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

Atlanta, Georgia: MARTA West Line

Description

The West Line is the shortest of MARTA's main lines, extending 4.7 miles from Five Points, plus the 1.4-mile Proctor Creek branch. Nevertheless, it has an interesting variety of terrain, with two true underground sections and one pseudo-underground section alternating with open-air sections, and a short elevated stretch at the west end.

Pictures

[picture] The West Line emerges into daylight briefly just west of Five Points, in a view looking east from the Spring Street viaduct. [May 2002]

[picture] At Spring Street the line goes underground again and arrives at the Dome - GWCC - Philips Arena - CNN Center station, which has one of the longest names of any U.S. transit station, and correspondingly long platform signs [picture]. [May 2002]

[picture] Looking at the west end of the Dome - (etc.) station we see that it's not really underground. The street level in this area is an elevated platform about three stories above the true ground level. Out of sight to the left of the picture is a large parking structure sandwiched between ground level and street level. [May 2002]

[picture] A short distance further on, the line really goes underground (into the side of a hill) and arrives at Vine City. The other end of this station is in open air as the line emerges from the other side of the hill. Note the reflection of daylight in the train's windshield. [May 2002]

Again the line goes underground at Ashby. The tracks here are on two levels ([upper] | [lower]), so that the Proctor Creek branch can diverge without level crossings, just to the west of the station. [May 2002]

[picture] The exterior of the Hamilton E. Holmes station (formerly Hightower), the current terminal of the West Line. There are plans to extend the line a couple of miles further to Fulton Industrial Parkway, just outside of the I-285 (Perimeter) expressway. [May 2002]

[picture] Hamilton E. Holmes has a grand three-story-high concourse with banners hanging from the ceiling. [May 2002]

[picture] Upstairs at Hamilton E. Holmes, two trains wait side by side. [May 2002]

The Proctor Creek Branch

[picture] The Proctor Creek branch leaves the West Line at Ashby. It has only one station of its own, Bankhead (shown here), which is only long enough to accommodate two-car trains. Trains normally run from Bankhead to King Memorial as a short-turn service for the East/West Lines; late in the evening there is shuttle service from Vine City. [October 2000]

This page was last updated on 7 May 2003, and reviewed on 22 November 2007.

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

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