Special Event Line (San Diego Trolley)

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.

Special Event Line
A Special Event Line trolley (left) next to a Green Line trolley (right) at Seaport Village station
Overview
Status	Only operates on special events, in late July
Owner	Metropolitan Transit System
Locale	San Diego, California
Termini	Balboa Avenue 12th & Imperial
Stations	15
Website	http://www.sdmts.com/
Service
Type	Light rail
System	San Diego Trolley
Operator(s)	San Diego Trolley, Inc.
History
Opened	July 20, 2022; 2 years ago (2022-07-20)
Technical
Number of tracks	2 Tracks
Track gauge	4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Electrification	600 V DC Overhead lines
Operating speed	Max. 50 mph (80 km/h)
Route map Legend Amtrak Pacific Surfliner & Coaster to Oceanside │ to UTC Balboa Avenue Clairemont Drive Tecolote Road to El Cajon I-8 Old Town (via ) I-5 Washington Street Middletown (via ) County Center/Little Italy Santa Fe Depot Seaport Village Convention Center Gaslamp Quarter to Courthouse 12th & Imperial Storage & Maintenance Yard │ to El Cajon to San Ysidro Multiple services All stations are accessible This diagram: view talk edit

The original version of the Special Event Line, operating from at least 2007^[2] to 2012, connected Qualcomm Stadium station with Gaslamp Quarter station, during sporting events at^[3] Qualcomm Stadium,^[4] Cox Arena,^[5] and the SDSU Open Air Theatre (OAT),^[5] as well as during events like 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.^[6] This version of the Special Event Line was revived from July 20 to July 23, 2023,^[7] and most recently from July 25 to July 28, 2024.^[8][9]

Current route (2022-present)

The current version of the Special Event Line first operated from July 20 to July 24, 2022, during San Diego Comic-Con. 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.^[6][10]

Likewise from July 20 to July 23, 2023, the Special Event Line was revived along the 2022 route.^[7] Over the course of that weekend, the Special Event Line served over 100 thousand riders.^[11]

Special Event Line (12th and Imperial–Balboa Avenue)
Station Name	Connections	Bus	Train	Parking	Info	Notes
Balboa Avenue Transit Center	Blue Line
Clairemont Drive	Blue Line
Tecolote Road	Blue Line
Old Town Transit Center	Blue Line Green Line					Serves Old Town Historic Park.
Washington Street	Green Line Blue Line
Middletown	Green Line Blue Line
County Center/Little Italy	Green Line Blue Line
Santa Fe Depot	Green Line Blue Line					Transfer station for Blue Line.
Seaport Village	Green Line Silver Line					Serves Seaport Village. Transfer station for Orange and Silver Lines.
Convention Center	Green Line Silver Line					Serves Convention Center.
Gaslamp Quarter	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
San Diego Trolley Old Town
Overview
Status	Closed; later revived on a different route in 2022
Owner	Metropolitan Transit System
Locale	San Diego, California
Termini	Qualcomm Stadium 12th & Imperial
Stations	15
Website	http://www.sdmts.com/
Service
Type	Light rail
System	San Diego Trolley
Operator(s)	San Diego Trolley, Inc.
Rolling stock	Triple Car U2 Trains * Train configurations may vary
History
Opened	July 10, 2005; 19 years ago (2005-07-10)
Closed	August 29, 2012; 12 years ago (2012-08-29)
Technical
Number of tracks	2 Tracks
Track gauge	4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Electrification	600 V DC Overhead lines
Operating speed	Max. 50 mph (80 km/h)
Route map Legend to Santee Qualcomm Stadium Fenton Parkway I-805 Rio Vista Mission Valley Center Hazard Center SR 163 Fashion Valley Morena/Linda Vista Amtrak Pacific Surfliner & Coaster to Oceanside I-8 Old Town (via ) I-5 Washington Street Middletown (via ) County Center/Little Italy Santa Fe Depot Seaport Village Convention Center Gaslamp Quarter 12th & Imperial Storage & Maintenance Yard │ to El Cajon to San Ysidro Multiple services All stations are accessible This diagram: view talk edit

From at least 2007^[2] to 2012, the Red Line operated between Gaslamp Quarter station and Qualcomm Stadium station (now known as Stadium station). They operated once every 15 minutes, during sporting events at Petco Park,^[3] Qualcomm Stadium,^[4] Cox Arena,^[5] and the SDSU Open Air Theater (OAT),^[5] as well as selected conventions and other major city events (such as 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.^[a] 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.^[b]

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

Special Event Line (Petco Park–Qualcomm Stadium)
Station Name	Connections	Bus	Train	Parking	Info	Notes
Qualcomm Stadium	Green Line					Served Qualcomm Stadium (now demolished). Transfer station for Green Line.
Fenton Parkway	Green Line
Rio Vista	Green Line
Mission Valley Center	Green Line					Serves Westfield Mission Valley.
Hazard Center	Green Line
Fashion Valley Transit Center	Green Line					Serves Fashion Valley Mall.
Morena/Linda Vista	Green Line					Serves University of San Diego.
Old Town Transit Center	Blue Line Green Line					Serves Old Town Historic Park.
Washington Street	Blue Line
Middletown	Blue Line
County Center/Little Italy	Blue Line
Santa Fe Depot	Blue Line					Transfer station for Blue Line.
Seaport Village	Orange Line Silver Line					Serves Seaport Village. Transfer station for Orange and Silver Lines.
Convention Center	Orange Line Silver Line					Serves Convention Center.
Gaslamp Quarter	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.

Notes

1. Compare the maps of the San Diego Trolley issued before^[14] and after^[15] the change in the trolley schedule on September 2, 2012.
2. For example, during the Holiday Bowl Game and Parade in December 2015, the MTS "increase[d] the number of Green Line trains" operating to Qualcomm Stadium.^[16]