Gold Line (MARTA)

Last updated
Gold Line
Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (logo).svg
MARTA CQ312 Gold Train.jpg
A Gold Line train on the viaduct north of Arts Center station
Overview
StatusOperational
Locale Atlanta, Georgia
Termini
Stations18 (4 Northeast, 6 North, Five Points, 7 South)
Service
Type Rapid transit
System MARTA rail
Operator(s) MARTA
Rolling stockSee MARTA rail#Rolling stock
History
Opened1981
Technical
Characterat grade, elevated, underground
Track gauge 4 ft 8+12 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Electrification Third rail,  750 V DC
Gold and Red Lines
BSicon numN345.svg
  Red  
BSicon uKBHFa.svg
N11
North Springs
BSicon PARKING.svg
BSicon uBHF.svg
N10
Sandy Springs
BSicon PARKING.svg
BSicon uTUNNEL1.svg
BSicon uBHF.svg
N9
Dunwoody
BSicon PARKING.svg
BSicon uSKRZ-G4o.svg
BSicon uBHF.svg
N8
Medical Center
BSicon PARKING.svg
BSicon uTUNNEL1.svg
BSicon uBHF.svg
N7
Buckhead
  Gold  
BSicon uSTR.svg
BSicon uKBHFa.svg
NE10
Doraville
BSicon PARKING.svg
BSicon uTUNNEL1.svg
BSicon uBHF.svg
NE9
Chamblee
BSicon PARKING.svg
BSicon uSTR.svg
BSicon uBHF.svg
NE8
Brookhaven/​Oglethorpe
BSicon PARKING.svg
BSicon uSTR.svg
BSicon uBHF.svg
NE7
Lenox
BSicon PARKING.svg
BSicon uSKRZ-G4o.svg
BSicon tRP4q.svg
BSicon uSKRZ-G4o.svg
BSicon uKRWl.svg
BSicon uKRW+lr.svg
BSicon uKRWr.svg
BSicon uTUNNEL1.svg
BSicon uBHF.svg
N6
Lindbergh Center
BSicon PARKING.svg
BSicon uABZgl+l.svg
BSicon uKDSTeq.svg
BSicon uSKRZ-G4o.svg
BSicon utBHFa@g.svg
N5
Arts Center
BSicon utBHF.svg
N4
Midtown
BSicon utBHF.svg
N3
North Avenue
BSicon utBHF.svg
N2
Civic Center
BSicon utINT.svg
N1
Peachtree Center BSicon TRAM.svg
BSicon utCONTgq.svg
BSicon utTINTt.svg
BSicon utCONTfq.svg
0
Five Points
BSicon utBHFe@g.svg
S1
Garnett
BSicon uSKRZ-G4o.svg
BSicon uBHF.svg
S2
West End
BSicon PARKING.svg
BSicon uBHF.svg
S3
Oakland City
BSicon PARKING.svg
BSicon uBHF.svg
S4
Lakewood/​Fort McPherson
BSicon PARKING.svg
BSicon uBHF.svg
S5
East Point
BSicon PARKING.svg
BSicon uTUNNEL1.svg
BSicon uBHF.svg
S6
College Park
BSicon PARKING.svg
BSicon uKDSTaq.svg
BSicon uABZgr+r.svg
South Yard & Shops
BSicon uSKRZ-G4o.svg
Red
Gold
BSicon uKINTe.svg
S7
Airport Gnome-searchtool.svg BSicon FLUG.svg
BSicon PARKING.svg

The Gold Line is a rapid transit line in the MARTA rail system. It operates between Doraville and Airport stations, running through Doraville, Chamblee, Brookhaven, Atlanta, East Point and College Park.

Contents

The Gold Line was previously called the Northeast-South Line until MARTA switched to a color-based naming system in October 2009. The North-South Line, from its launch, was considered one line, denoted with an orange color on old system maps until 2006 when the North Branch and the Northeast branch were redesignated as the North-South Line (the current Red Line) and the Northeast-South Line (the current Gold Line). Technically, with the 2009 designation change, there is no longer a mention of the color orange for the line. Using the Five Points station as a reference point, the Northeast Line was designated for trips headed to Doraville, and the South Line was designated for trips headed to the Airport.

