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 – which closed in 2012 – 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.[2][3]

Pittsburgh Light Rail Red Line
Red Line train
Overview
OwnerPittsburgh Regional Transit
LocalePittsburgh
Stations31
Service
TypeLight rail
SystemPittsburgh Light Rail
Operator(s)Pittsburgh Regional Transit
Daily ridership10,683 (2018)[1]
Technical
Track gauge5 ft 2+12 in (1,588 mm) Pennsylvania trolley gauge
ElectrificationOverhead line650 V DC
Route map
Map Red Line highlighted in red
Allegheny Parking
North Side Parking
Gateway
Wood Street
Penn Station
occasional use
Bus rapid transit Amtrak
Steel Plaza
First Avenue Parking
I-376 / US 22 / US 30
(Penn Lincoln Parkway)
PA-837.svg
PA 837
West Carson Street
Station Square
Monongahela Incline South Busway
Palm Garden
South Busway
Palm Garden trestle over
US 19 Truck / PA 51
Dawn
South Busway
Traymore
Pennant
Westfield
Fallowfield viaduct
Fallowfield
Hampshire
Coast
Belasco
Boustead
Shiras
Neeld
Stevenson
Potomac Parking
Kelton
Dormont Junction
Dormont
Mt. Lebanon
Mt. Lebanon Parking
Poplar
Mt. Lebanon
Castle Shannon
Arlington
Castle Shannon
Overbrook
Junction
Willow
St. Anne's Parking
Smith Road
Castle Shannon
Bethel Park
Washington Junction
Casswell
Highland
Bethel Village
Dorchester
 47D  to Drake
South Hills Village
Bethel Park
Upper St. Clair
Key
Other service sharing track with Red Line
Multiple services sharing track with Red Line
Former station
Accessible station
Non-accessible station
Interchange station

Route

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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 Road/West Liberty Avenue (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 former Neeld Avenue stop.

Before the Mt. Lebanon Rail Tunnel, the old streetcars ran with car traffic on Washington Road between Alfred Street in Mt. Lebanon and the intersection of McFarland Road and Raleigh Avenue (where Washington Road becomes West Liberty Avenue) 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.

Pittsburgh Regional Transit closed seven stations along the Red Line on June 25, 2012: Santa Barbara, Martin Villa, Kelton, Neeld, Boustead, Coast and Traymore.[4] An additional station, Pennant, was closed on February 15, 2021, due to safety concerns.[5] The line was renamed slightly to Red Line - Castle Shannon via Beechview when the North Shore Connector opened.

In May 2024, the Federal Transit Administration awarded The T $8 million to construct accessible platforms at ten Red Line stops.[6][7]

Stations

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The Pittsburgh Light Rail has three types of stations. They are low platform, high platform, and underground. High platform and underground stations are wheelchair accessible as the train doors are level with the platform. Low platform stations are not wheelchair accessible as they require passengers to climb stairs to board the light rail vehicle.

Name Miles[1]   Station Type Other services Municipality
Allegheny 0.00   high platform Blue Silver Pittsburgh / Chateau
North Side 0.51   underground Pittsburgh / North Shore
Gateway Center 1.00   Pittsburgh / Central Business District
Wood Street 1.26  
Steel Plaza 1.55  
First Avenue 1.88   high platform
Station Square 2.41   Blue Silver South Busway
  Monongahela Incline
Pittsburgh / South Shore
South Hills Junction 3.25   Blue Silver South Busway Pittsburgh / Mt. Washington
Palm Garden 3.67 low platform South Busway
Dawn 3.90 Pittsburgh / Beechview
Westfield 4.37
Fallowfield 4.72   high platform
Hampshire 4.79 low platform
Belasco 5.09
Shiras 5.39
Stevenson 5.75 Dormont
Potomac 5.97   high platform
Dormont Junction 6.45  
Mt. Lebanon 7.11   Mt. Lebanon
Poplar 7.68 low platform
Arlington 8.15 Castle Shannon
Castle Shannon 8.36   high platform
Overbrook Junction 8.59  
St. Anne's 8.97 low platform Blue Silver
Smith Road 9.25
Washington Junction 9.49   high platform Bethel Park
Casswell 9.96 low platform Blue
Highland 10.27
Bethel Village 10.75
Dorchester 11.04
South Hills Village 11.31   high platform Upper St. Clair

References

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  1. ^ a b "PAAC System Map". Port Authority.
  2. ^ Grata, Joe (February 26, 2007). "Bus, trolley riders warned of closing of bridge over Route 51". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved April 11, 2007.
  3. ^ Grata, Joe (August 22, 2007). "S. Hills bus, trolley disruptions ending Sept. 2". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
  4. ^ "Eleven T Stops Close June 25". Port Authority of Allegheny County. June 22, 2012. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016.
  5. ^ "Port Authority To Close Pennant Station In Beechview". February 2, 2021. Retrieved February 4, 2021.
  6. ^ "All Stations Accessibility Program FY24 Projects". Federal Transit Administration. May 28, 2024.
  7. ^ "Biden-Harris Administration Announces $343 Million to Modernize Transit Stations, Improve Accessibility Across the Country" (Press release). Federal Transit Administration. May 28, 2024.


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