Red Line (MARTA)

{{Short description|Rapid transit line in Metro Atlanta, Georgia}}

{{Use American English|date=April 2024}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2024}}

{{Infobox rail line

| name = Red Line

| color = {{rcr|MARTA|Red}}

| logo = Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (logo).svg

| image = Dunwoody, GA (4231673873).jpg

| image_width = 300px

| caption = A Red Line train near Dunwoody station

| type = Rapid transit

| system = MARTA rail

| status = Operational

| locale = Atlanta, Georgia

| start = North Springs (north)

| end = Airport (south)

| stations = 19 (11 North, Five Points, 7 South)

| routes =

| daily_ridership =

| open = 1996

| close =

| owner =

| operator = MARTA

| character = at grade, elevated, underground

| stock = See MARTA rail#Rolling stock

| linelength =

| tracklength =

| tracks =

| gauge = {{track gauge|ussg|allk=on}}

| minradius =

| electrification = {{750 V DC|conductor=third rail}}

| speed =

| elevation =

| map = {{Switcher

| {{maplink-road|from=Red Line (MARTA).map}} Red Line highlighted in red

| Show interactive map

| {{MARTA Red and Gold lines|inline=yes}}

| Show route diagram

}}

}}

The Red Line is a rapid transit line in the MARTA rail system. It operates between North Springs and Airport stations, running through Sandy Springs, Dunwoody, Atlanta, East Point and College Park.

== History ==

What is now the Gold and Red Lines' shared section was originally opened on December 4, 1981, as the North-South Line between {{stl|MARTA|Garnett}} and {{stl|MARTA|North Avenue}}.{{cite web |title=nycsubway.org: Atlanta, Georgia |url=https://www.nycsubway.org/wiki/Atlanta,_Georgia |website=www.nycsubway.org |access-date=15 May 2024}}{{cite web |last1=Sams |first1=Douglas |title=Jacoby eyes MARTA rail to Ford site |url=http://atlanta.bizjournals.com/atlanta/stories/2008/06/09/story4.html?b=1212984000^1646264 |website=www.bizjournals.com |access-date=15 May 2024}} On September 11, 1982, an infill station at {{stl|MARTA|Peachtree Center}} opened, while the North-South Line was extended south by one stop to West End station. On December 18 the same year, the North-South Line was extended northward to {{stl|MARTA|Midtown}} and {{stl|MARTA|Arts Center}}. On December 15, 1984, the {{stl|MARTA|Lakewood/Fort McPherson}}, {{stl|MARTA|Oakland City}}, and {{stl|MARTA|Lindbergh Center}} stations all opened, as did the {{stl|MARTA|Lenox}}, and Brookhaven on what was then the northernmost portion of the North-South Line (what is now the Gold Line). East Point station opened on August 16, 1986, followed by {{stl|MARTA|Chamblee}} (now a Gold Line station) on December 19, 1987, and the {{stl|MARTA|College Park}} and {{stl|MARTA|Airport}} on June 18, 1988. Finally, {{stl|MARTA|Doraville}} (later the northern terminus of the Gold Line) opened on December 29, 1992.

On June 8, 1996, MARTA added a new branch of the North-South Line, with stations at {{stl|MARTA|Buckhead}}, {{stl|MARTA|Medical Center}}, and {{stl|MARTA|Dunwoody}}: the first rail stations served exclusively by what is now the Red Line. To distinguish the two lines, the line to Dunwoody assumed the North-South Rail Line name,{{cite web |title=Getting There on MARTA - Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority |url=http://www.itsmarta.com/getthere/index.htm |publisher=Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority |access-date=17 December 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030801075651/http://www.itsmarta.com/getthere/index.htm |archive-date=1 August 2003}}{{cite web |title=North-South Rail Line - MARTA |url=http://www.itsmarta.com/getthere/schedules/NS.htm |publisher=Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority |access-date=17 December 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030810115631/http://www.itsmarta.com/getthere/schedules/NS.htm |archive-date=10 August 2003 |url-status=dead}} while the line to Doraville became the Northeast-South Rail Line{{cite web |title=Northeast-South Rail Line - MARTA |url=http://www.itsmarta.com/getthere/schedules/NE.htm |publisher=Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority |access-date=17 December 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030810115631/http://www.itsmarta.com/getthere/schedules/NE.htm |archive-date=10 August 2003}} (sometimes known as the Northeast Line for short). However, both the North-South Line and the Northeast Line continued to be colored on maps in orange as a single North-South Rail Line.{{cite web |title=MARTA - Getting There - Rail Schedules & Maps |url=http://www.itsmarta.com/getthere/schedules/index-rail.htm |publisher=Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority |access-date=17 December 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060308102416/http://www.itsmarta.com/getthere/schedules/index-rail.htm |archive-date=8 March 2006}}

In December 2006, the North-South Line began to be colored as red, distinguishing it from the Northeast Line, which retained the color orange.{{cite web |title=MARTA - Getting There - Rail Schedules & Maps |url=http://www.itsmarta.com/getthere/schedules/index-rail.htm |publisher=Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority |access-date=17 December 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061229010003/http://www.itsmarta.com/getthere/schedules/index-rail.htm |archive-date=29 December 2006 |url-status=dead}} Later, in October 2009, MARTA introduced a color-coded system of naming rail lines, with the North-South Line being renamed to the Red Line, and the Northeast Line being renamed to the Yellow Line,{{cite web |title=MARTA launches color-coded rail system |url=https://www.metro-magazine.com/10027012/marta-launches-color-coded-rail-system |website=www.metro-magazine.com |publisher=Metro Magazine |access-date=15 May 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210126050754/https://www.metro-magazine.com/10027012/marta-launches-color-coded-rail-system |archive-date=26 January 2021 |date=2 October 2009}}{{cite web |title=Rail Stations & Schedules |url=http://www.itsmarta.com/rail-schedules-or-route.aspx |website=www.itsmarta.com |access-date=15 May 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090819122829/http://www.itsmarta.com/rail-schedules-or-route.aspx |archive-date=19 August 2009 |url-status=dead}} and then to the Gold Line.{{cite web |url=http://blogs.ajc.com/gold-dome-live/2010/02/11/marta-changes-yellow-line-to-gold/ |title=MARTA changes "yellow" line to "gold" |author=Ariel Hart |work=Atlanta Journal-Constitution |date=2010-02-11 |access-date=2010-02-11 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100214213909/http://blogs.ajc.com/gold-dome-live/2010/02/11/marta-changes-yellow-line-to-gold/ |archive-date=2010-02-14 }}