MARTA rail

The MARTA rail network, a component of the MARTA transit system in Metro Atlanta, has four service lines: the Red, Gold, Blue, and Green Lines. The Red and Gold Lines mainly run along the North-Northeast corridor, and the Blue and Green Lines run along the West-East corridor. The two corridors connect at the Five Points station and is the only station where all four lines could transfer.

MARTA rail
MARTA Société Franco-Belge CQ310 Gold train leaving Chamblee Station
Overview
Type	Rapid transit
System	Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority
Status	operational
Locale	Atlanta, Fulton and DeKalb Counties, Georgia
Termini	North Springs (Red) Doraville (Gold) Indian Creek (Blue) Edgewood/Candler Park (Green) Airport (Red/Gold) H.E. Holmes (Blue) Bankhead (Green)
Stations	38 (Five Points, 11 North, 4 Northeast, 7 South, 9 East, 5 West, 1 Proctor Creek)
Services	Red Line   Gold Line   Blue Line   Green Line
Daily ridership	216,400[1]
Operation
Opened	1979 (East-West) 1981 (North-South)
Owner	MARTA
Operator(s)	MARTA
Character	elevated, underground, at-grade
Technical
Line length	48 miles (77 kilometers)
Track gauge	4 ft 8 ^1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Electrification	third rail

Rail system

Map of the MARTA rail system

All trains are identified by their destinations, and an automated announcement system announces train destinations, bus and other transit connections, and landmarks that at each rail station.

During daytime hours, trains on the Red and Gold lines service the entire north-south trunk line and split north of Lindbergh Center (N6). All southbound trains are identified with a destination on electronic LCD signs on the front and sides of the train and on each car. After 8:30pm on weekdays and 8:50pm on weekends, the Red Line runs as a shuttle between North Springs (N11) and Lindbergh Center (N6), connecting to the Gold Line at Lindbergh Center.

Blue and Green lines service the east-west trunk line together between Ashby (W3) and Edgewood–Candler Park (E4). At Ashby, Blue Line service continues to H.E. Holmes (W5) while Green Line trains divert to Bankhead Station (P4). Green Line service terminates at Edgewood–Candler Park, while the Blue Line continues east to Indian Creek. After 8:30pm on weekdays and 8:50pm on weekends, Green Line service operates as a shuttle between Bankhead (P4) and as Vine City (stop W2).

MARTA switched to a color-based route naming system in October 2009. Previous system maps used orange to denote the North-South line and blue to the East-West line.

Many suburban stations offer designated free daily and paid long term parking in MARTA-operated park and ride lots. These stations also have designated kiss and ride passenger drop off parking spaces closest to the stations' entrances.

Operation

The MARTA rail system operates between approximately 5 a.m. and 1:30 a.m. Monday through Friday, and 6 a.m. to 1:30 a.m. Saturdays and Sundays. Headways per line consist of 10 minutes weekdays during rush hour and 12 minutes during midday, and 20 minutes nightly and weekends. In the case of two routes operating on the same tracks, headways decrease to 5 minutes during rush hour and 6 minutes during midday and 10 minutes on the weekends during the day. All rail lines operate 20 minutes during late night (8:30pm weekdays, 8:50pm weekends) mainly in part due to the Red Line only running from North Springs to Lindbergh Center stations; likewise with the Green Line from Bankhead to Vine City. Due to an ongoing rail system maintenance program, weekend headways are variable and may range from the normal 20 minutes to as much as 24 minutes, with the Green and Red lines occasionally being truncated all weekend. During weekends in the latter case, headways along the shared lines will increase from 10 minutes to 20 minutes[2]

Before budget cuts in 2005 affected the rail system, MARTA originally operated trains every eight minutes during the day on weekdays on each route, with the North-South Line operating on a combined four-minute headway between Lindbergh Center and Airport stations on the trunk. On Saturdays, it was every ten minutes (five minutes combined on the North-South Line trunk), and on Sundays it was every 15 minutes (7.5 minutes on the North-South Line trunk). At night, trains operated every 15 minutes.[3]

Stations

Blue & Green Lines  Blue  Indian Creek I-285 Kensington Avondale Decatur East Lake  Green  Edgewood/Candler Park Inman Park/Reynoldstown King Memorial I-75 / I-85 ( Downtown Connector ) Georgia State Five Points Red Gold Dome Vine City Ashby  Green  Bankhead West Lake I-20  Blue  Hamilton E. Holmes

