Special Event Line (San Diego Trolley)

Special Event Line
A Special Event Line trolley (left) next to a Green Line trolley (right) at Seaport Village station
Overview
Status	Only operates on special events, primarily during San Diego Comic-Con in late July
Owner	Metropolitan Transit System
Locale	San Diego, California
Termini	Balboa Avenue 12th & Imperial
Stations	12
Website	http://www.sdmts.com/
Service
Type	Light rail
System	San Diego Trolley
Route number	540 (in internal documents only) [a]
Operator(s)	San Diego Trolley, Inc.
History
Opened	July 20, 2022;3 years ago (2022-07-20)
Technical
Number of tracks	2 Tracks
Track gauge	4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Electrification	600 V DC Overhead lines
Operating speed	Max. 50 mph (80 km/h)
Route map Legend Coaster & Pacific Surfliner to Oceanside to UTC Balboa Avenue Clairemont Drive Tecolote Road to El Cajon I-8 Old Town (via ) I-5 Washington Street Middletown (via ) County Center/Little Italy Santa Fe Depot Seaport Village Convention Center Gaslamp Quarter │ to Courthouse 12th & Imperial Storage & Maintenance Yard │ to El Cajon to San Ysidro Multiple services All stations are accessible This diagram: view talk edit

The Special Event Line, also known as the "Red Line" until 2012, ^[1] is a light rail line operated by the San Diego Trolley, an operating division of the San Diego Metropolitan Transit System. Two different versions of this line operated, both times only during special events.

The original version of the Special Event Line, operating from at least 2007 ^[2] to 2012, connected Qualcomm Stadium station with Gaslamp Quarter station, during sporting events at ^[3] Qualcomm Stadium, ^[4] Cox Arena, ^[5] and the SDSU Open Air Theatre (OAT), ^[5] as well as during events like San Diego Comic-Con. This version of the Special Event Line was discontinued in 2012, after the Trolley Renewal Project saw the Green Line extended over the Special Event Line's route.

In 2022, the Special Event Line was revived, this time only running during Comic-Con. The line runs from Balboa Avenue Transit Center (which had opened in the previous September as part of the Blue Line Mid-Coast extension) to 12th and Imperial. ^{[6] [7] [8] [9]}

Current route (2022-present)

Since 2022, the Special Event Line has primarily only operated during the annual San Diego Comic-Con in late July. Service runs from Balboa Avenue Transit Center to 12th and Imperial, following the Green Line's alignment from 12th and Imperial to Old Town Transit Center. ^{[6] [10]} Over the course of the 2023 Comic-Con, the Special Event Line served over 100 thousand riders. ^[11]

Stations

See also: List of San Diego Trolley stations

Station	Location	Connections
Balboa Avenue	Bay Park, San Diego	Blue Line MTS: 8, 27, 43 Park and ride: 227 spaces
Clairemont Drive		Blue Line MTS: 105
Tecolote Road	Morena, San Diego	Blue Line Park and ride: 279 spaces
Old Town	Old Town, San Diego	Blue Line   Green Line Pacific Surfliner Coaster MTS: 8, 9, 10, 28, 30, 35, 44, 83, 88, 105 (via ) San Diego Flyer shuttle Park and ride: 412 spaces
Washington Street	Mission Hills, San Diego	Blue Line   Green Line MTS: 10
Middletown	Middletown, San Diego	Blue Line   Green Line (via ) TROLLEY → TERMINAL shuttle
County Center/Little Italy	Little Italy, San Diego	Blue Line   Green Line
Santa Fe Depot	Core, San Diego	Blue Line   Green Line Pacific Surfliner Coaster MTS: 83, Rapid 215, Rapid 225, Rapid 235, Rapid Express 280, Rapid Express 290, 923, 992
Seaport Village	Marina, San Diego	Green Line   Silver Line
Convention Center		Green Line   Silver Line
Gaslamp Quarter	Gaslamp Quarter, San Diego	Green Line   Silver Line
12th & Imperial	East Village, San Diego	Blue Line   Green Line   Orange Line   Silver Line MTS: 4, 12, 901, 929 Greyhound Lines Park and ride: 1,020 spaces, paid

2005–2012 route

Special Event Line
San Diego Trolley Old Town
Overview
Status	Closed; later revived on a different route in 2022
Owner	Metropolitan Transit System
Locale	San Diego, California
Termini	Qualcomm Stadium 12th & Imperial
Stations	15
Website	http://www.sdmts.com/
Service
Type	Light rail
System	San Diego Trolley
Operator(s)	San Diego Trolley, Inc.
Rolling stock	Triple Car U2 Trains * Train configurations may vary
History
Opened	July 10, 2005;20 years ago (2005-07-10)
Closed	August 29, 2012;13 years ago (2012-08-29)
Technical
Number of tracks	2 Tracks
Track gauge	4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Electrification	600 V DC Overhead lines
Operating speed	Max. 50 mph (80 km/h)
Route map Legend to Santee Qualcomm Stadium Fenton Parkway I-805 Rio Vista Mission Valley Center Hazard Center SR 163 Fashion Valley Morena/Linda Vista Amtrak Pacific Surfliner & Coaster to Oceanside I-8 Old Town (via ) I-5 Washington Street Middletown (via ) County Center/Little Italy Santa Fe Depot Seaport Village Convention Center Gaslamp Quarter 12th & Imperial Storage & Maintenance Yard │ to El Cajon to San Ysidro Multiple services All stations are accessible This diagram: view talk edit