The rail line was part of the initial MARTA north–south rail service in 1981. The first segment ran from the Garnett to the North Avenue stations, although the Peachtree Center opened the year after as an infill. In 1982, it expanded north to Arts Center, and in 1984, expanded as far north as Brookhaven and as far south as Lakewood/Fort McPherson. The East Point station opened, extending the line two miles to the south. A little more than a year later, the Chamblee station began service and served as the temporary terminus of the North Line. In 1988, the Airport station opened, and became the terminus of the South Line. In 1992, the North-South Line was extended northward to its current terminus at Doraville. In 1996, MARTA extended North Line services to Dunwoody. This created two branches of the North Line, and the Doraville branch was redesignated as the Northeast Line to avoid confusion. It finally extended north to its current terminus at North Springs in 2000.

Now known as the Gold Line, it shares trackage with its counterpart, the Red Line, between Airport and just north of the Lindbergh Center.

Line description

The Gold Line runs above ground, at-grade and below ground in various portions of its route. It begins at the northeastern terminus, Doraville station in Doraville. The nonrevenue tracks extend northeastward from the station north of I-285. It then goes southwestward paralleling Peachtree Road in DeKalb County. Upon entering Atlanta in Buckhead, it crosses over the Red Line in the median of GA 400 before joining the Red Line, going southwest paralleling I-85. It turns south through Midtown and enters downtown Atlanta, where it meets the Blue and Green Lines at Five Points station. Leaving downtown, the Gold Line continues south, paralleling Lee Street and Main Street into East Point and College Park before reaching its terminus at the Airport station.

Naming controversy

When the color-based name change was proposed, it was the Yellow Line at first. However, in February 2010, the name was revised to Gold in order to address a concern among the Asian-American residents along the rail corridor. [1] The section of the Gold Line that is not shared by the Red Line has a significant number of Asian-American residents, to whom the term "yellow" is considered racist. [1] Despite the color name change, interestingly many MARTA system maps denoted the Gold Line with the yellow color still until 2017.

Stations

listed from northeast to south

StationCodeOpenedRail Line
Transfer
Doraville [2] NE101992
Chamblee NE91987 [3]
Brookhaven/Oglethorpe [4] NE81984
Lenox [5] NE71984
Lindbergh Center [6] N61984 
Arts Center [7] N51982 
Midtown [8] N41982 
North Avenue [9] N31981 
Civic Center [10] N21981 
Peachtree Center [11] N11982 [12]   Atlanta Streetcar access
Five Points [13] 1981* [13]     [14]
Garnett [15] S11981 
West End [16] S21982 
Oakland City [17] S31984 
Lakewood/Fort McPherson [18] S41984 
East Point [19] S51986 
College Park [20] S61988 
Airport S71988 [21]   [22]

[23]

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References

  1. 1 2 Ariel Hart (2010-02-11). "MARTA changes "yellow" line to "gold"". Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Archived from the original on 2010-02-14. Retrieved 2010-02-11.
  2. "http://itsmarta.com/ne-dor-overview.aspx"
  3. "http://itsmarta.com/ne-cha-overview.aspx"
  4. "http://itsmarta.com/ne-bro-overview.aspx"
  5. "http://itsmarta.com/ne-len-overview.aspx"
  6. "http://itsmarta.com/ne-lin-overview.aspx"
  7. "http://itsmarta.com/ns-art-overview.aspx"
  8. "http://itsmarta.com/ns-mid-overview.aspx"
  9. "http://itsmarta.com/ns-nor-overview.aspx"
  10. "http://itsmarta.com/ns-civ-overview.aspx"
  11. "http://itsmarta.com/ns-pea-overview.aspx"
  12. "Peachtree Center Station Tour https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2DDOKOpKmJA"
  13. 1 2 "Five Points Station Tour: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gkLKot2vk3Y"
  14. "Five Points Station http://itsmarta.com/ns-fiv-overview.aspx"
  15. "http://itsmarta.com/ns-gar-overview.aspx"
  16. "http://itsmarta.com/ns-wes-overview.aspx"
  17. "http://itsmarta.com/ns-oak-overview.aspx"
  18. "http://itsmarta.com/ns-lak-overview.aspx"
  19. "http://itsmarta.com/ns-eas-overview.aspx"
  20. "College Park Station http://itsmarta.com/ns-col-overview.aspx"
  21. "Airport Station Tour https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wNcj6GOTen0"
  22. "Airport Station http://itsmarta.com/ne-air-overview.aspx"
  23. "http://itsmarta.com/ne-overview.aspx"

Route map:

Template:Attached KML/Gold Line (MARTA)
KML is from Wikidata