Red Line (St. Louis MetroLink)

Red Line (MetroLink)

Company type	Light rail line
Industry	Public transportation
Founded	1993
Headquarters	St. Louis , United States
Area served	Greater St. Louis area, Missouri and Illinois
Products	Light rail transit service
Website	www.metrostlouis.org

The Red Line stands as the original and lengthier route within the MetroLink light rail network serving the Greater St. Louis area. It connects 29 stations spanning across two states and three counties.

Although it is categorized as a light rail system, the Red Line incorporates numerous characteristics typical of a light metro or rapid transit network, such as exclusive right-of-way, elevated maximum speeds, and level boarding platforms at every station.

History

Planning for transit along the Airport/Central corridor commenced in 1971 with a focus on further analysis. By 1983, resources were allocated to assess five different transit modes, culminating in a draft environmental impact statement in 1984. After conducting public consultations, the East–West Gateway Council of Governments chose light rail as the preferred transportation mode.

The comprehensive budget covering design, engineering, construction, and testing totaled $287.7 million (adjusted for inflation to current dollars). The city of St. Louis contributed approximately $100 million in unused railroad assets as its local funding share. Groundbreaking for the initial segment, known as the Lambert Airport branch, took place in 1990; this section commenced operations on July 31, 1993, featuring 16 stations between North Hanley and 5th & Missouri. An extension reaching Lambert Airport Main was inaugurated on June 25, 1994, lengthening the line further. Subsequently, three infill stations were introduced: East Riverfront in 1994, Lambert Airport East in 1998, and Cortex in 2018.

In 1998, construction began on an eight-station expansion stretching from 5th & Missouri to College located in St. Clair County, Illinois. This extension was completed in May 2001 at a cost of $339.2 million, financed by $243.9 million from the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) and $95.2 million from the St. Clair County Transit District (SCCTD). A further $75 million extension from College to Shiloh-Scott, funded by a $60 million Illinois FIRST grant alongside $15 million from SCCTD, opened in 2003.

On October 27, 2008, the Lambert Airport branch was officially renamed as the Red Line.

A flash flood on July 26, 2022 forced MetroLink to suspend service for nearly three days and inflicted damages estimated around $40 million. Approximately of track bed suffered damage, along with critical infrastructure such as elevators and signal houses. By September of that year, full service on the Red Line had been restored while restrictions persisted on the Blue Line. On July 31, 2023, Metro was awarded $27.7 million in federal emergency disaster relief funds to support ongoing flood recovery efforts.

Route

Spanning 38 miles (61 km), the Red Line originates at St. Louis Lambert International Airport, with stops at both Terminal 1 and Terminal 2 stations. From there, it proceeds through Kinloch, making a stop near Bel-Ridge at North Hanley station. It also serves the University of Missouri St. Louis campus via two stations: UMSL North and UMSL South. Continuing past UMSL, the route follows the path of the former Wabash/Norfolk & Western Railroad line, stopping at Rock Road in Pagedale and Wellston station located on Plymouth Street. Upon entering the city limits of St. Louis at Skinker Boulevard, the line services the Delmar Loop entertainment district before intersecting with the Blue Line at Forest Park-DeBaliviere station. Both lines share tracks until the Blue Line reaches its terminus at Fairview Heights in Illinois.

Shared alignment

The Red and Blue lines operate on a common track segment encompassing 16 stations. Prominent stops along this shared section include Central West End and Cortex, which provide access to the Central West End neighborhood, Washington University Medical Center, and the Cortex Innovation Community. Grand station offers connections to the heavily used #70 MetroBus route and serves Saint Louis University along with its hospital facilities. Additional mutual stops include Union Station, Civic Center, Stadium, 8th & Pine, Convention Center, and Laclede's Landing within downtown St. Louis. After crossing the historic Eads Bridge into Illinois, the line continues through East Riverfront, 5th & Missouri, Emerson Park, Jackie Joyner-Kersee Center, and Washington Park stations located in East St. Louis. While the Blue Line concludes service at Fairview Heights, the Red Line extends further south to Belleville before terminating at Shiloh–Scott near Scott Air Force Base.

Stations

From Lambert Airport to Shiloh-Scott (west to east)

Station	Transfer	City/town served	County	Opening date
		Edmundson	St. Louis County	June 25, 1994
		Woodson Terrace		December 23, 1998
		Carsonville		July 31, 1993
		Normandy
		Pagedale
		Wellston
		Independent city of St. Louis
	Template:Rcb
				July 31, 2018
				July 31, 1993
		East St. Louis	St. Clair County	May 14, 1994
				July 31, 1993
				May 5, 2001
		Fairview Heights			-	-	-
		Belleville			-	-
		Swansea			-	-
		Belleville			-	-
College station (MetroLink)					-	-
		Shiloh		June 23, 2003

Operations

The Red Line operates with 20-minute intervals, commencing service eastbound from Washington Park at 4:16 A.M. and westbound from Jackie Joyner-Kersee Center starting at 3:58 A.M. The final four eastbound trips conclude at different stations between 12:30 A.M. and 1:27 A.M., whereas the last westbound train terminates at Fairview Heights at 12:55 A.M.

Public artwork

Metro's Arts in Transit initiative incorporated distinctive bridge pier designs into the MetroLink viaducts, characterized by inverted arch patterns that establish a signature aesthetic carried through subsequent system expansions.

In 2008, the program unveiled St. Louis Rhythm near Lambert Airport, an installation featuring reflective elements embedded in concrete barriers that interact dynamically with vehicle headlights.

By 2011, the Blue Train sculpture—a cubist representation of a locomotive positioned on the Interstate 64 bridge over Vandeventer Avenue—was introduced. This piece artistically conveys the “St. Louis Blues” tune and shifts visually from a daytime train depiction to a nighttime geometric abstraction.

MidAmerica Airport extension

The St. Clair County Transit District obtained $96 million in Illinois infrastructure funds in 2019 to extend the Red Line from Shiloh-Scott to MidAmerica St. Louis Airport located in Mascoutah. This development comprises two segments consisting of both double and single track sections, along with a new station at the airport. Construction began in 2023, with service anticipated to commence by early 2026.

System rehabilitation

In 2023, Metro initiated a comprehensive multi-year rehabilitation effort across the network. For the Red Line, this includes refurbishing subway tunnels in downtown and Union Station areas, affecting stations such as 8th & Pine, Convention Center, and Laclede's Landing. Further improvements involve replacing catenary wiring, curved track sections, platforms, retaining walls, stairways, and system conduits.

By 2026, Metro plans to complete enhancements to its Supervisory Control Automated Data Acquisition (SCADA) and Public Address/Customer Information (PA/CIS) systems. The upgraded integrated SCADA/PA/CIS will improve operational oversight and provide passengers with real-time updates via live station displays.

Previous proposals

Former proposals for extending the Red Line have been discontinued; regional decision-makers are currently focusing on expanding the Green Line within St. Louis.

St. Charles County

A planned extension of approximately 16–20 miles from St. Louis Lambert International Airport northwestward into St. Charles County was abandoned after voters twice rejected a sales tax measure in 1996. This resulted in the cessation of all MetroBus services to that area. The proposed route would have crossed the Missouri River via the now-demolished Old St. Charles Bridge.

External links

• Metro – Official website for Metro Transit
• Bi-State Development – Official Bi-State Development organization website
• St. Clair County Transit District – Official portal for St. Clair County Transit District
• Citizens for Modern Transit – Advocacy group supporting transit in St. Louis
• Arts in Transit – Website dedicated to Arts in Transit initiatives