MetroLink (St. Louis)

MetroLink is a light rail system that serves the Greater St. Louis area. Operated by Metro Transit in a shared fare system with MetroBus, the two-line, 38-station system runs from St. Louis Lambert International Airport and Shrewsbury in Missouri to Scott Air Force Base in Illinois. Intermediate destinations include downtown Clayton, Forest Park, and downtown St. Louis. It is the only U.S. light rail system to cross state lines.

In, MetroLink had about riders. As of the third quarter of 2020, its ridership ranked 11th among the country's light rail systems, and second only to Minneapolis Metro Transit in the Midwestern United States.

MetroLink shares some characteristics of a light metro or rapid transit service, including a completely independent right-of-way, a higher top speed, and level boarding at all platforms.

History
Construction on the initial MetroLink alignment from St. Louis Lambert International Airport to the 5th & Missouri station in East St. Louis began in 1990. The first 13.9 mi segment with 16 stations opened on July 31, 1993 between the North Hanley and 5th & Missouri stations and initially operated with 31 high-floor vehicles. The remainder of this initial 17 mi alignment was completed on June 25, 1994, when the extension to Lambert Airport Main opened. Three infill stations have been added to this original alignment: East Riverfront in 1994, Lambert Airport East in 1998, and Cortex in 2018.

About 14 mi of the original 17 mi alignment reused existing railroad right-of-way. The capital cost to build the initial phase of MetroLink was $465 million, including $348 million from the Federal Transit Administration (FTA).

Construction on the St. Clair County MetroLink extension from the 5th & Missouri station to the College station in Belleville began in 1998 and it opened in May 2001. The extension added eight stations and seven park-ride lots. The total project cost was $339.2 million with $243.9 million paid by the FTA and $95.2 million paid by the St. Clair County Transit District (via a 1/2 cent sales tax passed in November 1993).

In May 2003, a 3.5 mi extension from the College station to the Shiloh-Scott station opened. This $75 million project was funded by a $60 million grant from the Illinois FIRST (Fund for Infrastructure, Roads, Schools, and Transit) Program and $15 million from the St. Clair County Transit District. The 8 mi Cross County Extension opened on August 26, 2006 and added nine stations from Forest Park-DeBaliviere to Shrewsbury, Missouri. Intermediate stops include service to Washington University, Clayton, the Saint Louis Galleria and Maplewood. The entire project was funded by a $430 million Metro bond issue. Citing repeated delays and cost overruns, Metro fired and then sued its general contractor, Cross County Collaborative, in the summer of 2004. Metro sought $81 million in damages for fraud and mismanagement while the Collaborative counter-sued for $17 million for work that Metro hadn't paid for. On December 1, 2007, a jury awarded the Collaborative $2.56 million. On October 27, 2008, Metro renamed the Lambert Airport branch the Red Line and the Shrewsbury branch the Blue Line. Blue Line service was also extended from its former terminus at Emerson Park to Fairview Heights. All trains have signs on the front and side that identify the train as a Red or Blue line train, and operators make live announcements identifying lines and stations.

On September 9, 2014, the United States Department of Transportation announced $10.3 million in funding for a new Metrolink station between the Central West End and Grand stations in the Cortex Innovation Community. An additional $5 million in funding was provided by a public-private partnership including Washington University, BJC HealthCare, Great Rivers Greenway and Cortex. The new Cortex station, located just east of Boyle Avenue, opened to the public on July 31, 2018.

On July 26, 2022, the Forest Park-DeBaliviere and Delmar Loop MetroLink stations were impacted by a flash flood that shut down the system for nearly 72 hours and caused roughly $40 million in damage. Damages included nearly 5 mi of track bed, two elevators, two communications rooms and three signal houses. Two MetroLink vehicles were a total loss. On July 31, 2023, Metro received $27.7 million in federal emergency disaster relief funding to help cover the cost of flood damage.

In 2023, Bi-State's board approved a memorandum of understanding authorizing the Metro team to plan and develop the Green Line expansion project with the City of St. Louis. In May, Metro received a $196.2 million federal grant to purchase new light rail vehicles to replace the remaining SD-400 cars. Six months later, Bi-State's board approved a contract with Siemens Mobility worth up to $390.4 million for as many as 55 new S200 light rail vehicles with delivery expected to begin in 2026.

