which opened as DART's second infill station in December 2010.[2]

In October 2014, construction began for a 2.6-mile extension south from Ledbetter station to the University of North Texas at Dallas, adding two new stations to the line: Camp Wisdom and UNT Dallas. The extension opened for service on October 24, 2016.[3][4]

Future plans

The D2 Subway is planned to be implemented in 2028 and will reroute the Blue Line off of the downtown transit corridor and over the former Green Line's western segment to terminate at North Carrollton/Frankford station.

Stations

Daily Service

Listed from north to south
Station Other lines Opened Notes
Downtown Rowlett December 3, 2012 Northern terminus
Downtown Garland November 18, 2002
Forest/Jupiter
LBJ/Skillman
Lake Highlands December 6, 2010
White Rock September 24, 2001
SMU/Mockingbird           January 10, 1997 Northernmost transfer for Red and Orange Lines
Cityplace/Uptown December 18, 2000 Transfer to M-Line Trolley
Pearl/Arts District                June 14, 1996 Easternmost transfer for Green Line
St. Paul Transfer to M-Line Trolley (one block north)
Akard
West End Westernmost transfer station for Orange and Green Lines
EBJ Union Station      Transfer to Dallas Streetcar, Trinity Railway Express, and Amtrak Amtrak
Convention Center
Cedars
8th & Corinth Southernmost transfer for Red Line
Morrell
Illinois
Kiest May 31, 1997
VA Medical Center
Ledbetter
Camp Wisdom October 24, 2016
UNT Dallas Southern terminus

Special Event Service

Deferred

References

  1. DART Blue Line launches long-awaited rail service in Rowlett Archived September 21, 2013, at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved December 3, 2012.
  2. The Dallas Morning News - DART green-lights 40 miles of new rail. Originally published October 25, 2006. Retrieved November 5, 2006.
  3. Railway Track & Structures (October 21, 2016). "DART readies to open Blue Line extension to South Oak Cliff area". Simmons-Boardman Publishing Inc. Retrieved October 21, 2016.
  4. Barrow, Keith (October 20, 2016). "Dallas inaugurates LRT Blue Line extension". International Railway Journal.
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