Presbyterian College > Academic Web Server > Jon Bell > Transit > (Cities | Types) > Cleveland > Red Line

Cleveland, Ohio: Red Line

Description and History

The Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority operates a single "heavy-rail" rapid-transit line, the Red Line. It runs from Cleveland Hopkins Airport on the west side of Cleveland, through Tower City (formerly the Terminal Tower) in downtown Cleveland, to University Circle and Windermere on the east side. It shares part of its route (from Tower City to E. 55 St.) with the Green and Blue Lines. For the most part, it runs at ground level, alongside railroad rights-of-way, but there are no grade crossings with streets or highways. All stations have high platforms. Unlike most "heavy-rail" transit lines, this one is powered by overhead catenary instead of a third rail.

The Red Line was built by the city of Cleveland, and operated as part of the Cleveland Transit System until the mid 1970s, when the Regional Transit Authority was formed. The first sections opened in 1955, with an extension in 1958. The Red Line reached the airport in 1968, making Cleveland the first city in the U.S. with direct rapid-transit access to its airport.

Pictures

These pictures were taken in August 1999 and June 2000, except for the last one which dates from 1971.

[picture] The eastern terminal at Windermere was recently completely rebuilt and renamed for former Congressman Louis B. Stokes.

[picture] An out-of-service train waits on the platform at Windermere.

[picture] The University Circle station spans a bridge over Cedar Road.

[picture #1] | [picture #2] The Red Line shares the Central Yard at East 55th St. with the Green and Blue Lines.

[picture] At East 55th St., passengers transfer to another train on a parallel Central Yard track using a service platform, after their original train was taken out of service.

[picture] The Tower City station is on the lowest level of a shopping complex that was created when the former Cleveland Union Terminal concourse was gutted and completely renovated in the late 1980s. I was rather familiar with the concourse in the 1960s and '70s, so when I visited here for the first time after the renovations, I was completely disoriented!

[picture] The West 25th St.--Ohio City station has been renovated in a striking red-and-glass design with a clock tower over the street-level entrance.

[picture] Inside the Ohio City station, an eastbound train is about to pull out.

[picture] A view of the right-of-way from the front window of a train between West 117-Madison and Triskett. The Red Line runs alongside freight railroads (or former freight r-o-w's) for its entire route. Note the distinctive arch-shaped catenary supports.

[picture] The Airport station is underground, only a few steps from the airport terminal.

[picture] These "Bluebird" cars (seen in a storage yard near the airport) were the first generation of Red Line cars, built for the Cleveland Transit System by the St. Louis Car Company in 1954 and 1958.

[picture] These "Airporter" cars (also seen near the airport) were the second generation of Red Line cars, built in 1967 by Pullman-Standard. Their name comes from the baggage racks for airline passengers. They were acquired when the line was extended to the airport.

[picture] This "Airporter" car is in service somewhere on the East Side, perhaps near University Circle, in December 1971.

Other Stuff

A map of Cleveland's rail transit system.

[outside] | [inside] A printed timetable from 1972, during the Cleveland Transit System period.

[outside] | [inside] A printed timetable from 1999.

This page was last updated on 25 March 2008.

Presbyterian College > Academic Web Server > Jon Bell > Transit > (Cities | Types) > Cleveland > Red Line

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