Chronology
Below is a list of dates on which segments of the MetroLink system opened for service.

Red Line
The 38 mi Red Line alignment begins at Lambert St. Louis International Airport, making stops at the Terminal 1 and Terminal 2 stations. It proceeds through Kinloch before reaching the North Hanley station near Bel-Ridge. It stops twice at the University of Missouri St. Louis in Normandy: UMSL North and UMSL South. It heads south on the former Wabash/Norfolk & Western Railroad's Union Depot line that once brought passenger trains from Ferguson to Union Station. It travels into Pagedale, stopping at the Rock Road station and then at Wellston's namesake station on Plymouth Street. From here, the Red Line crosses the St. Louis City/County boundary at Skinker Boulevard, making a stop at the Delmar Loop station, which serves the Delmar Loop area and is located just below the Wabash Railroad's old Delmar Station building. At the following station, Forest Park-DeBaliviere, the Red Line meets the Blue Line. From this station, the two services share track until the Blue Line terminates at the Fairview Heights station in Illinois. From Fairview Heights, the Red Line continues south, serving Belleville, Illinois, and then terminating at the Shiloh-Scott station near Scott Air Force Base. For the rest of the Red Line, see the "Shared alignment" section.

Blue Line
The 24 mi Blue Line alignment starts at the Shrewsbury-Lansdowne I-44 station in Shrewsbury, just west of the River des Peres. It crosses over Interstate 44 and continues north to two stations in Maplewood, Missouri (Sunnen and Maplewood/Manchester). The line continues north to the Brentwood I-64 station in Brentwood, Missouri, just south of Interstate 64. It then proceeds in a tunnel underneath Interstate 64, continuing to the Richmond Heights station, which serves the Saint Louis Galleria shopping mall. The line then proceeds through a sharp turn east to the Clayton station in the median of Forest Park Parkway in Clayton, Missouri, where it serves the Central Business District of St. Louis County. It heads east to the Forsyth station where it enters a tunnel to the University City-Big Bend subway station. After crossing the St. Louis City/County boundary, the Blue Line stops at the Skinker subway station, the last stop serving nearby Washington University. At the following station, Forest Park-DeBaliviere, the Blue Line meets the Red Line. From this station, the two services share track until the Blue Line terminates at the Fairview Heights station in Illinois.

Shared alignment
From the Forest Park-DeBaliviere station, the Red and Blue lines share tracks for 16 stations. Continuing east, the Central West End station serves the Washington University Medical Center including Barnes-Jewish and St. Louis Children's hospitals. The next station, Cortex, was built to serve the Cortex Innovation Community. From here is the Grand station, located under the Grand Boulevard viaduct, which serves Saint Louis University and its namesake hospital. Trains then pass under the Jefferson Avenue viaduct before they enter the next stop at Union Station, located partially beneath the historic train shed at the popular St. Louis Union Station. A short distance later, trains stop at the Civic Center station and connect with the Gateway Transportation Center and Enterprise Center. Trains then continue east along Interstate 64 turning north toward the Stadium station. Stadium station serves Busch Stadium, Cupples Station, and the popular Ballpark Village district. Here, the line enters the historic St. Louis Freight Tunnel that was built in 1874 and converted to light rail usage beginning in 1991. The next station is 8th & Pine, a subway station located under 8th Street serving the Central Business District. Following a curve eastward under Washington Avenue, the line then enters the Convention Center subway station serving the Dome and convention facilities at America's Center. It then exits the tunnel and makes stops on both sides of the historic Eads Bridge, first at the Laclede's Landing station and then the East Riverfront station in East St. Louis, Illinois. From there, it runs at-grade serving the 5th & Missouri, Emerson Park, Jackie Joyner-Kersee Center and Washington Park stations until the Blue Line terminates at the Fairview Heights station in Fairview Heights, Illinois. From here, Red Line trains continue to their terminus at the Shiloh-Scott station in Shiloh, Illinois.

Rolling stock
MetroLink operates 87 Siemens SD-400 and SD-460 light rail vehicles. Each 90 ft, single articulated vehicle has four high platform doors per side and can hold 72 seated and 106 standing passengers. The cars are powered by an electric motor which gets its electricity from an overhead line with a supply.