Red & Gold Lines  Red  North Springs Sandy Springs Dunwoody I-285 Medical Center Buckhead  Gold  Doraville Chamblee Brookhaven/Oglethorpe Lenox SR 400 Lindbergh Center Armour Yard I-85 Arts Center Midtown North Avenue Civic Center Peachtree Center Atlanta Streetcar Five Points Blue Green Garnett I-20 West End Oakland City Lakewood/Fort McPherson East Point College Park South Yard & Shops I-85 Red Gold Airport

• † denotes a terminal station
• Until 1994, the NE codes were just N

Station	Code	Lines	Jurisdiction	Opened	Station Entries/Day (2013)[4]	Reference
Airport†	S7		College Park	June 18, 1988	9,173	[5]
Arts Center	N5		Atlanta	December 18, 1982	6,605	[6]
Ashby	W3		Atlanta	December 22, 1979	1,791	[7]
Avondale	E7		Decatur	June 30, 1979	4,327	[8]
Bankhead†	P4		Atlanta	December 12, 1992	1,903	[9]
Brookhaven/Oglethorpe	NE8		Brookhaven	December 15, 1984	2,357	[10]
Buckhead	N7		Atlanta	June 8, 1996	2,643	[11]
Chamblee	NE9		Chamblee	December 19, 1987	3,785	[12]
Civic Center	N2		Atlanta	December 4, 1981	2,692	[6]
College Park	S6		College Park	June 18, 1988	9,026	[5]
Decatur	E6		Decatur	June 30, 1979	3,821	[8]
Dome/GWCC/Philips Arena/CNN Center	W1		Atlanta	December 22, 1979	2,107	[7]
Doraville†	NE10		Doraville	December 12, 1992	5,521	[9]
Dunwoody	N9		Dunwoody	June 8, 1996	3,545	[11]
East Lake	E5		Atlanta / Decatur	June 30, 1979	1,241	[8]
East Point	S5		East Point	August 16, 1986	4,571	[13]
Edgewood/Candler Park	E4		Atlanta	June 30, 1979	1,143	[8]
Five Points*	–		Atlanta	December 22, 1979 (East–West) December 4, 1981 (North–South)	19,447	[8]
Garnett	S1		Atlanta	December 4, 1981	1,516	[6]
Georgia State	E1		Atlanta	June 30, 1979	4,055	[8]
H. E. Holmes†	W5		Atlanta	December 22, 1979	6,480	[7]
Indian Creek†	E9		unincorporated DeKalb County	June 26, 1993	5,612	[14]
Inman Park/Reynoldstown	E3		Atlanta	June 30, 1979	2,525	[8]
Kensington	E8		unincorporated DeKalb County	June 26, 1993	5,950	[14]
King Memorial	E2		Atlanta	June 30, 1979	1,517	[8]
Lakewood/Fort McPherson	S4		Atlanta / East Point	December 15, 1984	2,207	[10]
Lenox	NE7		Atlanta	December 15, 1984	3,284	[10]
Lindbergh Center	N6		Atlanta	December 15, 1984	8,604	[10]
Medical Center	N8		Sandy Springs	June 8, 1996	1,629	[11]
Midtown	N4		Atlanta	December 18, 1982	5,664	[6]
North Avenue	N3		Atlanta	December 4, 1981	5,045	[6]
North Springs†	N11		Sandy Springs	December 16, 2000	6,436	[15]
Oakland City	S3		Atlanta	December 15, 1984	4,432	[10]
Peachtree Center	N1		Atlanta	September 11, 1982	7,453	[6]
Sandy Springs	N10		Sandy Springs	December 16, 2000	2,322	[15]
Vine City	W2		Atlanta	December 22, 1979	821	[7]
West End	S2		Atlanta	September 11, 1982	7,056	[6]
West Lake	W4		Atlanta	December 22, 1979	1,378	[7]

Rolling stock

Interior of a CQ312

Interior of a rebuilt CQ310

MARTA currently operates around 307 married paired rail cars which can operate at speeds of up to 70 miles per hour (110 km/h). The trains are powered by an electrified third rail and can be operated in any combination from two to eight rail cars[16], with six cars being the normal length for the Blue, Red and Gold rail lines, and two cars for the Green line (due to the shorter platform at Bankhead).

