View source for Red Line (RTA Rapid Transit)

{{Short description|Rapid transit line in Cleveland, Ohio}}
{{For|other routes of the same name|Red Line (disambiguation){{!}}Red Line}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2024}}
{{Infobox rail line
| name            = Red Line
| color           = {{rcr|RTA Rapid Transit|Red}}
| image           = Cleveland August 2015 01 (RTA Red Line).jpg
| image_width     = 300px
| caption         = A Red Line train at [[Airport (RTA Rapid Transit station)|Hopkins Airport]]
| type            = [[Rapid transit]]
| system          = [[RTA Rapid Transit]]
| status          = <!-- Only use when line is not operating normally -->
| locale          = [[Cleveland, Ohio|Cleveland]] and [[East Cleveland, Ohio|East Cleveland]], Ohio
| start           = [[Airport station (GCRTA)|Airport station]]
| end             = [[Louis Stokes Station at Windermere]]
| stations        = 18<ref name="rta map">{{Cite web |title=RTA Rapid Transit & Connecting Bus Routes – System Map |url=http://www.riderta.com/sites/default/files/pdf/maps/System_Map_Rapid_Connect.pdf |access-date=April 12, 2015 |publisher=Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority}}</ref>
| daily_ridership = {{American transit ridership|OH Cleveland HR daily}} ({{American transit ridership|dailydate}}){{American transit ridership|dailycitation}}
| ridership2      = {{American transit ridership|OH Cleveland HR annual}} ({{American transit ridership|annualdate}}){{American transit ridership|annualcitation}}
| open            = {{start date and age|1955|03|15}}<ref name="rta history">{{Cite web |date=2012 |title=History of public transit in Greater Cleveland |url=http://www.riderta.com/history |access-date=April 12, 2015 |publisher=[[Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority]] |location=[[Cleveland, Ohio]]}}</ref>
| owner           = [[Cleveland Transit System]] (1955–1975)<br />[[Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority]] (1975–present)
| character       = 
| stock           = 40 Tokyu HRVs
| linelength      = {{Convert|19|mi|km|abbr=on}}<ref name="2014annualreport">{{Cite web |title=Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority 2014 Annual Report |url=http://data.axmag.com/data/201503/20150320/U133364_F329916/FLASH/index.html |access-date=September 27, 2015 |archive-date=September 8, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150908034512/http://data.axmag.com/data/201503/20150320/U133364_F329916/FLASH/index.html |url-status=usurped }}</ref>
| tracks          = 2
| gauge           = {{RailGauge|ussg|allk=on}}
| electrification = {{600 V DC|conductor=overhead}}<ref>{{Cite web |date=April 2003 |title=Catalog of "Common Use" Rail Corridors |url=http://www.fra.dot.gov/downloads/research/ord0316.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080916114140/http://www.fra.dot.gov/downloads/Research/ord0316.pdf |archive-date=September 16, 2008 |access-date=July 19, 2008 |publisher=Office of Research and Development, [[Federal Railroad Administration]], [[United States Department of Transportation]] |df=mdy-all}}</ref>
| speed           = {{Convert|60|mph|km/h|abbr=on}}
| map             = {{switcher
|{{maplink-road|from=Red Line (RTA Rapid Transit).map}} Red Line highlighted in red <hr>
|Show interactive map
|{{Red Line (RTA Rapid Transit)}}
|Show diagram map
}}
}}

The '''Red Line''' (formerly and internally known as '''Route 66''', also known as the '''Airport–Windermere Line''') is a [[rapid transit]] line of the [[RTA Rapid Transit]] system in [[Cleveland, Ohio]], running from [[Cleveland Hopkins International Airport]] northeast to [[Tower City Center|Tower City]] in [[downtown Cleveland]], then east and northeast to [[East Cleveland, Ohio|Windermere]]. {{convert|2.6|mi|km}} of track, including two stations ([[Tri-C–Campus District station|Tri-C–Campus District]] and [[East 55th (RTA Rapid Transit station)|East 55th]]), are shared with the [[light rail]] [[Blue Line (RTA Rapid Transit)|Blue]] and [[Green Line (RTA Rapid Transit)|Green Lines]]; the stations have high platforms for the Red Line and low platforms for the Blue and Green Lines. The whole Red Line is built next to former freight railroads. It follows former intercity passenger rail as well, using the pre-1930 right-of-way of the [[New York Central Railroad|New York Central]] from Brookpark to West 117th, the [[New York, Chicago and St. Louis Railroad|Nickel Plate]] from West 98th to West 65th, and the post-1930 NYC right-of-way from West 25th to Windermere. The Red Line uses [[overhead lines]] and [[pantograph (rail)|pantographs]] to draw power and trains operate using [[one-person operation]]. In {{American transit ridership|annualdate}}, the line had a ridership of {{American transit ridership|OH Cleveland HR annual}}, or about {{American transit ridership|OH Cleveland HR daily}} per weekday as of {{American transit ridership|dailydateasof}}.

