List of Metro Transit (St. Louis) yards and depots
| Company type | Public transit agency |
|---|---|
| Industry | Public transportation |
| Founded | 1993 |
| Headquarters | St. Louis , United States |
Area served | Greater St. Louis region |
| Products | MetroLink light rail, MetroBus, Metro Call-A-Ride, Loop Trolley |
| Website | www |
Metro Transit, the public transportation provider for the Greater St. Louis region, oversees two rail yards dedicated to the MetroLink light rail network, four bus facilities serving MetroBus and Metro Call-A-Ride operations, as well as a single streetcar barn for the Loop Trolley system.
Rail
Metro maintains two rail yards and maintenance shops responsible for servicing its fleet of SD-400 and SD-460 light rail vehicles, along with a storage yard and a streetcar barn used by the Loop Trolley:
Ewing Yard and Shops
Situated close to downtown St. Louis, Ewing Yard and Shops are enclosed by Jefferson Avenue, Scott Avenue, Ewing Avenue, and the right-of-way of the Terminal Railroad. Established in 1993 on the site of a former railroad facility that served Union Station until 1978, this 12-acre yard has capacity for 50 light rail vehicles and contains a primary maintenance building covering 71,000 square feet.
The complex features various specialized facilities including a car wash bay, running repair track, truck shop, break and coupler shop, HVAC shop, and pantograph shop. Ewing Yard also hosts MetroLink's Operational Control Center (OCC), bus communication systems, and public safety dispatch operations.
Plans are underway to enlarge Ewing Yard in order to accommodate maintenance needs for the upcoming Green Line expansion, which is part of a broader $1.1 billion MetroLink development initiative.
29th Street Yard and Shops
Located in East St. Louis, Illinois, the 29th Street Yard and Shops began operations in 2001 concurrent with the extension into St. Clair County. This 15-acre facility sits on reclaimed industrial land formerly occupied by the St. Louis and O'Fallon Railway right-of-way. It can house up to 48 light rail vehicles within its 51,800-square-foot main maintenance building.
This site offers repair shops comparable to those found at Ewing Yard and includes a two-track painting facility for light rail vehicles that was added in 2009 following a $1.1 million investment.
Sarah Yard
Opened in 2002 near the Cortex MetroLink stop, Sarah Yard is a compact 2,000-square-foot storage area primarily used for spare right-of-way materials and served as a staging location during construction of Cortex station. Previously, this location was home to a historic signal tower from the Wabash Railroad, which was removed in 2017 to allow for slight adjustments to the MetroLink track alignment required by the new station.
Loop Trolley Barn
The Loop Trolley's two streetcars are maintained at a facility located at 5875 Delmar Boulevard within a structure that formerly housed Delmar High School until its closure in 1980.
Bus
Metro Transit manages three garages dedicated to MetroBus operations:
Brentwood Garage
Commissioned in 1983 within central St. Louis County, the Brentwood garage encompasses 281,066 square feet and is equipped with infrastructure designed to support charging and maintenance activities for Metro’s electric bus fleet.
DeBaliviere Garage
The DeBaliviere garage opened its doors in 1986 with an area of 351,993 square feet and facilitates electric bus services. Prior to the cessation of streetcar service in 1966, this site functioned as an open-air streetcar yard.
Illinois Garage
Established in 1984 near the 29th Street rail yard in East St. Louis, the Illinois garage encompasses 287,255 square feet and supports bus operations on routes funded by the St. Clair County Transit District.
Central
Situated in Midtown St. Louis and inaugurated in 1983, the Central maintenance facility covers 321,000 square feet and specializes in major repairs such as engine overhauls, transmission servicing, and bodywork. It functions as the main workshop for Metro's Call-A-Ride fleet along with non-revenue vehicles. In 2022, Metro introduced its live camera monitoring center at this location as a component of the Secure Platform Plan.
The Central site occupies the former grounds of Red Stocking Baseball Park.
Swansea
The Swansea facility, measuring 16,690 square feet, is located adjacent to the Swansea MetroLink station and provides workspace and storage for Metro East personnel.
See also
External links
- Metro – Official website for Metro Transit
- Bi-State Development – Official Bi-State Development website
- St. Clair County Transit District – Official site for St. Clair County Transit District