From at least 2007 ^[2] to 2012, the Red Line operated between Gaslamp Quarter station and Qualcomm Stadium station (now known as Stadium station). They operated once every 15 minutes, during sporting events at Petco Park, ^[3] Qualcomm Stadium, ^[4] Cox Arena, ^[5] and the SDSU Open Air Theater (OAT), ^[5] as well as selected conventions and other major city events (such as San Diego Comic-Con). ^[12]

On maps issued during its first tenure in operation, the Red Line was illustrated as a red dashed line, indicating that it was a "Special Event Service Only". ^[13]

The Special Event Line was discontinued in 2012, as part of the Trolley Renewal Project. ^[b] The entire route the Special Event line ran is now served by the Green Line (which had been extended from Old Town to 12th & Imperial), and MTS now opts to add cars and increase service on that route when needed. ^[c]

The last Special Event Trolley departed at 6:54 pm on August 29, 2012.

Stations

See also: List of San Diego Trolley stations

Station	Location	Connections
Stadium	Mission Valley, San Diego	Green Line
Fenton Parkway		Green Line
Rio Vista		Green Line
Mission Valley Center		Green Line MTS
Hazard Center		Green Line
Fashion Valley		Green Line MTS
Morena/Linda Vista	Morena, San Diego	Green Line MTS
Old Town	Old Town, San Diego	Blue Line   Green Line Coaster MTS
Washington Street	Mission Hills, San Diego	Blue Line MTS
Middletown	Middletown, San Diego	Blue Line
County Center/Little Italy	Little Italy, San Diego	Blue Line
Santa Fe Depot	Core, San Diego	Blue Line Coaster
Seaport Village	Marina, San Diego	Orange Line   Silver Line
Convention Center		Orange Line   Silver Line
Gaslamp Quarter	Gaslamp Quarter, San Diego	Orange Line   Silver Line
12th & Imperial	East Village, San Diego	Blue Line   Orange Line   Silver Line MTS

Notes

1. For example, the link www.sdmts.com/getting-around/departures-and-schedules/schedules/540 (with the numbers at the end being a route number) leads to the schedule for the Special Event Line.
2. Compare the maps of the San Diego Trolley issued before ^[14] and after ^[15] the change in the trolley schedule on September 2, 2012.
3. For example, during the Holiday Bowl Game and Parade in December 2015, the MTS "increase[d] the number of Green Line trains" operating to Qualcomm Stadium. ^[16]

References

1. "Comic-Con 2007". San Diego Metropolitan Transit System . Archived from the original on 24 August 2007. Retrieved 30 March 2024.
2. "Trolley Special Event Services". www.sdmts.com. Archived from the original on 25 August 2007. Retrieved 30 March 2024.
3. "Petco Park Events". San Diego Metropolitan Transit System . 21 September 2007. Archived from the original on 21 September 2007. Retrieved 30 March 2024.
4. "Qualcomm Events". San Diego Metropolitan Transit System . 29 June 2015. Archived from the original on 27 December 2007. Retrieved 30 March 2024.
5. "Cox / OAT Events". San Diego Metropolitan Transit System . Archived from the original on 27 December 2007. Retrieved 30 March 2024.
6. "Comic-Con". San Diego Metropolitan Transit System . 29 March 2016. Archived from the original on 16 July 2022.
7. "Comic-Con | San Diego Metropolitan Transit System". www.sdmts.com. 29 March 2016. Archived from the original on 21 July 2023.
8. "Comic-Con | San Diego Metropolitan Transit System". www.sdmts.com. 29 March 2016. Archived from the original on 28 July 2024.
9. "MTS Service Information Thursday July 25 – Sunday, July, 28" (PDF). Retrieved 29 July 2024.
10. "ComicCon 2022" (PDF). San Diego Metropolitan Transit System . Archived from the original (PDF) on 14 July 2022. Retrieved 30 March 2024.
11. "MTS Logged 250,000 Extra Passenger Trips to Support Comic-Con in 2023". San Diego Metropolitan Transit System. July 25, 2023.
12. "MTS Special Event - Comic Con 2007". San Diego Metropolitan Transit System . Retrieved 30 March 2024.
13. "SDMTS - Trolley Information". San Diego Metropolitan Transit System . 22 May 2015. Archived from the original on 16 July 2007. Retrieved 30 March 2024.
14. "Trolley | San Diego Metropolitan Transit System". www.sdmts.com. Archived from the original on 31 August 2012. Retrieved 30 March 2024.
15. "Trolley". San Diego Metropolitan Transit System . Archived from the original on 7 September 2012.
16. "MTS Trolley Special Event Service for Holiday Bowl Game and Parade | San Diego Metropolitan Transit System". San Diego Metropolitan Transit System . 23 December 2015. Retrieved 30 March 2024.