== History ==
The corridor along which the Red Line runs had been planned for use since before 1930 when the [[Cleveland Union Terminal]] opened. The first short section, between East 34th and East 55th Streets, was in use by the [[Cleveland Interurban Railroad]] in 1920, and in 1930 the line between East 34th and the Union Terminal was completed. It was not until March 15, 1955, that the eastern half of the Red Line opened, from the existing line near East 55th northeast next to the [[New York, Chicago and St. Louis Railroad]] (Nickel Plate Road) to Windermere. The line from downtown southwest to West 117th Street opened on August 15, 1955. This line ran next to the Nickel Plate to the crossing of the [[New York Central Railroad]] near West 101st Street, and then next to the New York Central. On November 15, 1958, an extension to [[West Park, Cleveland|West Park]] opened, and the final section, continuing to Cleveland Hopkins International Airport, opened in 1968, the first [[airport rail link]] in North America.

== Schedule and headways ==
The Red Line runs from approximately 3:15&nbsp;a.m. to 1:45&nbsp;a.m. daily. Trains run approximately every 15 minutes every day.<ref name="schedule">{{cite web |url=http://www.riderta.com/sites/default/files/schedule-pdfs/RedLine.pdf |title=Red Line (Airport–Stokes/Windermere |date=September 8, 2015 |publisher=[[Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority]] |access-date=September 27, 2015 |location=[[Cleveland, Ohio]]}}</ref>

== Rolling stock ==
The Red Line uses a fleet of 40 (originally 60) stainless-steel subway-type cars manufactured by [[Tokyu Car Corporation]] and delivered to RTA between 1984 and September 1985.<ref name="RTA History">[http://www.gcrta.org/ar_RTAhistory.asp About RTA: History of Public Transit in Greater Cleveland]. ''RTA Website''. Retrieved on June 14, 2007.</ref> The cars have three sets of doors on each side, one in the center and one at each end. The cars' exteriors originally had orange and red stripes along the sides, but these stripes were removed when RTA changed to a red, white, and blue color scheme. All cars are built as single vehicles. 20 of the cars are dual-ended and they are numbered 181–200. The other 40 cars are single-ended, and they are numbered 301–340. Dual-ended cars can operate independently, while single-ended cars can only operate coupled to another car at the non-cab end. Trains are typically two cars long, but can be operated with up to three.

[[File:19680225 12 CTS @ West Park Terminal.jpg|thumb|Red Line cars at the [[West Park (RTA Rapid Transit station)|West Park station]] in 1968]]
[[File:RTA Red Line 2023 (2).jpg|thumb|A Red Line train crossing the Union Terminal viaduct]]

The current fleet of Red Line cars underwent an in-house rehabilitation under the direction of the former director of rail Michael Couse. The cars were overhauled over the course of five years using federal grant money. Cars received pantographs and controllers, along with rebuilt trucks, traction motors, resistor banks, new flame-retardant flooring, LED lighting, new seat frames, revised interior paneling, and additional open space for improved ADA compliance. The first of the rebuilt cars was unveiled to the public on December 10, 2013.<ref name="RTA News Release">[http://www.riderta.com/news/dec-10-11-rta-unveils-new-red-line-cars RTA unveils new Red Line cars. ''RTA Website''. Retrieved on 2017-01-22.]</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Grant |first=Alison |date=2013-12-10 |title=RTA Red Line rail car decked out with new interior |url=http://www.cleveland.com/metro/index.ssf/2013/12/rta_red_line_rail_car_decked_o.html |access-date=2017-01-22 |newspaper=[[The Plain Dealer]]}}</ref>

