View source for Blue Line (DART)

{{Short description|Light rail line in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, Texas}}
{{Use American English|date=August 2024}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2024}}
{{Infobox rail line
| name                            = Blue Line
| color                           = {{rcr|Dallas Area Rapid Transit|Blue}}
| logo                            = DART Blue Line bullet 2025.svg
| image                           = Downtown Rowlett Station July 2015 11.jpg
| image_width                     = 250px
| caption                         = Blue Line train at [[Downtown Rowlett station|Downtown Rowlett]]
| type                            = [[Light rail]]
| system                          = [[DART light rail]]
| status                          = 
| locale                          = [[Dallas]], [[Texas]]
| start                           = [[Downtown Rowlett station|Downtown Rowlett]] (north)
| end                             = [[UNT Dallas station|UNT Dallas]] (south)
| stations                        = 23
| routes                          = 
| daily_ridership                 = 
| open                            = June 1996
| close                           = 
| owner                           = [[Dallas Area Rapid Transit|DART]]
| operator                        = DART
| character                       = 
| stock                           = 
| linelength                      = {{convert|26.8|mi|km|1|abbr=on}}
| tracklength                     = 
| tracks                          = 
| gauge                           = {{track gauge|ussg}}
| minradius                       = 
| electrification                 = [[Overhead catenary]]
| speed                           = 
| elevation                       = At grade, elevated, underground
| map                             = {{switcher
| {{maplink-road|from=Blue Line (DART).map}} Blue Line highlighted in blue <hr />
| Show interactive map
| {{Blue Line (DART)|inline=yes}}
| Show route diagram
}}
}}

The '''Blue Line''' is a [[light rail]] line in the system of [[mass transit]] in [[Dallas, Texas|Dallas]], [[Texas]] ([[United States|USA]]), operated by the [[Dallas Area Rapid Transit]] system.  Along with the {{DART R}}, it is one of the original modern rail lines in Dallas.

==Route==
The southern terminus of the line is currently at [[UNT Dallas (DART station)|UNT Dallas]] in south Dallas at University Hills Blvd. just south of Camp Wisdom Rd.  The line runs north, under the [[Dallas Convention Center]] and through downtown Dallas.  After leaving [[Mockingbird (DART station)|Mockingbird]], the line diverts to the northeast towards [[White Rock Lake]].  The line then goes north and then east into [[Garland, Texas|Garland]], finally ending in [[Rowlett, Texas|Rowlett]].

==History==
The rail line was part of the initial launch of DART's light rail service in 1996.  At the time, the line only ran from [[Illinois (DART station)|Illinois]] to [[Pearl (DART station)|Pearl]] in the northeast corner of downtown.  In May 1997, the Blue Line was extended south to Ledbetter and was extended along the Red Line to Mockingbird in September 1999, in preparation for the future extension to Garland.

On September 24, 2001, the Blue Line extended to [[White Rock (DART station)|White Rock]], just northwest of [[White Rock Lake]]. On May 6, 2002, the Blue Line was extended to the [[LBJ/Skillman (DART station)|LBJ/Skillman]], just beyond [[Interstate 635 (Texas)|LBJ Freeway (Interstate 635)]].  It was extended to [[Downtown Garland (DART station)|Downtown Garland]] on November 18, 2002, and to its current northern terminus, [[Downtown Rowlett (DART station)|Downtown Rowlett]], on December 3, 2012.<ref name="rowlettopens">[http://www.dallasnews.com/news/transportation/20121203-dart-blue-line-launches-long-awaited-rail-service-in-rowlett.ece DART Blue Line launches long-awaited rail service in Rowlett] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130921060520/http://www.dallasnews.com/news/transportation/20121203-dart-blue-line-launches-long-awaited-rail-service-in-rowlett.ece |date=September 21, 2013 }}. Retrieved December 3, 2012.</ref>

DART's 2030 Transit System Plan, approved in October 2006, calls for the Blue Line to be extended south beyond Ledbetter to the [[University of North Texas at Dallas]], as well as a branch along Bonnie View road to [[Interstate 20 (Texas)|Interstate 20]] and the SouthPort Intermodal Terminal.  The plan also includes a new [[Lake Highlands (DART station)|Lake Highlands]] station near Skillman Street and Walnut Hill Lane, which opened as DART's second infill station in December 2010.<ref>''[http://www.dallasnews.com The Dallas Morning News]'' - [http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/localnews/stories/DN-dart_25met.ART0.North.Edition1.3e3a81a.html DART green-lights 40 miles of new rail].  Originally published October 25, 2006.  Retrieved November 5, 2006.</ref>

In October 2014, construction began for a 2.6-mile extension south from Ledbetter station to the [[University of North Texas at Dallas]], adding two new stations to the line: [[Camp Wisdom (DART station)|Camp Wisdom]] and [[UNT Dallas (DART station)|UNT Dallas]]. The extension opened for service on October 24, 2016.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Railway Track & Structures|date=October 21, 2016|title=DART readies to open Blue Line extension to South Oak Cliff area|url=http://www.rtands.com/index.php/passenger/dart-readies-to-open-blue-line-extension-to-south-oak-cliff-area.html?channel=|access-date=October 21, 2016|publisher=Simmons-Boardman Publishing Inc.}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|last=Barrow|first=Keith|date=October 20, 2016|title=Dallas inaugurates LRT Blue Line extension|url=http://www.railjournal.com/index.php/north-america/dallas-inaugurates-lrt-blue-line-extension.html|journal=International Railway Journal}}</ref>

