The system currently consists of two lines. The first line, the Lambert branch, runs from Lambert-St. Louis Airport, northwest of downtown, through downtown and east into Illionois to Scott Air Force Base in the east. The second line, the Shrewsbury branch, runs from Shrewsbury southwest of downtown north to the Lambert branch where it joins it at Forest Park-DeBaliviere station where it continues east through downtown and into Illonois as far as Emerson Park station.

An east extension to MidAmerica St. Louis airport (a civilian airport sharing runways with Scott Air Force Base) has been proposed, but no plans are underway at this time to proceed.

The Metrolink system predates low floor technology, so it uses high floor vehicles with high platform loading to accomodate accessibility. While new implementations in Toronto will be low floor for accessibility, Metrolink does provide a good example of the ways that the ROW can be implemented:

• fenced-in and open surface ROW, sometimes using former railway ROW
• elevated ROW
• tunnel (both an abandoned railway tunnel, and new tunnelling)

SD-400 Interior

SD-460 has similar look

Map of LRT lines
(Schematic shown below)

Fare collection:

Fares are purchased from vending machines on Metrolink platforms.

A 2-hour pass is available for US$2.25 and a one-day pass for US$4.50. A 2-hour pass from Lambert Airport is $3.50

A book of 10 2-hour passes sells for US$20 (passes must be cancelled at a ticket vendinig machine before use).

Weekly passes sell for US$19 and the monthly pass is US$60.

Various sources of dates vary - if you have any corrections, please email them here.

Random fare inspections take place on the LRT. Fare inspectors will confiscate an expired ticket and require the passenger to deboard at the next stop to purchase a new fare for completion of the trip. Fare inspectors may issue a citation and fine for having an invalid fare.

North Hanley Station:

Here is a run-down of the trip on the Lambert branch that takes approximately 74 minutes:

Lambert Airport Main is a island platform stub station built on top of the airport terminal. Fares purchased here cost US$3.00, but no fare is required if traveling only to Lambert Airport East, another island platform station. Note in the photo to the right that ALL destination signs on the LRT show its destination, which has been changed in the photo to reflect its return trip to Shiloh-Scott.

The line is elevated between these stations and continues to be elevated as it swings out parallel to I-70 and soars over the I-70/I-170 interchange before lowering to grade level a little before the North Hanley station. North Hanley is an island platform station with a pedestrian grade crossing entrance at its west end. From North Hanley to UM-St. Louis North, the right of way travels over a viaduct and through a short tunnel due to terrain.

Lambert Airport Main station:

Wellston Station:

The north University station has an island platform and the south station has side platforms. Between the north and south University stations, the ROW uses another viaduct to cope with terrain before curving southward onto a former Nofolk Southern (former Wabash) railway ROW. It follows this former railway ROW until east of Delmar station.

The Rock Road station has side platforms and the Wellston station has staggered side platforms, with each platform on opposite sides of a road that crosses the line. Wellston is the only staggered platform station in the system.

Near Wellston station on former Norfolk Southern
ROW, the LRT not fully fenced in and all road
crossings are at grade with gates:

Looking east at Forest Park station (March 2001):

Similar view in 2005 during construction of the Shrewsbury branch, when operation at this station used only a single track:

Looking west from Forest Park station in the summer of 2005, the new portal for Shrewsbury branch can be seen:

Delmar Station is just west of
the original Wabash Delmar station:

The only grade crossng with a freight railway is
near Grand Station:

The next station is Forest Park-Debaliviere station. The junction with the Shrewsbury branch is just west of this station. During part of the construction of the Shrewsbury branch, one of the tracks was removed from service and LRT operation through this station used only a single track.

Central West End and Grand stations both have island platforms and are situated along a former Missouri Pacific/Burlington Northern railway corridor. Central West End is located in an industrial area and Grand is located at the west end of a large rail yard. It is near the Grand station that the only rail/LRT grade crossing exists on the system. There is a storage yard and maintenance facility between Grand and Union station.

Union Station is an island platform station situated under the parking lot at the south end of St. Louis Union Station. The railway station has a huge canopy over the area where the stub-end tracks and platforms were located. There are still four tracks for static railway displays, while the rest of the space serves as parking for the shopping centre that is now in the renovated station building.

Heading east, the line makes a sharp turn to the south before entering Civic Center station with an island platform. This station serves the Savvis Center stadium. The line makes another turn to the east after this station to run parallel to I-64/US40 for about 1 km.

The line then turns north and enters Stadium station. This side-platform station is below street level just north of the portal to the downtown tunnel. The station serves Busch Stadium.

Westbound train approaching the Convention Center station:

Arch-Laclede's Landing station:

Entering the downtown tunnel under 8th Street, the LRT is heading north to the two subway stations. The first is 8th & Pine and the second is Convention Center. Both of these stations have side platforms and the arched brickwork of the former railway tunnel can be seen at the end of each station. The tunnel curves to an east-west alignment just west of Convention Center station.

Heading east through the tunnel, it exits into the arches of the approach to the Eads bridge where the Arch-Laclede's Landing station is located. Laclede's Landing is the neighbourhood around the station that is known for a large number of restaurants in cobblestone streets. The St. Louis Arch (officially known as the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial) is a short walk south of the station.

The line crosses the Mississippi River over the Eads bridge, a double deck bridge built in the 1870s. The upper deck originally had road traffic on it but no longer does.

At the east end of the Eads bridge, the East Riverfront station is located on a new elevated structure just beyond the bridge. The station opened almost a year after the line was in operation.

RT crosses the Mississippi River on the lower level
of the Eads bridge:

Near College station:

A short distance from East Riverfront station is 5th & Missouri station. This island platform station was the original east end fo the line when it first opened in 1993.

The extension beyond here to College that opened in 2001 mostly follows a former CSX railway ROW. The tracks here are laid on concrete ties. The next three stations, Emerson Park, Jackie Joyner-Kersee Center, and Washington Park are all island platform stations and have a similar spacing between them as other stations on the line. There is a storage yard and maintenance facility between Emerson Park and Jackie Joyner-Kersee Center.

After Washington Park, the distance between stations is further - almost double the spacing compared to the western end of the line. The stations here, Fairview Heights, Memorial Hospital, Swansea, Belleville, College, and Shiloh-Scott are all island platform stations with a similar looking design. As the line moves away from the Mississippi River, the terrain becomes very rural.

At Missouri Avenue in East St. Louis, near
5th & Missouri station:

Shrewsbury station:

Richmond Heights station:

The trip from Shrewsbury-Lansdowne I-44 to Forest Park-DeBaliviere takes approximately 20 minutes (the full trip to Emerson Park takes approximately 45 minutes). The author of this site last visited St. Louis about a week before the Shrewsbury branch opened. If anyone has photos or a description of the trip on this line, please send them here.

Station layouts are as follows:

Shrewsbury-Lansdowne I-44: Elevated with island platform.

Sunnen: Side platforms; Station is adjacent to the only road grade crossing on this line.

Maplewood-Manchester: Side platforms

Brentwood I-64: Side platforms.

Richmondn Heights: Island platform.

Clayton: Island platform.

Forsyth: Below grade open air station.

University City-Big Bend: Below grade station.

Skinker: Below grade station.

Send questions, comments, and photos here

This page last updated February 14, 2009