Columbia Street station
| Company type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | Public transportation |
| Predecessor | San Diego and Arizona Eastern Railway (SD&AE Railway) |
| Founded | 1980 |
| Headquarters | San Diego , United States |
Area served | San Diego County, California |
| Products | Light rail transit services |
| Parent | San Diego Metropolitan Transit System (MTS) |
The San Diego Trolley is a light rail network located in San Diego County, California, managed by San Diego Trolley, Inc. (SDTI), which operates as a subsidiary of the San Diego Metropolitan Transit System (MTS). Since its inauguration on July 26, 1981, the system has expanded to include four primary routes—the Blue, Orange, Green, and Copper—in addition to the Silver Line heritage streetcar that runs a downtown loop during holiday periods.
History
Established in 1980, San Diego Trolley Incorporated (SDTI) emerged when the Metropolitan Transit Development Board (now known as MTS) initiated plans for light rail transit along the former San Diego and Arizona Eastern Railway (SD&AE Railway) Main Line, which had been acquired from Southern Pacific Railroad in 1979. The initial service commenced on July 26, 1981, featuring a single route between downtown San Diego and San Ysidro, serving communities such as National City and Chula Vista along the way.
In March 1986, SDTI introduced an eastern extension from downtown to Euclid Avenue utilizing the La Mesa Branch of the SD&AE Railway, thereby establishing the East Line; concurrently, the original route was designated as the South Line. The East Line was further extended to Spring Street by May 1989 and then reached La Mesa and El Cajon by June of the same year. By August 1995, service expanded to Santee, moving beyond the boundaries of the former SD&AE right-of-way.
The Bayside extension near San Diego’s waterfront began operations on June 30, 1990. The Old Town extension was completed in two stages: first from C Street to Little Italy in July 1992, then from Little Italy to Old Town in June 1996.
The Mission Valley West extension, linking Old Town with Mission San Diego and including Qualcomm Stadium station, started service on November 23, 1997—just in time for Super Bowl XXXII. At this point, the South and East Lines were rebranded as the Blue and Orange Lines respectively. Later, on July 10, 2005, the Mission Valley East extension opened between Mission San Diego and La Mesa concurrently with the debut of the Green Line.
Between 2010 and 2015, stations along both Blue and Orange Lines underwent comprehensive upgrades as part of the $620 million Trolley Renewal Project aimed at modernizing tracks and station facilities.
Current system
The San Diego Trolley system encompasses 62 stations distributed across four lines: Blue, Orange, Green, and Silver, spanning a total of 65 miles of track. Fourteen stations function as transfer hubs between various lines; notably, the 12th & Imperial Transit Center in downtown San Diego offers transfers among all four routes. Additional nearby transfer points include Santa Fe Depot, America Plaza, and Courthouse stations. Six stations serve as endpoints for their respective lines. Of all stations, 37 reside within San Diego city limits covering several neighborhoods, while others are positioned in adjacent municipalities such as El Cajon and National City.
The majority of stations are constructed at ground level; however, ten are elevated structures and one—the SDSU Transit Center—is situated underground. Approximately half of these locations provide complimentary park-and-ride options. Most stops also offer connections to MTS bus services, facilitating integrated regional transit access.
Renamed stations
Several stations have undergone name changes to reflect service growth, collaborations, and regional progress:
- June 1990: Following the East Line extension, Gaslamp station was renamed Fifth Avenue station; Main & Marshall became known as El Cajon Transit Center; Broadway Lemon Grove was retitled Lemon Grove Depot.
- March 2004: After reconstruction, 12th & Market station received the new name Park & Market station.
- July 2005: With the introduction of the Green Line, Weld Boulevard was renamed Gillespie Field station.
- September 2012: Bayfront/E Street station was simplified to E Street station due to system realignment.
- June 2017: Upon expiration of naming rights, Qualcomm Stadium station was renamed Stadium station; the location was redeveloped into San Diego State University’s Snapdragon Stadium.
- October 2017: The El Cajon Transit Center temporarily adopted the name El Cajon–Sycuan after Sycuan Casino secured naming rights for the Green Line.
- December 2023: Following UC San Diego Health’s acquisition of a nearby hospital, Alvarado Medical Center station was shortened to Alvarado station.
- September 2024: Coinciding with the Copper Line debut and updated signage, Alvarado station was renamed UC San Diego Health East station.
These renaming initiatives illustrate strategic branding efforts and reflect ongoing regional transformations affecting the transit network’s identity.
San Diego Square station
Located on C Street between Seventh and Eighth Avenues downtown, San Diego Square station began operations in July 1981 but was closed on March 23, 1986. The closure resulted from low patronage, its close proximity to Fifth Avenue station, and to facilitate the opening of the new E Street infill station (which opened in October 1986) without extending travel times.
Physical traces of this former stop still exist along C Street between Seventh and Eighth Avenues.
Columbia Street station
Originally named Santa Fe Depot and renamed in June 1990, Columbia Street station opened in July 1981 but ceased operations in November 1991. It was replaced by America Plaza station one block west following track realignment.
Lines
As of 2021, San Diego Trolley operates three primary lines with daily service: Blue, Green, and Orange Lines. These lines serve a total of 62 stations spanning approximately 65 miles of predominantly double-track rail. Additionally, the Silver Line heritage streetcar offers limited service on select weekdays and weekends within a downtown loop. The Copper Line commenced operations in September 2024, linking El Cajon and Santee.
| Line | Opened | Length | Number of stations |
Termini | Operation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Template:MTS icon | 1981 | 26.3 mi (42.3 km) | 32 | UTC Transit Center San Ysidro Transit Center |
Daily |
| Template:MTS icon | 2005 | 19.8 mi (31.9 km) | 24 | 12th & Imperial Transit Center El Cajon Transit Center |
Daily |
| Template:MTS icon | 1986 | 17.1 mi (27.5 km) | 18 | Courthouse station El Cajon Transit Center |
Daily |
| Template:MTS icon | 2011 | 2.7 mi (4.3 km) | 9 | 12th & Imperial Transit Center | Select Holidays |
| Template:MTS icon | 2024 | 3.8 mi (6.1 km) | 4 | Santee station El Cajon Transit Center |
Daily |
Stations
The following table presents all the stations that are part of the San Diego Trolley network as of now.
| Legend | |
|---|---|
| † | End-of-line station |
| Station | Image | Line(s) | Area | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Template:Sort | Template:MTS icon | National City | ||
| Template:Sort† | Template:MTS icon Template:MTS icon Template:MTS icon Template:MTS icon |
San Diego, East Village | Central transfer hub connecting all lines; provides access to Petco Park. Terminus for Green and Silver lines. | |
| Template:Sort | Template:MTS icon | National City | ||
| Template:Sort | Template:MTS icon | Grant Hill, San Diego | ||
| Template:Sort | Template:MTS icon | Stockton, San Diego | ||
| Template:Sort | Template:MTS icon | Chollas View, San Diego | ||
| Template:MTS icon | San Ysidro, San Diego | Located at the Mexico–United States border. Blue Line terminus and original system endpoint. | ||
| Template:MTS icon | Santee, California | Endpoint for the Copper Line. | ||
| Template:MTS icon | University City, San Diego | Provides service to Westfield UTC and Costa Verde Shopping Center. Blue Line terminus. |