The current cars represent the third generation of cars that have been used on the line. The line opened using a fleet of shorter cars manufactured by the [[St. Louis Car Company]] in 1954 and 1955. The cars were {{convert|48+1/2|ft|m}} long with blue and gray exteriors and are often referred to as "Blue Birds." They were virtually identical to the cars built by St. Louis Car at the same time for what is now the [[MBTA]]'s [[Blue Line (MBTA)|Blue Line]]. Twelve cars were operable as single units with cabs at each end, and 56 cars operable as pairs. The single units were numbered as 101–112, and the paired units as 201–256. Additional cars in this fleet were purchased in 1958 when the line was extended to [[West Park (RTA Rapid Transit station)|West Park]]. These comprised six additional single unit cars (numbers 113–118) and 14 additional double unit cars (numbers 257–270).

When the extension to Hopkins Airport was being built in 1967, a fleet of 20 longer cars was purchased to supplement and replace the Blue Birds. These second-generation cars, numbered 151–170, were {{convert|72|ft|m}} long and were built by [[Pullman Company|Pullman-Standard Car Manufacturing Company]]. The cars, which had a stainless steel exterior with red and white trim and featured interior luggage racks, were promoted as "Airporters." The Airporters supplanted the Blue Birds, except during rush hour when extra cars were needed. In 1970, ten additional Airporters were purchased, numbered as 171–180. With the purchase of the Tokyu cars in 1981, all Airporters and Blue Birds were retired starting in 1984.

In April 2019, a study recommended that 34 new cars be procured in 2020 for delivery in 2023, but the subsequent [[COVID-19 pandemic in Ohio|COVID-19 pandemic]] may have delayed this. During a board meeting in January 2020, a contract was awarded to [[Hatch Ltd|LTK Consulting]] to prepare specifications. In September 2020, RTA received $15 million from the federal government for the replacement of both its light (Blue/Green/Waterfront lines) and heavy rail fleet, but the 2019 study suggested it would take $102 million to replace the heavy rail and $96 million to replace the light rail, totaling $198 million. As of the September 2020 post, it was planned a contract would be awarded during the second quarter of 2021, but the contract was not awarded until April 2023, the RTA announced that Siemens would build new [[Siemens S200|S200]] cars to replace the current fleet.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Cleveland RTA set to have Siemens build new Red Line cars |url=https://www.trains.com/trn/news-reviews/news-wire/cleveland-rta-set-to-have-siemens-build-new-red-line-cars/ |access-date=2023-04-06 |website=Trains |language=en-US}}</ref>

In preparation for the new cars' arrival, 18 decommissioned cars (combined light rail and heavy rail) had been scrapped by May 2021.<ref>{{Cite web |last=RTA |first=Greater Cleveland |date=2021-05-05 |title=Disposal of Non-Operational Rail Transit Cars: Photos and Video |url=http://www.riderta.com/blogs/disposal-non-operational-rail-transit-cars-photos-and-video |access-date=2021-07-28 |website=Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority |language=en}}</ref>

