D Line (Los Angeles Metro)
| File:LA Metro D Line icon.svg D Line logo | |
| Company type | Rapid transit |
|---|---|
| Industry | Public transportation |
| Founded | January 30, 1993 |
| Headquarters | Los Angeles, California , United States |
Area served | Los Angeles metropolitan area |
| Owner | Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) |
| Parent | Los Angeles Metro Rail |
| Website | www |
Overview
The D Line—previously identified as the Red Line between 1993 and 2006 and known as the Purple Line from 2006 until 2020—is a completely subterranean rapid transit route located in Los Angeles, California. It connects Koreatown with Downtown Los Angeles and is the most compact among the six lines that comprise the Los Angeles Metro Rail network, managed by Los Angeles Metro.
Between Koreatown and Downtown, the D Line operates on shared tracks with the B Line. In 2019, the combined ridership of both lines averaged 133,413 boardings on weekdays.
In 2020, Metro undertook a rebranding of its rail services, adopting a system of letters and colors; this resulted in renaming the Purple Line to the D Line while maintaining its purple color scheme.
An extensive extension project is currently in progress, set to add seven new stations and approximately nine miles of track. This expansion will extend service to areas including Mid-Wilshire, Beverly Hills, Century City, and Westwood. The new segment is planned to open in stages between 2025 and 2028.
Route description
The D Line spans from Wilshire/Western station situated in Koreatown, heading eastward for about one mile until reaching Wilshire/Vermont station, where it joins with the B Line. Together, these lines run beneath Wilshire Boulevard and 7th Street, briefly following Ingraham Street. They provide transfers to the A and E light rail lines at 7th Street/Metro Center station. Continuing northeast, they traverse through Downtown Los Angeles, passing key locations such as the Financial District, Pershing Square, and the Civic Center, before terminating at Union Station.
Overlapping service along Wilshire
The D Line operates beneath Wilshire Boulevard, a corridor also served by surface bus routes Metro Local 20 and Metro Rapid 720. Despite this overlap, Metro justifies maintaining both services because these bus routes extend westward beyond the D Line’s coverage area, reaching destinations like Beverly Hills, Westwood, and Santa Monica.
Operating hours and frequency
| Time | 5A | 6A | 7A | 8A-6P | 7P | 8P | 9P-12A |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weekdays | 14-21 | 12 | 20 | ||||
| Weekends/Holidays | 20 | 16-20 | 12 | 20 | |||
Station listing
Below is a table displaying existing and forthcoming D Line stations arranged from west to east:
| Station | Date opened | City/Neighborhood | Major connections and notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Template:LAMs | 2027 | Westwood | ||
| Template:LAMs | ||||
| Template:LAMs | 2026 | Century City | ||
| Template:LAMs | Beverly Hills | |||
| Template:LAMs | 2025 | |||
| Template:LAMs | Beverly Grove | |||
| Template:LAMs | Miracle Mile | |||
| Template:LAMs | July 13, 1996 | Mid-Wilshire / Koreatown | ||
| Template:LAMs | ||||
| Template:LAMs | Template:LACMTA icon | |||
| Template:LAMs | January 30, 1993 | Westlake | Template:LACMTA iconPark and ride: 6 spaces | |
| Template:LAMs | Downtown Los Angeles | Template:LACMTA icon strip | ||
| Template:LAMs | Template:LACMTA icon strip | |||
| Template:LAMs | Template:LACMTA icon strip | |||
| Template:LAMs | Template:Show by dateTemplate:LACMTA icon stripTemplate:LACMTA icon strip Template:Rint Amtrak, Template:Rint LAX FlyAway and Template:Rint Metrolink
Paid parking: 3,000 spaces |
Ridership
The D Line mainly serves as a downtown shuttle along the section it shares with the B Line. Ridership on the Vermont to Western segment is notably low, with peak usage reaching only 11%.
