Blue Line (MARTA)

The Blue Line is a rapid transit line in the MARTA rail system. It operates between Hamilton E. Holmes and Indian Creek stations, running through Atlanta, Decatur and portions of unincorporated DeKalb County.

Blue Line
Overview
Status	Operational
Locale	Atlanta, Georgia
Termini	Hamilton E. Holmes (west) Indian Creek (east)
Stations	15 (5 West, Five Points, 9 East)
Service
Type	Rapid transit
System	MARTA rail
Operator(s)	MARTA
Rolling stock	See MARTA rail#Rolling stock
History
Opened	1979
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

Blue and Green Lines
Blue  E9 Indian Creek I-285 E8 Kensington Avondale Yard E7 Avondale E6 Decatur E5 East Lake  Green  E4 Edgewood/​Candler Park E3 Inman Park/​Reynoldstown E2 King Memorial I-75 / I-85 Downtown Connector E1 Georgia State 0 Five Points Red Gold W1 GWCC/​CNN Center W2 Vine City W3 Ashby  Green  P4 Bankhead W4 West Lake I-20  Blue  W5 Hamilton E. Holmes

The Blue Line was previously called the East-West Line until MARTA switched to a color-based naming system in October 2009. The East-West Line, from its launch, was considered one line, denoted with a blue color on old system maps until 2006 when the West branch and the Proctor Creek branch were redesignated as the East-West Line (the current Blue Line) and the Proctor Creek Line (the current Green Line). Using the Five Points station as a reference, the East Line was designated for trips headed to Indian Creek, while the West Line was designated for trips headed to H.E. Holmes.

The rail line was part of the initial launch of MARTA rail service in 1979. The first segment ran from the East Line segment from Georgia State to the Avondale stations upon the opening in June of that year. By the end of 1979, it extended west to the Hightower station (now Hamilton E. Holmes) on the West Line segment, which serves as that station's terminus. Although the North-South line was expanded throughout the 1980s, the East-West line did not see any extension since its opening until 1992 when the Proctor Creek branch of the line opened to its terminus at Bankhead station. It finally extended to its current eastern terminus at Indian Creek in September 1993.

Now known as the Blue Line, it shares trackage with its counterpart, the Green Line, between just west of Ashby and Edgewood/Candler Park.