===Future plans===
The [[D2 Subway]] was planned to be implemented in 2028 and reroute the Blue Line off of the downtown transit corridor and over the former Green Line's western segment to terminate at [[North Carrollton/Frankford station]]. In 2023, DART put D2 plans on an indefinite hold and removed it from DART's 20-year funding plan.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-08-16 |title=Downtown Dallas ‘D2′ subway taken off DART’s long-term plans, agency says |url=https://www.dallasnews.com/news/transportation/2023/08/16/downtown-dallas-d2-subway-taken-off-darts-long-term-plans-agency-says/ |access-date=2025-07-13 |website=Dallas News |language=en}}</ref> This change was due to greatly reduced ridership following the pandemic.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-08-14 |title=DART claws its way back after COVID, crime and other setbacks hit ridership hard |url=https://www.dallasnews.com/news/transportation/2023/08/14/dart-claws-its-way-back-after-covid-crime-and-other-setbacks-hit-ridership-hard/ |access-date=2025-07-13 |website=Dallas News |language=en}}</ref>

== Stations ==

===Daily Service===
:''Listed from north to south''

{| class="wikitable"
! Station
! Other lines
! Opened
! Notes
|-
| [[Downtown Rowlett station|Downtown Rowlett]]
| rowspan="6" |
| December 3, 2012
| Northern terminus
|-
| [[Downtown Garland station|Downtown Garland]]
| rowspan="3" | November 18, 2002
| 
|-
| [[Forest/Jupiter station|Forest/Jupiter]]
|
|-
| [[LBJ/Skillman station|LBJ/Skillman]]
|
|-
| [[Lake Highlands station|Lake Highlands]]
| December 6, 2010
|
|-
| [[White Rock station|White Rock]]
| September 24, 2001
|
|-
| [[SMU/Mockingbird station|SMU/Mockingbird]]
| rowspan="2" | {{rint|dart|orange}} {{rint|dart|red}}
| January 10, 1997
| Northernmost transfer for Red and Orange Lines
|-
| [[Cityplace/Uptown station|Cityplace/Uptown]]
| December 18, 2000
| Transfer to {{rint|dallas|mata|showtext=yes}}
|-
| [[Pearl/Arts District station|Pearl/Arts District]]
| rowspan="4" | {{rint|dart|orange}} {{rint|dart|red}} {{rint|dart|green}}
| rowspan="10" | June 14, 1996
| Easternmost transfer for Green Line
|-
| [[St. Paul station (DART)|St. Paul]]
| Transfer to {{rint|dallas|mata|showtext=yes}} (one block north)
|-
| [[Akard station|Akard]]
| 
|-
| [[West End station (DART)|West End]]
| Westernmost transfer station for Orange and Green Lines
|-
| [[Dallas Union Station|EBJ Union Station]]
| rowspan="4" | {{rint|dart|red}}
| Transfer to {{rint|dart|streetcar|showtext=yes}}, {{rint|texas|tre|showtext=yes}}, and {{rint|us|amtrak|showtext=yes}}
|-
| [[Convention Center station (DART)|Convention Center]]
| 
|-
| [[Cedars station|Cedars]]
| 
|-
| [[8th & Corinth station|8th & Corinth]]
| Southernmost transfer for Red Line
|-
| [[Morrell station|Morrell]]
| rowspan="7" |
|
|-
| [[Illinois station (DART)|Illinois]]
|
|-
| [[Kiest station|Kiest]]
| rowspan="3" | May 31, 1997
|
|-
| [[VA Medical Center station (DART)|VA Medical Center]]
|
|-
| [[Ledbetter station|Ledbetter]]
|
|-
| [[Camp Wisdom station|Camp Wisdom]]
| rowspan="2" | October 24, 2016
|
|-
| [[UNT Dallas station|UNT Dallas]]
| Southern terminus
|}

===Special Event Service===
* [[Deep Ellum (DART station)|Deep Ellum]] <small>(Also served by {{DART G}})</small>
* [[Baylor University Medical Center (DART station)|Baylor University Medical Center]] <small>(Also served by {{DART G}})</small>
* [[Fair Park (DART station)|Fair Park]] <small>(Also served by {{DART G}})</small>
* [[Victory (TRE-DART station)|Victory]] <small>(Also served by {{DART G}}</small>, <small>{{DART O}})</small>

===Deferred===
* [[Knox-Henderson Station]] in [[Uptown, Dallas]]
* Plano Road in [[Lake Highlands, Dallas]]<ref>{{cite archive |item=Northeast Corridor: Final Local Environmental Assessment (Final LEA) |item-url=https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1138597/ |type=report |year=1997 |publisher=[[Dallas Area Rapid Transit]] |pages=1-25, 1-26 |collection=DART Historical Archive |repository=The Portal to Texas History |institution=[[University of North Texas]]}}</ref>

==Gallery==
<gallery widths="180px">
File:Akard Station.jpg|Southbound Blue Line train at [[Akard (DART station)|Akard]]
File:White Rock Station.jpg|Passengers at [[White Rock (DART station)|White Rock]]
</gallery>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==

{{Attached KML|display=title,inline}}
* [https://www.dart.org/guide/transit-and-use/rail/rail-line-details/dart-blue-line DART - Blue Line]
* [https://dartorgcmsblob.dart.org/prod/docs/default-source/dart-maps/dartrailsystemmap24jan22-1.pdf Full DART Rail map]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20051219090011/https://www.dart.org/gifmaps/BLUEMAP.gif Scale map of the Blue Line (c. 2003)] (archived)

{{Dallas Area Rapid Transit}}

[[Category:Dallas Area Rapid Transit light rail lines]]
[[Category:Passenger rail transportation in Texas]]
[[Category:Blue Line (Dallas Area Rapid Transit)| ]]