MARTA rail fleet

Type	Manufacturer	Fleet #	Years	Qty built	In Service	Propulsion	Notes
CQ310	Société Franco-Belge	101-200	1979-1980	98	95	Bombardier MITRAC	111-112 converted to work cars 101 unpaired. Located at Avondale Yard.
CQ310	Société Franco-Belge	501-520	1980-1981	20	0		All single units. Cars are retired and currently located at Avondale Yard.
CQ311	Hitachi	201-320	1984-1988	120	112		Some units are out of service due to the process of Life Extension work from Kinkisharyo. 118 cars will be refurbished.[17]
CQ312	AnsaldoBreda[18]	601-664, 667-702	2001-2005	100	100		Ordered from Breda before creation of AnsaldoBreda. Car numbers 665 and 666 were skipped [19] due to negative connotations with 666.[20]
CQ400	Stadler Rail	TBA	2023-	254 on order + 100 options[21]	0	TBA	Currently on order. Scheduled to enter service in 2023. Will replace all current rail cars.

In 2002, Alstom was contracted by MARTA to overhaul all 218 CQ310 and CQ311 cars as part of a $246m refurbishment contract.[22] The rehabilitated cars feature upgraded passenger amenities and upgraded propulsion and train control hardware. The first rehabilitated cars began service on March 12, 2006. The rehabilitation was completed on February 23, 2009.[23]

In 2011, Alstom was awarded an additional $117 million 5-year contract with MARTA to upgrade its train control and SCADA systems.[24] The new technology is designed to provide MARTA's rail team with more efficient operations, better communication between trains and stations, enhanced monitoring capabilities, quicker response times, and reduced maintenance costs.[25] Included in the project is an upgrade for all 318 rail cars to install an enhanced Fault Identification and Monitoring System (FIMS) and full color driver's display built by Quester Tangent.[26] The new systems passed "mini fleet" testing in 2015.

On December 1, 2017, MARTA posted a notice of intent to award a $146 million contract for the "Rail Car Life Extension Program" to Kinki Sharyo International LLC. On January 26, 2018, Kinki Sharyo signed the $146 million rail car refurbishment contract. The work starts with 118 cars, with 94 more options.[27][28]

On March 29, 2019, Stadler Rail was awarded the contract to manufacture up to 354 new CQ400 rail cars for MARTA. These cars, which will enter into service in 2023, will replace the entire fleet of CQ310, CQ311, and CQ312 trains and provide expansion to the rail fleet.[29][30]

Historical timeline

This is a list of key dates which led to the formation of the MARTA stations along the established rapid rail lines.[31]

• June 30, 1979 – MARTA's first train, the East Line, began operating between Avondale and Five Points Station. It also marked the start of MARTA's combined bus and rail service.
• December 22, 1979 – MARTA's second train, the West Line, began operating between Hightower (H.E. Holmes) and Five Points Station.
• September 1982 – the Peachtree Center and West End stations, along the North Line began service.
• December 1982 – the Arts Center and Midtown stations began service.
• December 1984 – five new stations opened: Lindbergh Center, Lenox, Brookhaven, Oakland City and Lakewood/Fort McPherson. The South Line was introduced.
• August 1986 – the East Point Station opened, extending the South Line by about two miles. A little more than a year later, the Chamblee Station began service and served as the temporary end of the Northeast Line.
• June 18, 1988 – the Airport Station opens, and becomes the southern terminus of the North-South Line.
• December 12, 1992 – The Bankhead Station/Proctor Creek Line went into service.
• December 29, 1992 – The Doraville Station opens and becomes the northern terminus of the Northeast Line.
• June 26, 1993 – MARTA extended East Line services through Kensington to Indian Creek Station – the first time the rail line went beyond the I-285 perimeter.
• June 8, 1996 – MARTA extended North Line services through Buckhead, Medical Center and Dunwoody Stations.
• 1999 – MARTA announced a partnership with BellSouth to create the Lindbergh Transit Oriented Development (TOD), a live, work and play community built around a rail station and the largest multi-use development of its kind in the United States at the time.
• December 16, 2000 – MARTA opened two new rail stations – Sandy Springs and North Springs – on the North Line.
• October 1, 2009 – MARTA renames its lines based on colors instead of directions.
• February 2010 – MARTA agrees to rename the Yellow Line as the Gold Line in response to outcry from members of the Doraville Asian community.[32]

