Special Event Line (San Diego Trolley) Explained

Special Event Line
Type:	Light rail
System:	San Diego Trolley
Status:	Only operates on special events, in late July
Locale:	San Diego, California
Start:	Balboa Avenue Transit Center
End:	12th & Imperial Transit Center
Stations:	15
Owner:	Metropolitan Transit System
Operator:	San Diego Trolley, Inc.
Tracks:	2 Tracks
Electrification:	600 V DC Overhead lines
Speed:	Max. 50mph
Website:	http://www.sdmts.com/

The Special Event Line, also known as the "Red Line" until 2012,^[1] is a light rail line operated by the San Diego Trolley, an operating division of the San Diego Metropolitan Transit System. Two different versions of this line operated, both times only during special events.

The original version of the Special Event Line, operating from at least 2007 to 2012, connected the Qualcomm Stadium station with Gaslamp Quarter station, during sporting events at Qualcomm Stadium, Cox Arena, and the SDSU Open Air Theater (OAT), as well as during events like the San Diego Comic-Con. This version of the Special Event Line was discontinued in 2012, after the Trolley Renewal Project saw the Green Line extended over the Special Event Line's route.

Later, in July 2022, the Special Event Line was revived, this time running from Balboa Avenue Transit Center (which had opened in the previous September as part of the Blue Line Mid-Coast extension to 12th and Imperial. This version of the Special Event Line was revived from July 20 to July 23, 2023,^[2] and most recently from July 25 to July 28, 2024.^[3] ^[4]

Current route (2022-present)

The current version of the Special Event Line first operated from July 20 to July 24, 2022, during ComicCon. Special Event Line services from that time onwards run from Balboa Avenue Transit Center to 12th and Imperial, following the Green Line's alignment from 12th and Imperial to Old Town Transit Center.^[5] ^[6]

Likewise from July 20 to July 23, 2023, the Special Event Line was revived along the 2022 route.^[2] Over the course of that weekend, the Special Event Line served over 100 thousands riders.^[7]

Station Name	Connections	Notes
Special Event Line (12th and Imperial–Balboa Avenue)
	Blue Line
	Blue Line
	Blue Line
Old Town Transit Center	Blue Line Green Line	_{Serves Old Town Historic Park.}
	Green Line Blue Line
	Green Line Blue Line
	Green Line Blue Line
Santa Fe Depot	Green Line Blue Line	_{Transfer station for Blue Line.}
	Green Line Silver Line	_{Serves Seaport Village.}_{Transfer station for Orange and Silver Lines.}
	Green Line Silver Line	_{Serves Convention Center.}
	Green Line Silver Line	_{Serves Gaslamp Quarter, Petco Park, Convention Center.}
12th & Imperial Transit Center _{(Bayside Terminal)}	Blue Line Green Line Orange Line Silver Line	_{Serves Petco Park.}_{Transfer station for Blue and Orange Lines.}

2005-2012 route

Special Event Line

Type:

Light rail

System:

San Diego Trolley

Status:

Closed; later revived on a different route in 2022

Locale:

San Diego, California

Start:

Stadium station (San Diego)

End:

12th & Imperial Transit Center

Stations:

Owner:

Metropolitan Transit System

Operator:

San Diego Trolley, Inc.

Stock:

Triple Car U2 Trains
_{* Train configurations may vary} | tracks = 2 Tracks| gauge = | electrification = 600 V DC Overhead lines| speed = Max. 50mph| website = http://www.sdmts.com/| map = }}

From at least 2007^[8] to 2012, the Red Line operated between Gaslamp Quarter station and the Qualcomm Stadium station (now known as Stadium station). They operated once every 15 minutes, during sporting events at Petco Park^[9] Qualcomm Stadium,^[10] Cox Arena,^[11] and the SDSU Open Air Theater (OAT), as well as selected conventions and other major city events (such as the San Diego Comic-Con).^[12]

On maps issued during its first tenure in operation, the Red Line was illustrated as a red dashed line, indicating that it was a "Special Event Service Only".^[13]

The Special Event Line was discontinued in 2012, as part of the Trolley Renewal Project. The entire route the Special Event line ran is now served by the Green Line (which had been extended from Old Town to 12th & Imperial), and MTS now opts to add cars and increase service on that route when needed.