Each car has an enclosed operator cab at each end. This configuration is the most flexible for operations but prevents travel between cars. Each car has separate doors for boarding at station level and track level; in normal operations, the track-level doors (equipped with stairs) are unused.

In 2026, Metro plans to begin phasing out the original SD-400 cars and to refurbish the SD-460 cars for continued use. In May 2023, Metro received a $196.2 million federal grant to purchase up to 48 Siemens S200 high-floor light rail vehicles to replace 25 of the oldest cars. Six months later, Bi-State's board approved a contract with Siemens Mobility worth up to $390.4 million for as many as 55 new light rail vehicles.

Metro operates two storage and maintenance facilities. Ewing Yard sits between the Grand and Union Station stops just west of downtown St. Louis; 29th Street Yard is located between the JJK Center and Washington Park stops in East St. Louis.

Fares
MetroLink uses a proof-of-payment system. Tickets can be purchased at ticket-vending machines at the entrance to all stations and must be validated before boarding the train. Single-ride tickets are good for up to two hours in the direction that a passenger initially boards. Some fares, such as monthly or weekly fares, do not need to be validated, but passengers must have the pass in their possession while riding and must show the pass to security personnel upon request. Reduced fares can be purchased by seniors ages 65+, people with disabilities, and children ages 5–12. Up to three children under 5 may ride free with a fare-paying rider. Proof of age may be requested of all people riding with reduced fares. Other types of passes include a Semester Pass for full-time students.

In 2018, Metro introduced the Gateway Card, a multi-use smart card that was intended to eliminate most paper passes and tickets. In 2023, Metro announced that it would replace the Gateway Card—one Bi-State official called it a "failed system"—with a new fare collection system as part of the Secure Platform Plan.

Secure Platform Plan
In 2024, Metro Transit will begin adding turnstiles at all MetroLink stations as part of its $52 million Secure Platform Plan (SPP). Stations will also receive a new fare collection system, additional fencing, passenger assist telephones, and cameras monitored from a new real-time camera center.

The SPP will be implemented in six phases of four to eight stations apiece. The first two phases are slated for completion in 2024 and the rest in 2025. The first phase covers four Illinois stations; the second, seven Missouri stations. On September 26, 2023, Millstone Weber LLC was awarded a $6.4 million contract for the first phase with completion expected in spring 2024.

MidAmerica Airport extension
In 2019, the St. Clair County Transit District was awarded $96 million in Illinois infrastructure funding to build a 5.2 mi extension of the Red Line from Shiloh–Scott to MidAmerica St. Louis Airport in Mascoutah. This extension will include two 2.6 mi segments, a double-track and a single-track segment, along with a station at the airport. Construction on the extension began in 2023 with Metro expecting completion in the spring of 2026.

System rehabilitation
In 2023, Metro began a system-wide rehabilitation program that will last up to two years. That spring, Metro began rehabilitating the downtown subway tunnels, including the Laclede's Landing, Convention Center and 8th & Pine subway stations. Elsewhere, curve tracks, catenary wire, system conduit, staircases and retaining walls are to be upgraded or replaced. Three stations are to receive platform rehabilitations: Jackie Joyner-Kersee Center, Rock Road and Wellston.

Beginning in 2024, Metro will begin to rehabilitate the Union Station tunnel, the Cross County tunnels, and stations between Forsyth and Skinker. A storage siding will be added near the Richmond Heights station. In 2024, Metro expects to complete upgrades to the Supervisory Control Automated Data Acquisition (SCADA) and Public Address/Customer Information (PA/CIS) systems. The upgraded SCADA/PA/CIS will operate as an integrated system that monitors and controls operations and will allow Metro to provide real-time arrival information to passengers, such as live displays at stations.

