| Red Line | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 A Red Line train departingEast 55th station | |||
| Overview | |||
| Owner | Cleveland Transit System (1955–1975) Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority (1975–present) | ||
| Locale | Cleveland andEast Cleveland, Ohio | ||
| Termini | |||
| Stations | 18[1] | ||
| Service | |||
| Type | Rapid transit | ||
| System | RTA Rapid Transit | ||
| Rolling stock | 40 Tokyu HRVs | ||
| Daily ridership | 8,900 (weekdays, Q2 2025)[2] | ||
| Ridership | 3,151,500 (2024)[3] | ||
| History | |||
| Opened | March 15, 1955; 70 years ago (1955-03-15)[4] | ||
| Technical | |||
| Line length | 19 mi (31 km)[5] | ||
| Number of tracks | 2 | ||
| Track gauge | 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm)standard gauge | ||
| Electrification | Overhead line, 600 V DC[6] | ||
| Operating speed | 60 mph (97 km/h) | ||
| |||
TheRed Line (formerly and internally known asRoute 66, also known as theAirport–Windermere Line) is arapid transit line of theRTA Rapid Transit system inCleveland, Ohio, running fromCleveland Hopkins International Airport northeast toTower City indowntown Cleveland, then east and northeast toWindermere. 2.6 miles (4.2 km) of track, including two stations (Tri-C–Campus District andEast 55th), are shared with thelight railBlue andGreen Lines; the stations have high platforms for the Red Line and low platforms for the Blue and Green Lines. The whole Red Line is built next to former freight railroads. It follows former intercity passenger rail as well, using the pre-1930 right-of-way of theNew York Central from Brookpark to West 117th, theNickel Plate from West 98th to West 65th, and the post-1930 NYC right-of-way from West 25th to Windermere. The Red Line usesoverhead lines andpantographs to draw power and trains operate usingone-person operation. In 2024, the line had a ridership of 3,151,500, or about 8,900 per weekday as of the second quarter of 2025.
The corridor along which the Red Line runs had been planned for use since before 1930 when theCleveland Union Terminal opened. The first short section, between East 34th and East 55th Streets, was in use by theCleveland Interurban Railroad in 1920, and in 1930 the line between East 34th and the Union Terminal was completed. Planning efforts were boosted by increased transit ridership duringWorld War II, and the city approved a scheme in 1946 which called for a single subway line.[7]Cleveland's streetcar system was abandoned leading up to the subway's opening, as it was believed the cost did not justify the limited ridership capacity operating concurrently with the new system.[7] It was not until March 15, 1955, that the eastern half of the Red Line opened, from the existing line near East 55th northeast next to theNew York, Chicago and St. Louis Railroad (Nickel Plate Road) to Windermere. The line from downtown southwest to West 117th Street opened on August 15, 1955. This line ran next to the Nickel Plate to the crossing of theNew York Central Railroad near West 101st Street, and then next to the New York Central. On November 15, 1958, an extension toWest Park opened, and the final section, continuing to Cleveland Hopkins International Airport, opened in 1968, the firstairport rail link in North America.
The Red Line runs from approximately 3:15 a.m. to 1:45 a.m. daily. Trains run approximately every 15 minutes all day every day.[8]
The Red Line uses a fleet of 40 (originally 60) stainless-steel subway-type cars manufactured byTokyu Car Corporation and delivered to RTA between 1984 and September 1985.[9] The cars have three sets of doors on each side, one in the center and one at each end. The cars' exteriors originally had orange and red stripes along the sides, but these stripes were removed when RTA changed to a red, white, and blue color scheme. All cars are built as single vehicles. 20 of the cars are dual-ended and they are numbered 181–200. The other 40 cars are single-ended, and they are numbered 301–340. Dual-ended cars can operate independently, while single-ended cars can only operate coupled to another car at the non-cab end. Trains are typically two cars long, but can be operated with up to three.
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The current fleet of Red Line cars underwent an in-house rehabilitation under the direction of the former director of rail Michael Couse. The cars were overhauled over the course of five years using federal grant money. Cars received pantographs and controllers, along with rebuilt trucks, traction motors, resistor banks, new flame-retardant flooring, LED lighting, new seat frames, revised interior paneling, and additional open space for improved ADA compliance. The first of the rebuilt cars was unveiled to the public on December 10, 2013.[10][11]
The current cars represent the third generation of cars that have been used on the line. The line opened using a fleet of shorter cars manufactured by theSt. Louis Car Company in 1954 and 1955. The cars were48+1⁄2 feet (14.8 m) long with blue and gray exteriors and are often referred to as "Blue Birds." They were virtually identical to the cars built by St. Louis Car at the same time for what is now theMBTA'sBlue Line. Twelve cars were operable as single units with cabs at each end, and 56 cars operable as pairs. The single units were numbered as 101–112, and the paired units as 201–256. Additional cars in this fleet were purchased in 1958 when the line was extended toWest Park. These comprised six additional single unit cars (numbers 113–118) and 14 additional double unit cars (numbers 257–270).