== Stations ==
All stations are ADA {{RTA acc}} accessible stations.
{| class="wikitable sortable"
!Station<ref name="schedule" />
!Date opened
!Date rebuilt
!Location
!class="unsortable" |Connections&nbsp;/ notes<ref name="rta map" /><ref name="schedule" />
|-
| align="right" |{{stl|RTA Rapid Transit|Airport}}
|November 15, 1968<ref name="rta history">{{Cite web |date=2012 |title=History of public transit in Greater Cleveland |url=http://www.riderta.com/history |access-date=April 12, 2015 |publisher=[[Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority]] |location=[[Cleveland, Ohio]]}}</ref>
|May 1994<ref name="rta history" />
|[[Hopkins, Cleveland|Hopkins]]
|{{rint|air|link=Cleveland Hopkins International Airport}} [[Cleveland Hopkins International Airport]]
|-
| align="right" |{{stn|Brookpark}} {{RTA park}}
|April 20, 1969<ref name="rta history" />
|April 10, 2017
|[[Hopkins, Cleveland|Hopkins]]/<wbr/>[[Brook Park, Ohio|Brook Park]]
|{{rint|bus|1}} RTA Bus: 54, 78, 86
|-
| align="right" |{{stn|Puritas–West 150th}} {{RTA park}}
| November 15, 1968<ref name="rta history" />
|May 17, 2011<ref name="rta history" />
|[[Kamm's Corners]]/<wbr/>[[Jefferson, Cleveland|Jefferson]]
|{{rint|bus|1}} RTA Bus: 78
|-
| align="right" |{{stn|West Park}} {{RTA park}}
| rowspan="2" |November 15, 1958
|May 1996<ref name="rta history" />
|[[Jefferson, Cleveland|Jefferson]]
|{{rint|bus|1}} RTA Bus: 22, 83, 86
|-
| align="right" |{{stn|Triskett}} {{RTA park}}
|August 15, 2000<ref>{{Cite web |title=New Triskett Rapid Station now attractive and ADA-compliant |url=http://www.riderta.com/news/new-triskett-rapid-station-now-attractive-and-ada-compliant |access-date=28 July 2021 |website=Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority|date=August 8, 2017 }}</ref>
|[[Kamm's Corners]]
|
|-
| align="right" |{{stn|West 117th–Madison}} {{RTA park}}
| rowspan="4" |August 14, 1955<ref name="rta history" />
|October 16, 2007<ref name="rta history" />
|[[Edgewater, Cleveland|Edgewater]]/<wbr/>[[Cudell, Cleveland|Cudell]]/<wbr/>[[Lakewood, Ohio|Lakewood]]
|{{rint|bus|1}} RTA Bus: 25, 78
|-
| align="right" |{{stn|West Boulevard–Cudell}} {{RTA park}}
|April 1999<ref name="rta history" />
|[[Edgewater, Cleveland|Edgewater]]
|{{rint|bus|1}} RTA Bus: 18, 26, 26A
|-
| align="right" |{{stn|West 65th–Lorain}} {{RTA park}}
|September 21, 2004<ref name="rta history" />
|[[Detroit–Shoreway]]
|{{rint|bus|1}} RTA Bus: 22, 25, 71
|-
| align="right" |{{stn|West 25th–Ohio City}}
|September 1992<ref name="rta history" />
|[[Ohio City, Cleveland|Ohio City]]/<wbr/>[[Tremont, Cleveland|Tremont]]
|{{rint|bus|1}} RTA Bus: 22, 25, 45, 51, 51A
|-
| align="right" |{{stn|Tower City}}
|March 15, 1955<ref name="rta history" />
|December 17, 1990<ref name="rta history" />
|[[Downtown Cleveland|Downtown]]
|{{rint|cleveland|rta}} [[RTA Rapid Transit]]: {{rcb|RTA Rapid Transit|Blue|inline=route}} {{rcb|RTA Rapid Transit|Green|inline=route}} {{rcb|RTA Rapid Transit|Waterfront|inline=route}}<br/>{{rint|bus|brt}} RTA BRT: [[HealthLine]]<br />{{rint|bus|1}} RTA Bus: 1, 3, 8, 9, 11, 14, 14A, 15, 19, 19A, 19B, 22, 25, 26, 26A, 39, 45, 51, 51A, 53, 53A, 55, 55B, 55C, 71, 77, 90, 251, B-Line Trolley<br />{{rint|bus|1}} [[Laketran]]: 10, 11, 12<br />{{rint|bus|1}} [[METRO RTA]]: 61<br />{{rint|bus|1}} [[Portage Area Regional Transportation Authority|PARTA]]: 100<br />{{rint|bus|1}} [[SARTA]]: 4
|-
| align="right" |{{stn|Tri-C–Campus District}}
|March 1, 1971
|August 18, 2003<br />September 24, 2018
|[[Central, Cleveland|Central]]
|{{rint|cleveland|rta}} [[RTA Rapid Transit]]: {{rcb|RTA Rapid Transit|Blue|inline=route}} {{rcb|RTA Rapid Transit|Green|inline=route}}<br />{{rint|bus|1}} RTA Bus: 15, 19, 19A, 19B
|-
| align="right" |{{stn|East 55th}} {{RTA park}}
| rowspan="4" |March 15, 1955 <ref name="rta history" />
|October 11, 2011<ref name="e55th">{{Cite web |date=October 7, 2011 |title=New E. 55th Rapid Station official grand opening |url=http://www.riderta.com/newsroom/releases/?listingid=1651 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120103065735/http://www.riderta.com/newsroom/releases/?listingid=1651 |archive-date=January 3, 2012 |access-date=April 12, 2015 }}</ref>
|North Broadway
|{{rint|cleveland|rta}} [[RTA Rapid Transit]]: {{rcb|RTA Rapid Transit|Blue|inline=route}} {{rcb|RTA Rapid Transit|Green|inline=route}}<br />{{rint|bus|1}} RTA Bus: 16
|-
| align="right" |{{stl|RTA Rapid Transit|East 79th|Red}}
|March 10, 2021
|[[Kinsman, Cleveland|Kinsman]]
|{{rint|bus|1}} RTA Bus: 2
|-
| align="right" |{{stn|East 105th–Quincy}}
|November 4, 2005<ref name="rta history" />
|[[Fairfax, Cleveland|Fairfax]]
|{{rint|bus|1}} RTA Bus: 8, 10, 11
|-
| align="right" |{{stn|Cedar–University}}
|August 28, 2014<ref name="cedar university">{{Cite web |date=August 18, 2014 |title=Aug. 28: RTA plans ribbon-cutting ceremony at Cedar-University Station |url=http://www.riderta.com/news/aug-28-rta-plans-ribbon-cutting-ceremony-cedar-university-station |access-date=April 12, 2015 |publisher=[[Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority]]}}</ref>
| rowspan="2" |[[University Circle]]
|{{rint|bus|1}} RTA Bus: 11, 48, 50
|-
| align="right" |{{stn|Little Italy–University Circle}}
|August 11, 2015<ref name="Little Italy-University">[http://www.riderta.com/service-alerts/little-italy-university-circle-euclid-e-120-station Little Italy – University Circle / Euclid – E 120 Station]. ''RTA Website''. Retrieved on August 13, 2015.</ref>
|
|{{rint|bus|1}} RTA Bus: 9  <hr />Replaced {{stn|Euclid–East 120th}} station
|-
| align="right" |{{stn|Superior}} {{RTA park}}
| rowspan="2" |March 15, 1955<ref name="rta history" />
|September 1996<ref name="rta history" />
| rowspan="2" |[[East Cleveland, Ohio|East Cleveland]]
|{{rint|bus|brt}} RTA BRT: [[HealthLine]]<br />{{rint|bus|1}} RTA Bus: 3, 35, 40
|-
| align="right" |{{stl|RTA Rapid Transit|Windermere}} {{RTA park}}
|June 22, 1997<ref name="rta history" />
|{{rint|bus|brt}} RTA BRT: [[HealthLine]]<br />{{rint|bus|1}} RTA Bus: 3, 7, 7A, 28, 28A, 31, 35, 37, 41, 41F
|}