North-South expansion
MetroLink's proposed North-South light rail line would lack the rapid transit-like characteristics of the Red and Blue lines, resembling instead other U.S. on-street light rail lines, such as those in Houston or Phoenix. The new line would be connected to the Red and Blue lines with infill transfer stations. The expansion has been named the Green Line and is envisioned in two sequential phases:


 * 1) Jefferson Alignment. This 5.6 mi expansion would serve about 10 stations between Chippewa Street in South St. Louis and Grand Boulevard in North St. Louis running primarily on Jefferson Avenue. It would provide a fixed rail upgrade to Metro's #11 (Chippewa) and #4 (Natural Bridge) bus routes. In September 2023, Bi-State Development's board approved a 4-year, $18.9 million contract with the joint venture Northside-Southside Transit Partners to provide consulting services for the design phase of the project. In February 2024, the East-West Gateway Council of Governments approved the updated locally preferred alternative along Jefferson. The 2023 design study estimates 5,000 daily boardings, $8-9 million in annual operating costs, and $1.1 billion in capital costs.
 * 2) North St. Louis County Connector. This extension would be a Phase II to Northside/Southside and continue from the Grand/Fairground station along Natural Bridge Avenue toward North St. Louis County. This route would initially continue the fixed rail upgrade to Metro's high-volume #4 bus route along Natural Bridge. In February 2023, Metro announced four routes for consideration by area residents.

Previous proposals
These extensions were proposed between the year 2000 and in 2010 when Metro released its 30-year long range plan, Moving Transit Forward. Most are defunct; regional leaders have said their priorities are the proposed extensions in the city of St. Louis and North St. Louis County.

North-South

 * 1) Northside/Southside 2008. This 21-29 mi expansion was planned in two separate locally preferred alternatives (LPA). In 2008 a 12 mi Northside LPA was selected that would have traveled between downtown St. Louis and St. Louis Community College-Florissant Valley via North City and County. That same year, a 9-17 mi Southside LPA was selected that would have traveled between downtown St. Louis and Bayless Avenue via South City and County.
 * 2) Northside/Southside 2018. In 2018, a updated Northside/Southside LPA was approved that shortened the expansion to an approximately 8 mi alignment between Grand in North St. Louis and Chippewa in South St. Louis via a loop on 9th and 10th streets in downtown St. Louis. See Projects in planning section for updates on Northside/Southside as of 2023.

Cross County

 * 1) MetroSouth. This 6-12 mi extension was envisioned as Cross County Segment 2 and would have extended the current Blue Line from its terminus in Shrewsbury further south beyond Interstates 270/255 to Butler Hill Road. A third alternative would have ended at Watson Road. An environmental impact study was completed in 2004; however, selection of an LPA was deferred due to the lack of local funding sources as well as other factors.
 * 2) MetroNorth. This approximately 12 mi extension was envisioned as Cross County Segment 3 and would have extended the current Blue Line from Clayton towards Florissant, Missouri. Some of this segment would have followed the former Terminal Railroad Association of St. Louis' Central Belt right-of-way paralleling Interstate 170.
 * 3) Daniel Boone. This 8-10 mi extension would have branched off the Cross County corridor near Olive Boulevard along disused Rock Island Railroad right-of-way. It would then turn west and follow existing trackage operated by Central Midland Railway to Page Avenue where the line would continue to Westport Plaza. An approximately 12 mi extension to Chesterfield would have been a potential Phase 2 of the Daniel Boone branch. The alignment would have continued west following Page Avenue and Highway 364 then turning towards Creve Coeur Lake Memorial Park. From there it would have headed to Spirit of St. Louis Airport in the Chesterfield Valley. This alignment has not been given serious consideration because of its perceived low ridership potential.

St. Charles County

 * 1) A plan to expand MetroLink 16-20 mi from St. Louis Lambert International Airport northwest to St. Charles County was abandoned after St. Charles County voters twice rejected a sales tax for the extension in 1996; subsequently, all MetroBus service was ended. Had the extension been funded, the route would have used the Old St. Charles Bridge (now demolished) over the Missouri River to access the county.

Madison County

 * 1) In 2005, a study was performed to analyze extending MetroLink into Madison County, Illinois. The study recommended two alignments that would have begun near the 5th & Missouri station in East St. Louis then continue through Granite City, Collinsville, Wood River, and Glen Carbon between 21-23 mi away. The alignment would have split in Madison, Illinois with one branch ending in Alton and the other in Edwardsville. In order to execute any Madison County extensions, Metro would have to collaborate with Madison County Transit.