Gallery

• 
  MARTA rail station sign at Arts Center
• 
  Southbound train at Civic Center (N2) Station
• 
  Peachtree Center (N1) Station
• 
  Decatur (E6) Station
• 
  MARTA kiss ride sign

See also

Template:Attached KML/List of MARTA rail stations

KML is from Wikidata

• Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority

References

1. "Public Transportation Ridership Report" (PDF). American Public Transportation Association. November 2018. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2019-02-02. Retrieved 2019-02-21.
2. http://itsmarta.com/single-tracking.aspx
3. https://web.archive.org/web/20010331185518/http://www.itsmarta.com/riding/rail_sch.htm
4. "2014 Transportation Fact Book" (PDF). Atlanta Regional Commission. Retrieved 11 May 2015.
5. Roughton, Jr., Bert (June 18, 1988). "Rail-to-air link completed with opening of airport station". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. p. A1.
6. Beasley, David; Kathey Alexander (February 23, 1992). "After two decades, MARTA's course uncertain". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. p. A1.
7. AP Reporters (December 21, 1979). "Atlanta Rapid rail opens second leg". The Rock Hill Herald. p. 14.
8. Hairston, Julie B. (June 30, 2004). "MARTA marks 25 years of trains: Next stop unknown". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. p. B1.
9. Beasley, David (December 6, 1992). "MARTA trains to roll at Bankhead, Doraville". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. p. E15.
10. AJC Editorial Staff (May 16, 1985). "Atlanta's air, rail transportation among nation's best". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. p. E5.
11. Goldberg, David (June 8, 1996). "Suburban transit – North Line worth risk for MARTA". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. p. E2.
12. Roughton, Jr., Bert (December 20, 1987). "MARTA officials open Chamblee rail station amid union protests". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. p. B3.
13. Roughton, Jr., Bert (August 17, 1986). "East Point starts a new era – First MARTA train pulls in as city observes 99th year". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. p. B1.
14. Beasley, David (June 25, 1993). "Transit expansion – MARTA on the move – New stations push rail system beyond the Perimeter". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. p. D1.
15. Shelton, Stacy (December 18, 2000). "MARTA christens 2 new stations – North Fulton riders report few problems". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. p. B1.
16. "Comprehensive Annual Financial Report" (PDF). Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority. June 30, 2006. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 29, 2007. Retrieved February 24, 2008.
17. its MARTA › More › mnwk7...PDF MINUTES WORK SESSION OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS ... - Marta
18. "Atlanta HRV" (PDF). AnsaldoBreda. 2007.
19. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4LN0fQ690zI
20. "Hitachi Rail" (PDF). Ansaldobredainc.com.
21. Barrow, Keith. "MARTA orders 127 trainsets from Stadler". Railway Age.
22. "Atlanta Metro Rail Project". Retrieved March 26, 2019.
23. "Press Releases". Archived from the original on April 28, 2009.
24. "MARTA Signs Contract with Alstom Signaling, Inc. to Overhaul Its Aging Train Control and Rail Safety Systems". Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority.
25. "Alstom to Deliver High-Tech Rail Safety Upgrades for Atlanta's MARTA". Alstom.
26. "Project: Train Monitoring System for MARTA".
27. "Recently Awarded Contracts Marta". Martabid.itsmarta.com. January 26, 2018. Retrieved July 30, 2018.
28. "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on April 1, 2018. Retrieved March 31, 2018.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
29. Ltd, DVV Media International. "Stadler to supply up to 354 metro cars to Atlanta". Metro Report. Retrieved 2019-03-29.
30. "Stadler Wins First Metro Contract in the US: 127 Trains for Atlanta". Railway News. 2019-03-29. Retrieved 2019-03-29.
31. Douglas Sams. Atlanta Business Chronicle, June 6, 2008
32. "Atlanta's 'yellow' train line changed after outcry". Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Atlanta: Cox Media Group, Inc. 2010-02-11. Retrieved 2010-02-12.