The Blue Line, renamed A Line, was temporarily closed in areas between Downtown Los Angeles and Long Beach for the past nine months as a $350 million construction project took place. The upgrades include new tracks, upgrades to the control-signal system and new touch screen monitors that passengers can use to view metro maps and schedules. The line was renamed because city officials said they were going to run out of distinct colors on the map.
The A Line is Los Angeles’s oldest light rail line. It first began operation in 1990 and hasn’t had any major upgrades until this year. It celebrated its grand reopening Saturday, Nov. 2.
Because of the grand reopening (and mostly because it was free), I decided that I would take the train all the way to Downtown LA and back to see what it was like. Just like most Californians, I have never been on a train while I have been in California, so I brought my camera and tried to find something interesting at every station on the A Line.
Pacific Avenue
Downtown Long Beach
First Street
Fifth Street
Anaheim Street
Most of the train stations have some sort of artwork in or near the platforms. At the Anaheim stop, riders can see Terry Braunstein’s 1994 mural “Local Odysseys” at the top of the pedestals.
Pacific Coast Highway
Willow Street
Wardlow
Del Amo
Artesia
Compton
Compton is the second largest station on the A line, second to Seventh Street Metro Center. Compton hosts the bus transfer station.
Willowbrook/Rosa Parks
Firestone
Florence
A man looks out the window of the train at the Florence Station. Riders can see a large mural with Yoda on it from here.
Slauson
Vernon
Washington
San Pedro Street
Grand/Los Angeles Trade Technical College
Pico
Seventh Street/Metro Center
The A Line ends here. Metro Center is not as large as Union Station, but it is in the heart of Downtown LA.
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