El Cajon Transit Center

El Cajon Transit Center (formerly Main & Marshall station) is a San Diego Trolley station served by the Copper, Green and Orange lines in the San Diego suburb of El Cajon, California. The station is a major commuter center for the large suburb and is the convergence of multiple local and regional bus routes operated by the San Diego Metropolitan Transit System and Greyhound Lines.

El Cajon Transit Center
El Cajon Transit Center station, April 2017
General information
Location	352 South Marshall Avenue El Cajon, California United States
Coordinates	32°47′34″N 116°58′34″W
Owned by	San Diego Metropolitan Transit System
Operated by	San Diego Trolley
Line(s)	SD&AE La Mesa Branch[1]
Platforms	2 side platforms
Tracks	2
Connections	MTS: 115, 815, 816, 833, 848, 864, 872, 874, 875, 888, 891, 892, 894[2] Greyhound Lines[3] Sycuan Casino Shuttle[4]
Construction
Structure type	At-grade
Parking	469 spaces[5]
Bicycle facilities	4 rack spaces, 1 locker[6]
Accessible
Other information
Station code	75026, 75027[7]
History
Opened	June 23, 1989 (1989-06-23)[8]
Rebuilt	2018
Previous names	Main & Marshall (1989–1990)
Services
Preceding station San Diego Trolley Following station Terminus Copper Line Arnele Avenue towards Santee Amaya Drive towards 12th & Imperial Green Line Terminus Amaya Drive towards Courthouse Orange Line
Former services Preceding station San Diego Trolley Following station Amaya Drive towards 12th & Imperial Green Line 2012-2024 Arnele Avenue towards Santee Amaya Drive towards Old Town Green Line 2005-2012 Amaya Drive towards 12th & Imperial Orange Line 2018-2024 Arnele Avenue Terminus Amaya Drive towards America Plaza Orange Line 2017-2018 Terminus Amaya Drive towards Santa Fe Depot Orange Line 2012-2017 Amaya Drive towards 12th & Imperial Orange Line 2005-2012 Arnele Avenue towards Gillespie Field Orange Line 1995-2005 Arnele Avenue towards Santee
Location

History

El Cajon opened as the eastern terminus of the third segment of the East Line (now Orange Line) on June 23, 1989, which operated from 12th & Imperial in downtown San Diego. The physical line was extended to its current terminus at Santee on July 26, 1995.^[8]

From July 1995 to July 2005, Orange Line service continued to terminate at the end of the line at Santee Town Center.

When the Green Line opened in July 2005, the new route took over service to Santee, and the Orange Line was truncated to Gillespie Field.

The September 2012 system redesign truncated the Orange Line once again to El Cajon.^[9]

Following the sale of the naming rights of the Green Line to Sycuan Casino, the station was renamed El Cajon–Sycuan. However, this is no longer the case.^{[citation needed]}

The April 2018 system redesign extended the Orange Line to Arnele Avenue, following the opening of Courthouse station in April 2018. Courthouse became the line's current western terminus, and the one-stop extension to Arnele was meant to relieve congestion and confusion at El Cajon.

In 2024, a third track was added to the station, and the eastern platform was extended to allow shuttle trains to terminate there.^[10] The Copper Line then began service on September 29, operating between this new platform and Santee, and allowing the Green and Orange lines to terminate in El Cajon.^[11][12][13]

Station layout

There are three tracks, each served by a side platform.

Side platform
Westbound	←  Green Line toward 12th & Imperial (Amaya Drive) ←  Orange Line toward Courthouse (Amaya Drive)
Westbound	←  Green Line toward 12th & Imperial (Amaya Drive) ←  Orange Line toward Courthouse (Amaya Drive)
Side platform
Side platform
Northbound	→ Copper Line toward Santee (Arnele Avenue) →

See also

• List of San Diego Trolley stations

References

1. "San Diego & Arizona Eastern (SD&AE) Railway" (PDF). San Diego Metropolitan Transit System. April 2013. Retrieved April 9, 2020.
2. "San Diego Regional Transit Map" (PDF). San Diego Metropolitan Transit System. November 2021. Retrieved November 11, 2021.
3. "El Cajon Bus Stop". Greyhound Lines. Retrieved November 22, 2021.
4. "El Cajon Shuttle Schedule". Sycuan Casino. June 15, 2018.
5. "Transit Station Parking". San Diego Metropolitan Transit System. Retrieved June 4, 2024.
6. "Interactive San Diego Regional Bike Map". San Diego Association of Governments. Retrieved June 4, 2024.
7. "Schedules & Real Time". San Diego Metropolitan Transit System. Retrieved April 9, 2020.
8. "History". San Diego Metropolitan Transit System. May 22, 2015. Retrieved April 9, 2020.
9. "September 2, 2012 Service Changes. Major Bus and Trolley Service Changes". San Diego Metropolitan Transit System. Archived from the original on April 30, 2015.
10. "Board of Directors – DRAFT MINUTES" (PDF). San Diego Metropolitan Transit System. May 12, 2022.
11. "San Diego MTS looking at adding new 'Copper Line' to Trolley system". FOX 5 San Diego & KUSI News. May 8, 2024. Retrieved May 23, 2024.
12. "MTS hopes new 'Copper Line' can improve trolley system's reliability". KPBS Public Media. May 7, 2024.
13. "Copper Line – East County Connector". San Diego Metropolitan Transit System. April 29, 2024. Retrieved May 23, 2024.