History
The D Line originated from a comprehensive vision to link Downtown Los Angeles with central and western neighborhoods via subway. Plans from the 1980s proposed routing the line along Wilshire Boulevard extending to Fairfax Avenue and continuing north toward the San Fernando Valley. However, opposition intensified following a 1985 methane explosion near Fairfax, which Rep. Henry Waxman cited to halt tunneling west of Western along Wilshire, labeling the area a "methane zone."
Construction began on September 29, 1986, at what would become the Civic Center/Grand Park station. The D Line was built in two minimum operating segments:
- MOS-1: A stretch of five stations from Union Station to , inaugurated on January 30, 1993.
- MOS-2A: Three stations extending from to , opened on July 13, 1996.
The Hollywood extension (MOS-2B) was introduced in 1999. Both branches were originally part of the Red Line; in 2006, the service running between Union Station and Wilshire/Western was rebranded as the Purple Line (later renamed the D Line in 2020) for improved clarity.
Westwood Extension
Metro is progressing with an extension of the D Line through Mid-Wilshire, Beverly Hills, Century City, and Westwood via the D Line Extension (previously known as the Westside Subway Extension). Phase one commenced on November 7, 2014. The Final Environmental Impact Report was published in March 2012, with phase one (reaching Wilshire/La Cienega) receiving approval in April 2012. In April 2017, Tutor Perini was given notice to proceed for phase two (Wilshire/La Cienega to Century City).
Opposition emerged in Beverly Hills concerning tunneling beneath Beverly Hills High School, spearheaded by school board president Lisa Korbatov due to safety apprehensions and efforts to block federal funding. Despite environmental lawsuits, Metro secured legal victories. Tunneling under the high school was completed safely in early 2022.
Construction continues across all three phases, with openings scheduled between 2025 and 2028.
Proposed Arts District Extension
Metro has put forward plans to extend the D Line eastward beyond Union Station to serve the Arts District neighborhood. At present, D Line trains only stop in the Arts District when traveling to or from the Division 20 yard for maintenance purposes. Proposed plans include adding one or two new stations at locations such as 6th Street and potentially 1st Street.
In 2018, Metro’s board allocated $500,000 for preliminary design work, an Environmental Impact Report, and community outreach regarding a possible station at 6th Street. However, funding remains uncertain due to projected costs reaching into the millions. One funding approach under consideration involves establishing a new tax district in Downtown Los Angeles that would capture increases in property values and direct those revenues toward Metro for station development.
A draft environmental impact report covering this extension and the proposed 6th Street station was initiated in March 2021.
Operations
Within Metro Rail's internal scheduling system, the D Line is identified as line 805.
Maintenance
The D Line's operations are supported by the Division 20 Yard, also known as Santa Fe Yard, located in the Arts District at 320 South Santa Fe Avenue, Los Angeles. This facility serves as a storage site for train cars and equipment utilized by both the B and D Lines and is responsible for performing extensive maintenance work. Access to the yard is gained by trains continuing eastward from Union Station, emerging from tunnels near Ducommun Street, and then proceeding south to enter the yard via 1st Street.
Rolling stock
The fleet on the D Line consists of A650 electric multiple unit vehicles manufactured by Breda in Italy. These units are modeled after trains that operated in Baltimore and Miami between 1983 and 1986. During peak travel times, trains operate in four-car formations, while off-peak service typically uses two-car sets. Maintenance activities for these vehicles take place at the Santa Fe Drive yard near 4th Street adjacent to the Los Angeles River in Downtown Los Angeles.
In March 2017, Metro placed an order for 64 CRRC HR4000 railcars, some of which are planned for deployment on the D Line following completion of its extension. Subsequently, in January 2024, Metro procured 182 Hyundai Rotem HR5000 units intended to replace the entire Breda A650 fleet, facilitate increased service frequency with four-minute intervals, and support phased expansions of the D Line. The initial HR4000 train entered passenger service on December 20, 2024, after successful testing during Phase 1 of the D Line Extension.