When the extension to Hopkins Airport was being built in 1967, a fleet of 20 longer cars was purchased to supplement and replace the Blue Birds. These second-generation cars, numbered 151–170, were 72 feet (22 m) long and were built byPullman-Standard Car Manufacturing Company. The cars, which had a stainless steel exterior with red and white trim and featured interior luggage racks, were promoted as "Airporters." The Airporters supplanted the Blue Birds, except during rush hour when extra cars were needed. In 1970, ten additional Airporters were purchased, numbered as 171–180. With the purchase of the Tokyu cars in 1981, all Airporters and Blue Birds were retired starting in 1984.
In April 2019, a study recommended that 34 new cars be procured in 2020 for delivery in 2023, but the subsequentCOVID-19 pandemic may have delayed this. During a board meeting in January 2020, a contract was awarded toLTK Consulting to prepare specifications. In September 2020, RTA received $15 million from the federal government for the replacement of both its light (Blue/Green/Waterfront lines) and heavy rail fleet, but the 2019 study suggested it would take $102 million to replace the heavy rail and $96 million to replace the light rail, totaling $198 million. As of the September 2020 post, it was planned a contract would be awarded during the second quarter of 2021, but the contract was not awarded until April 2023, the RTA announced that Siemens would build newS200 cars to replace the current fleet.[12]
In preparation for the new cars' arrival, 18 decommissioned cars (combined light rail and heavy rail) had been scrapped by May 2021.[13]
All stations are ADA
accessible stations.
| Station[8] | Date opened | Date rebuilt | Location | Connections / notes[1][8] |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Airport | November 15, 1968[4] | May 1994[4] | Hopkins |  Cleveland Hopkins International Airport |
Brookpark | April 20, 1969[4] | April 10, 2017 | Hopkins/ |  RTA Bus: 54, 78, 86 |
| Puritas–West 150th | November 15, 1968[4] | May 17, 2011[4] | Kamm's Corners/ | RTA Bus: 78 |
| West Park | November 15, 1958 | May 1996[4] | Jefferson | RTA Bus: 22, 83, 86 |
| Triskett | August 15, 2000[14] | Kamm's Corners | ||
| West 117th–Madison | August 14, 1955[4] | October 16, 2007[4] | Edgewater/ | RTA Bus: 25, 78 |
| West Boulevard–Cudell | April 1999[4] | Edgewater | RTA Bus: 18, 26, 26A | |
| West 65th–Lorain | September 21, 2004[4] | Detroit–Shoreway | RTA Bus: 22, 25, 71 | |
| West 25th–Ohio City | September 1992[4] | Ohio City/ | RTA Bus: 22, 25, 45, 51, 51A | |
| Tower City | March 15, 1955[4] | December 17, 1990[4] | Downtown |  RTA Rapid Transit:BlueGreenWaterfront RTA BRT:HealthLine RTA Bus: 1, 3, 8, 9, 11, 14, 14A, 15, 19, 19A, 19B, 22, 25, 26, 26A, 39, 45, 51, 51A, 53, 53A, 55, 55B, 55C, 71, 77, 90, 251, B-Line TrolleyLaketran: 10, 11, 12METRO RTA: 61PARTA: 100SARTA: 4 |
| Tri-C–Campus District | March 1, 1971 | August 18, 2003 September 24, 2018 | Central | RTA Rapid Transit:BlueGreen RTA Bus: 15, 19, 19A, 19B |
| East 55th | March 15, 1955[4] | October 11, 2011[15] | North Broadway | RTA Rapid Transit:BlueGreen RTA Bus: 16 |
| East 79th | March 10, 2021 | Kinsman | RTA Bus: 2 | |
| East 105th–Quincy | November 4, 2005[4] | Fairfax | RTA Bus: 8, 10, 11 | |
| Cedar–University | August 28, 2014[16] | University Circle | RTA Bus: 11, 48, 50 | |
| Little Italy–University Circle | August 11, 2015[17] | RTA Bus: 9 ReplacedEuclid–East 120th station | ||
| Superior | March 15, 1955[4] | September 1996[4] | East Cleveland | RTA BRT:HealthLine RTA Bus: 3, 35, 40 |
| Windermere | June 22, 1997[4] | RTA BRT:HealthLine RTA Bus: 3, 7, 7A, 28, 28A, 31, 35, 37, 41, 41F |
The Red Line is prominently featured in the final scenes of the filmProximity, starringRob Lowe andJames Coburn. The finale involves a hostage on a Red Line train and a gunfight and chase scene through the Tower City station.
| RTA Rapid Transit (The Rapid) |
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| Bus rapid transit (BRT) | ||
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