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Atlanta, Georgia: MARTA North Line

Description

The North Line is the longest branch of the MARTA rail system, extending 15.1 miles from Five Points to North Springs, some distance north of the I-285 Perimeter expressway. The section from Buckhead north is the newest part of the system. The Buckhead, Medical Center and Dunwoody stations opened in June 1996; Sandy Springs and North Springs opened in December 2000.

Pictures

The first few miles of the North Line are in the central subway in downtown and midtown Atlanta. Pictures of this section are on a separate page.

[picture #1] | [picture #2] The North Line leaves the subway through the side of a hill and immediately crosses over the I-85 expressway. These two views are from directly above the portal and from the Peachtree Street bridge a short distance to the west. (May 2002)

[picture] The enclosed portion of the Lindbergh Center station has colored glass panels in the ceiling, which cause interesting lighting effects in the morning. (March 1998)

[picture] The other end of the Lindbergh Center station is open and gives a good view of the midtown Atlanta skyline on a clear day. (March 1998)

[picture] A short distance past Lindbergh Center, the North and Northeast Lines separate. The North Line veers to the east and descends to the median of the Georgia route 400 expressway. It then curves along with the expressway to the northwest and crosses underneath the Northeast Line, which in the meantime has risen onto an elevated structure. This view looks south from the Lenox Square parking garage, just beyond the crossover, with the junction out of sight behind the trees in the distance. (May 1999)

[picture] Similar to the previous picture, but with a Northeast Line train on the elevated track. (May 1999)

[picture] The Buckhead station is located where route 400 passes under Peachtree Road, near a concentration of hotels, office complexes and shopping malls. (June 1996)

[picture] Between Medical Center and Buckhead, the North Line runs in the median of the route 400 expressway for about 3.5 miles. There are no stations along this stretch because because MARTA did not project enough usage to make one worth while. In any event, the well-to-do residents of this area probably wouldn't have appreciated the extra traffic. There are no expressway exits in this area, either. (June 2003)

[picture] "Stop ahead, pay toll." Who, me? :-) (June 2003)

[picture] An exterior view of the Medical Center station. (June 1996)

[picture] A northbound train crosses over Hearn Drive in the Perimeter Summit office park, just north of the Medical Center station. (May 1998)

[picture] Under the elevated structure shown in the previous picture is a small park associated with one of the office buildings. (May 1998)

[picture] The first station north of the I-285 perimeter expressway is Dunwoody, near the Perimeter Mall. Here is an exterior view of the west side of the station, looking across Perimeter Center Parkway. (June 2003)

[picture] A northbound train stops at Dunwoody, in a view from the parking garage on the east side of the station. (June 2003)

[picture] The east parking garage at Dunwoody provides a good view of the crossover just north of the station, and, in the distance, the portal of the tunnel leading to the Sandy Springs station. (June 2003)

[picture] A southbound train approaches Dunwoody, in a view of the elevated structure from ground level. (June 2003)

[picture] Standing above the portal to the Sandy Springs tunnel, between two stores in a shopping plaza, we watch a northbound train approaching. The Dunwoody station is visible in the distance. (June 2003)

[picture] Like the other stations north of the Perimeter, the Sandy Springs station has a large parking garage. (June 2003)

[picture] Turning 180 degrees from the preceding picture, we see the other entrance to the Sandy Springs station, across the intersection of Abernathy Road and Mount Vernon Highway. The north portal of the Sandy Springs tunnel is a short distance beyond this entrance. (June 2003).

[picture] On the platform at Sandy Springs, with a train going through the station on the other platform. (June 2003)

[picture] On the platform at North Springs, the current terminus. In the background is a large parking garage which has its own access ramps from and to the route 400 expressway which passes to the right of the station. (May 2003)

For more pictures of the North Springs station, see my report on the opening of the North Springs extension.

This page was last updated on 28 November 2004, and reviewed on 22 November 2007.

Presbyterian College > Academic Web Server > Jon Bell > Transit > (Cities | Types) > Atlanta > North Line

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