Waterfront Line

The line opened on July 10, 1996, coinciding with Cleveland's bicentennial celebration which took place later in the year.{{cite web |url=http://www.riderta.com/routes/waterfrontline/about |title=How the Waterfront Line was constructed |publisher=Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority |date=December 22, 2016 |accessdate=May 29, 2020}} The line had a total cost of $70.9 million and was funded by a combination of bonds, grant money from the Ohio Department of Transportation, and local RTA funding. Service on the Waterfront Line was suspended indefinitely in 2021, after previously being suspended in October 2020.{{cite web |title=Waterfront Line Construction |url=http://www.riderta.com/service-alerts/waterfront-line-construction |website=Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority |date=15 June 2021 |access-date=31 March 2022}} Plans called for opening in time for the 2023 Cleveland Browns season.{{Cite web |last=RTA |first=Greater Cleveland |date=2022-08-16 |title=RTA Waterfront Line Bridge Update |url=https://www.riderta.com/news/WaterfrontLineBridge |access-date=2022-09-02 |website=www.riderta.com |language=en}} On September 10, 2023, rail service resumed on the Waterfront Line.{{Cite web |title=Waterfront Line Reopens for 2023 Browns Season {{!}} rideRTA.com |url=https://www.riderta.com/blogs/waterfront-line-reopens-2023-browns-season |access-date=2023-10-04 |website=www.riderta.com}}

From South Harbor, the lines extends generally west-southwest adjacent to the former New York Central Railroad tracks, now owned by Norfolk Southern. Notable destinations along the line include the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Cleveland Browns Stadium. Trains will stop at Amtrak's Cleveland Lakefront Station upon request.

The line continues along an elevated loop, allowing it to turn from west-southwest to south-southeast, cross over the Norfolk Southern tracks and travel along the east bank of The Flats. The route passes through three grade crossings.

The line then turns east and climbs up from The Flats in two cuts on either side of the Red Line. It merges onto the Red Line tracks and travels through {{stn|Tower City}}. Through service between the Waterfront Line and the Blue and Green Lines is provided at Tower City.

From April 2010 through May 2013, RTA completely eliminated weekday regularly scheduled Waterfront Line service due to low ridership and trains ran on the line only on weekends and for special events. Though seven-day-a-week service on the line was restored, a number of trains continue to use Tower City as a western terminus.

Tower City is the major station on all RTA Rapid Transit lines. It is the main station serving downtown Cleveland and it provides a convenient transfer point between the Red Line and the Blue and Green Lines.

File:North coast station turnstiles.png turnstiles in 2017]]

The Waterfront Line has been closed since September of 2021 due to safety concerns regarding a bridge near the East Bank of the Flats. As of August 2024, the line provides service on weekends and holidays, and for some special events.

During rail shutdowns, RTA uses replacement buses signed as route 67R. These shuttle buses run between Tower City and South Harbor on surface streets.

File:Settlers Landing Cleveland RTA station 1.jpg

File:CLE Amtrak (2018).jpg, but Amtrak trains arrive in the middle of the night]]All stations are located within Downtown Cleveland.

{{reflist}}

{{commons category|Waterfront Line}}

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• [http://www.riderta.com/routes/Rail Routes - Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority - Rail]
• [http://www.jtbell.net/transit/Cleveland/Waterfront/ Jon Bell - Cleveland, Ohio: The Waterfront Line]
• Northern Ohio Railway Museum

{{Cleveland Rapid}}

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Category:Light rail in Ohio

Category:Standard-gauge railways in the United States

Category:600 V DC railway electrification

Category:Railway lines opened in 1996

Category:1996 establishments in Ohio