MetroLink is a light rail system that serves the Greater St. Louis area in the United States. The 46-mile (74.0 km) system has two lines and is operated by Metro Transit , an enterprise of the Bi-State Development Agency .[1] [2]
MetroLink System Map
MetroLink currently has 38 stations; 13 are served only by the Red Line , nine only by the Blue Line , and the other 16 by both lines. Thirteen stations are located in the City of St. Louis ; 14 in St. Louis County ; and 11 in St. Clair County, Illinois . Central West End is the busiest station by daily ridership, Sunnen is the least busy.[3] [4]
The first 13.9-mile (22.4 km) segment opened on July 31, 1993 between the North Hanley and 5th & Missouri stations.[5] The remainder of this initial 17-mile (27 km) alignment was completed on June 25, 1994 when the extension to Lambert Airport Main opened.[6] Three infill stations have been added to this original alignment. East Riverfront in 1994, Lambert Airport East in 1998, and Cortex in 2018.[7] [8] The system has seen two major expansions. In 2001-03, St. Clair County extended the Red Line 20.9 miles (33.6 km) to the Shiloh-Scott station near Scott Air Force Base .[9] In 2006, the 8-mile (12.9 km) Cross County Extension added Blue Line service between the Forest Park–DeBaliviere and Shrewsbury–Lansdowne I-44 stations via Clayton, Missouri .[10]
A 5.2-mile (8.4 km) extension of the Red Line from Shiloh-Scott to MidAmerica St. Louis Airport in Mascoutah broke ground in 2023 and is expected to be operational in early 2026.[11] [12] [13] In Missouri, Metro and local leaders are advancing the Green Line that would run between North and South St. Louis with a potential extension into North St. Louis County.[14] [15]
Interior view of the 8th & Pine subway station in downtown St. Louis
Platform at Clayton station in 2023
A train at the Terminal 1 station at St. Louis Lambert International Airport
East Riverfront station in 2008
A view of the brick arches in the historic St. Louis Freight Tunnel , now used for MetroLink
Platform of the Civic Center station (I-64 ramps can be seen in the background)
West side view of the Shrewsbury-Lansdowne I-44 station
More information Station, Lines ...
Station
Lines
City[16]
Opened
Weekday ridership (FY2018)[4]
5th & Missouri
Red Blue
East St. Louis
July 31, 1993 [17]
1,323
8th & Pine
Red Blue
St. Louis
July 31, 1993 [17]
1,382
Belleville
Red
Belleville
May 5, 2001 [18]
534
Brentwood I-64
Blue
Brentwood
August 26, 2006 [19]
916
Central West End
Red Blue
St. Louis
July 31, 1993 [17]
4,885
Civic Center
Red Blue
St. Louis
July 31, 1993 [17]
2,217
Clayton
Blue
Clayton
August 26, 2006 [19]
913
College
Red
Belleville
May 5, 2001 [18]
509
Convention Center
Red Blue
St. Louis
July 31, 1993 [17]
1,309
Cortex
Red Blue
St. Louis
July 31, 2018 [20]
900
Delmar Loop
Red
St. Louis
July 31, 1993 [17]
1,692
East Riverfront
Red Blue
East St. Louis
May 14, 1994 [21]
567
Emerson Park
Red Blue
East St. Louis
May 5, 2001 [18]
1,094
Fairview Heights †
Red Blue
Fairview Heights
May 5, 2001 [18]
1,611
Forest Park–DeBaliviere *
Red Blue
St. Louis
July 31, 1993 [17]
3,711
Forsyth
Blue
University City
August 26, 2006 [19]
362
Grand
Red Blue
St. Louis
July 31, 1993 [17]
2,535
Jackie Joyner-Kersee Center
Red Blue
East St. Louis
May 5, 2001 [18]
462
Laclede's Landing
Red Blue
St. Louis
July 31, 1993 [17]
563
Lambert Airport Terminal 1 †
Red
St. Louis
June 25, 1994 [22]
1,060
Lambert Airport Terminal 2
Red
St. Louis
December 23, 1998 [23]
380
Maplewood–Manchester
Blue
Maplewood
August 26, 2006 [19]
770
Memorial Hospital
Red
Belleville
May 5, 2001 [18]
304
North Hanley
Red
Berkeley
July 31, 1993 [17]
2,713
Richmond Heights
Blue
Richmond Heights
August 26, 2006 [19]
618
Rock Road
Red
Pagedale
July 31, 1993 [17]
1,408
Shiloh–Scott †
Red
Shiloh
June 23, 2003 [24]
549
Shrewsbury–Lansdowne I-44 †
Blue
St. Louis
August 26, 2006 [19]
1,523
Skinker
Blue
St. Louis
August 26, 2006 [19]
887
Stadium
Red Blue
St. Louis
July 31, 1993 [17]
1,180
Sunnen
Blue
Maplewood
August 26, 2006 [19]
243
Swansea
Red
Swansea
May 5, 2001 [18]
370
UMSL North
Red
Normandy
July 31, 1993 [17]
385
UMSL South
Red
Normandy
July 31, 1993 [17]
516
Union Station
Red Blue
St. Louis
July 31, 1993 [17]
1,142
University City–Big Bend
Blue
University City
August 26, 2006 [19]
486
Washington Park
Red Blue
Washington Park
May 5, 2001 [18]
599
Wellston
Red
Wellston
July 31, 1993 [17]
848
Close
Leiser, Ken (May 4, 2001). "Bi-State Braces for Big Weekend of Free Fares". St. Louis Post-Dispatch .
Metro Archived August 7, 2008, at the Wayback Machine – Official website for Metro Transit
Citizens for Modern Transit Archived September 30, 2023, at the Wayback Machine – St. Louis transit advocacy group
Bi-State Development Archived October 21, 2022, at the Wayback Machine – Official website for Bi-State Development
St. Clair County Transit District Archived September 27, 2023, at the Wayback Machine – Official website for the St. Clair County Transit District
Arts in Transit Website Archived October 3, 2023, at the Wayback Machine