Blue Line (Dallas Area Rapid Transit)

Blue Line
Blue Line
	Blue Line train at Downtown Rowlett
Overview
Owner	DART
Locale	Dallas, Texas
Termini	Downtown Rowlett (north); UNT Dallas (south);
Stations	23
Service
Type	Light rail
System	DART Light Rail
Operator(s)	DART
History
Opened	June 1996
Technical
Line length	26.8 mi (43.1 km)
Track gauge	4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm)
Electrification	Overhead catenary
Highest elevation	At grade, elevated, underground
Route map
	Legend
	Red Line to Parker Road
	Orange Line to LBJ/Central or Parker Road (limited)
	Green Line to Buckner
	Green Line to North Carrollton/Frankford
	Orange Line to DFW Airport
	Trinity Railway Express
	to T&P Station
	Dallas Streetcar
	to Bishop Arts
	Red Line
	to Westmoreland
	All stations are accessible; § Special events only
	This diagram: view; talk; edit;

The Blue Line is a light rail line in the system of mass transit in Dallas, Texas (USA), operated by the Dallas Area Rapid Transit system. Along with the Red Line, it is one of the original modern rail lines in Dallas.

Route

The southern terminus of the line is currently at UNT Dallas in south Dallas at University Hills Blvd. just south of Camp Wisdom Rd. The line runs north, under the Dallas Convention Center and through downtown Dallas. After leaving Mockingbird, the line diverts to the northeast towards White Rock Lake. The line then goes north and then east into Garland, finally ending in Rowlett.

History

The rail line was part of the initial launch of DART's light rail service in 1996. At the time, the line only ran from Illinois to Pearl in the northeast corner of downtown. In May 1997, the Blue Line was extended south to Ledbetter and was extended along the Red Line to Mockingbird in September 1999, in preparation for the future extension to Garland.

On September 24, 2001, the Blue Line extended to White Rock, just northwest of White Rock Lake. On May 6, 2002, the Blue Line was extended to the LBJ/Skillman, just beyond LBJ Freeway (Interstate 635). It was extended to Downtown Garland on November 18, 2002, and to its current northern terminus, Downtown Rowlett, on December 3, 2012.^[1]

DART's 2030 Transit System Plan, approved in October 2006, calls for the Blue Line to be extended south beyond Ledbetter to the University of North Texas at Dallas, as well as a branch along Bonnie View road to Interstate 20 and the SouthPort Intermodal Terminal. The plan also includes a new Lake Highlands station near Skillman Street and Walnut Hill Lane, which opened as DART's second infill station in December 2010.^[2]

In October 2014, construction began for a 2.6-mile extension south from Ledbetter station to the University of North Texas at Dallas, adding two new stations to the line: Camp Wisdom and UNT Dallas. The extension opened for service on October 24, 2016.^[3]^[4]

Future plans

The D2 Subway is planned to be implemented in 2028 and will reroute the Blue Line off of the downtown transit corridor and over the former Green Line's western segment to terminate at North Carrollton/Frankford station.

Stations

Daily Service

Listed from north to south

Station	Opened	Notes
Downtown Rowlett	December 3, 2012	Northern terminus
Downtown Garland	November 18, 2002
Forest/Jupiter
LBJ/Skillman
Lake Highlands	December 6, 2010
White Rock	September 24, 2001
SMU/Mockingbird	January 10, 1997	Northernmost transfer for Red and Orange Lines
Cityplace/Uptown	December 18, 2000	Transfer to M-Line Trolley
Pearl/Arts District	June 14, 1996	Easternmost transfer for Green Line
St. Paul		Transfer to M-Line Trolley (one block north)
Akard
West End		Westernmost transfer station for Orange and Green Lines
EBJ Union Station		Transfer to Dallas Streetcar, Trinity Railway Express, and Amtrak
Convention Center
Cedars
8th & Corinth		Southernmost transfer for Red Line
Morrell
Illinois
Kiest	May 31, 1997
VA Medical Center
Ledbetter
Camp Wisdom	October 24, 2016
UNT Dallas	October 24, 2016	Southern terminus