Red Line (Pittsburgh)
The Red Line (formerly the 42S South Hills Village via Beechview) is a line on the Pittsburgh Light Rail system that runs between South Hills Village and Downtown Pittsburgh via the Beechview neighborhood. The companion route, the Blue Line, branches off north of Martin Villa and runs through Overbrook. In March 2007, the closure of the Palm Garden Bridge for refurbishment suspended the Red Line for five months; it resumed service in September.[1][2] On March 27 2016, rail operations were suspended between Fallowfield and Potomac due to Broad Avenue track renewal. The closure will last for about six months. The Red Line currently is operating on the two unconnected rail sections: from Allegheny to Fallowfield, and from Potomac to Overbrook Junction, with the special shuttle bus service between the Fallowfield and Potomac stations.[3][4]
Route
The line begins at South Hills Village in Upper St. Clair, and runs north to Washington Junction through Bethel Park, providing a transfer to the Blue Line - Library, which runs via Overbrook. The Red Line continues north through Castle Shannon and Mount Lebanon, then through the Mount Lebanon Rail Tunnel underneath Washington Rd./West Liberty Ave (aka Truck U.S. Route 19) into Dormont at the other end. The first station coming out of the tunnel northbound is Dormont Junction, then line proceeds through this suburb, crossing many streets via grade crossings. The line then arrives at Potomac, where it begins travelling through street trackage about a quarter mile down the tracks, crossing into the neighborhood of Beechview in the city of Pittsburgh near the Neeld Avenue stop.
Before the Mt. Lebanon Rail Tunnel, the old streetcars ran with car traffic on Washington Rd. between Alfred St. in Mt. Lebanon and the intersection of McFarland Rd. and Raleigh Ave. (where Washington Rd. becomes West Liberty Ave.) in Dormont.
At South Hills Junction the Red Line rejoins the Blue Line and the Brown Line, which runs over Mount Washington through the Allentown neighborhood. The Red Line runs through the Mount Washington Transit Tunnel, stopping at Station Square before crossing the Monongahela River on the Panhandle Bridge. Reaching downtown at First Avenue, the Red Line proceeds underground to Steel Plaza, Wood Street and Gateway Center. Upon reaching Gateway, the route then proceeds under the Allegheny River and makes additional stops at North Side and Allegheny stations on the North Shore.
The Port Authority closed seven stations along the Red Line on June 25, 2012: Santa Barbara, Martin Villa, Kelton, Neeld, Boustead, Coast and Traymore.[5] The line was renamed slightly to Red Line - Castle Shannon via Beechview when the North Shore Connector opened.
There is additional limited service to and from Penn Park (at Pittsburgh Amtrak), such as during sporting events.[6]
Station List
| Station Name | Station Type | Other Services | Municipality |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Hills Village | high level | Blue Line - South Hills Village | Upper St. Clair |
| Dorchester | street level | Blue Line - South Hills Village | Bethel Park |
| Bethel Village | street level | Blue Line - South Hills Village | Bethel Park |
| Highland | street level | Blue Line - South Hills Village | Bethel Park |
| Casswell | street level | Blue Line - South Hills Village | Bethel Park |
| Washington Junction | high level | Blue Line - South Hills Village, Blue Line - Library | Bethel Park |
| Smith Road | street level | Blue Line - South Hills Village, Blue Line - Library | Castle Shannon |
| St. Anne's | street level | Blue Line - South Hills Village, Blue Line - Library | Castle Shannon |
| Overbrook Junction | street level | Red Line | Castle Shannon |
| Castle Shannon | high level | Castle Shannon | |
| Arlington | street level | Castle Shannon | |
| Poplar | street level | Mt. Lebanon | |
| Mt. Lebanon | high level | Mt. Lebanon | |
| Dormont Junction | high level | Dormont | |
| Potomac | high level | Dormont | |
| Stevenson | street level | Dormont | |
| Shiras | street level | Pittsburgh | |
| Belasco | street level | Pittsburgh | |
| Hampshire | street level | Pittsburgh | |
| Fallowfield | high level | Pittsburgh | |
| Westfield | street level | Pittsburgh | |
| Pennant | street level | Pittsburgh | |
| Dawn | street level | Pittsburgh | |
| Palm Garden | street level | Pittsburgh | |
| South Hills Junction | high level | Blue Line - Library, Blue Line - South Hills Village, Brown Line | Pittsburgh |
| Station Square | high level | Blue Line - Library, Blue Line - South Hills Village | Pittsburgh |
| First Avenue | high level | Blue Line - Library, Blue Line - South Hills Village, Brown Line | Pittsburgh |
| Steel Plaza | underground | Blue Line - Library, Blue Line - South Hills Village, Brown Line | Pittsburgh |
| Wood Street | underground | Blue Line - Library, Blue Line - South Hills Village, Brown Line | Pittsburgh |
| Gateway Center | underground | Blue Line - Library, Blue Line - South Hills Village, Brown Line | Pittsburgh |
| North Side | underground | Blue Line - Library, Blue Line - South Hills Village, Brown Line | Pittsburgh |
| Allegheny | high level | Blue Line - Library, Blue Line - South Hills Village, Brown Line | Pittsburgh |
References
- ↑ Grata, Joe (2007-02-26). "Bus, trolley riders warned of closing of bridge over Route 51". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved 2007-04-11.
- ↑ Grata, Joe (2007-08-22). "S. Hills bus, trolley disruptions ending Sept. 2". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
- ↑ http://www.portauthority.org/paac/Default.aspx?tabid=124&newsid901=1650&Red-Line-construction
- ↑ http://www.portauthority.org/paac/CompanyInfoProjects/RedLineConstructionProject.aspx
- ↑ "Eleven T Stops Close June 25". Port Authority of Allegheny County. June 22, 2012.
- ↑ Grata, Joe (2006-06-29). "More buses, trolleys for game". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. p. A9.
External links
- Red Line - Castle Shannon via Beechview schedule effective March 25, 2012
- Red Line - Castle Shannon via Beechview Route Map
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