The last Special Event Trolley departed at 6:54 pm on August 29, 2012.

Station Name	Connections	Notes
Special Event Line (Petco Park–Qualcomm Stadium)
Qualcomm Stadium	Green Line	_{Served Qualcomm Stadium (now demolished).}_{Transfer station for Green Line.}
	Green Line
	Green Line
	Green Line	_{Serves Westfield Mission Valley.}
	Green Line
Fashion Valley Transit Center	Green Line	_{Serves Fashion Valley Mall.}
	Green Line	_{Serves University of San Diego.}
Old Town Transit Center	Blue Line Green Line	_{Serves Old Town Historic Park.}
	Blue Line
	Blue Line
	Blue Line
Santa Fe Depot	Blue Line	_{Transfer station for Blue Line.}
	Orange Line Silver Line	_{Serves Seaport Village.}_{Transfer station for Orange and Silver Lines.}
	Orange Line Silver Line	_{Serves Convention Center.}
	Orange Line Silver Line	_{Serves Gaslamp Quarter, Petco Park, Convention Center.}
12th & Imperial Transit Center _{(Bayside Terminal)}	Blue Line Orange Line Silver Line	_{Serves Petco Park.}_{Transfer station for Blue and Orange Lines. Not an official station, used to reverse direction.}

References

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Notes and References

Web site: Comic-Con 2007 . . 30 March 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20070824165424/http://www.sdmts.com/Trolley/ComicCon.asp . 24 August 2007 . en . dead.
Web site: Comic-Con San Diego Metropolitan Transit System . www.sdmts.com . https://web.archive.org/web/20230721000835/https://www.sdmts.com/rider-info/events/comic-con . 21 July 2023 . en.
Web site: Comic-Con San Diego Metropolitan Transit System . www.sdmts.com . https://web.archive.org/web/20240728220144/https://www.sdmts.com/rider-info/events/comic-con . 28 July 2024 . en.
Web site: MTS Service Information Thursday July 25 – Sunday, July, 28 . 29 July 2024.
Web site: Comic-Con . . https://web.archive.org/web/20220716011911/https://www.sdmts.com/rider-info/events/comic-con . 16 July 2022 . en.
Web site: ComicCon 2022 . . 30 March 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220714151300/https://www.sdmts.com/sites/default/files/comic-con-take-one_2022_reader.pdf . 14 July 2022.
Web site: MTS Logged 250,000 Extra Passenger Trips to Support Comic-Con in 2023. July 25, 2023. San Diego Metropolitan Transit System.
Web site: Trolley Special Event Services . www.sdmts.com . 30 March 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20070825002621/http://www.sdmts.com/Trolley/SpecialEvent.asp . 25 August 2007 . en.
Web site: Petco Park Events . . 30 March 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20070921181838/http://www.sdmts.com/Trolley/Petco.asp . 21 September 2007 . 21 September 2007.
Web site: Qualcomm Events . . 30 March 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20071227023519/http://www.sdmts.com/Trolley/Qualcomm.asp . 27 December 2007 . en . 29 June 2015.
Web site: Cox / OAT Events . . 30 March 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20071227185524/http://www.sdmts.com/Trolley/Cox_OAT.asp . 27 December 2007.
Web site: MTS Special Event - Comic Con 2007 . . 30 March 2024.
Web site: SDMTS - Trolley Information . . 30 March 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20070716070935/http://www.sdmts.com/Trolley/Trolley.asp . 16 July 2007 . en . 22 May 2015.