== In popular culture ==
The Red Line is prominently featured in the final scenes of the film ''[[Proximity (2000 film)|Proximity]]'', starring [[Rob Lowe]] and [[James Coburn]]. The finale involves a hostage on a Red Line train and a gunfight and chase scene through the Tower City station.

== See also ==
*[[Northern Ohio Railway Museum]]

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==
{{Attached KML |display=title,inline}}
{{Commons category|Red Line (Cleveland)}}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20051111232334/http://www.publictransit.us/ptlibrary/specialreports/Railopenings.pdf U.S. Urban Rail Transit Lines Opened From 1980] ([[PDF]])
*[https://www.nycsubway.org/wiki/Cleveland,_Ohio nycsubway.org – Cleveland, Ohio]
*[http://www.gcrta.org/maps-schedules.asp Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority – Maps and Schedules]
*[http://www.jtbell.net/transit/Cleveland/Red/ Jon Bell – Cleveland, Ohio: Red Line]

{{Cleveland Rapid}}
{{USSubway}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Red Line (RTA Rapid Transit)| ]]
[[Category:Rapid transit in Ohio]]
[[Category:Standard-gauge railways in the United States]]
[[Category:Airport rail links in the United States]]
[[Category:600 V DC railway electrification]]
[[Category:1955 establishments in Ohio]]
[[Category:Railway lines opened in 1955]]