Metro Transit regularly monitors and reviews feedback from customers and operators, and uses this information and other trip data to make adjustments and improve transit service for customers. The December Service Change only includes minor schedule changes to weekday and weekend schedules for the MetroBus routes listed below, mostly small one to two-minute changes to select trips to improve on-time performance and transit connections. The route changes scheduled to go into effect on December 1 include:

MISSOURI

#1 Gold | #2 Red | #4 Natural Bridge | #8 Shaw-Cherokee | #9 Oakville | #10 Gravois-Lindell | #18 Taylor | #19 St. Louis Ave. | #21 Watson Rd. | #33 Midland | #34 Earth City | #35 Rock Road | #40 Broadway-Halls Ferry | #41 Lee | #42 Sarah | #49 Lindbergh | #57 Manchester | #58 Chesterfield Valley | #59 Oakland | #60 Shepley-Lilac | #73 Carondelet | #76 N. Hanley Shuttle #77 Village Square | #78 Bellefontaine | #79 Ferguson-Clayton | #90 Hampton | #91 Olive | #94 Page | #97 Delmar | #100 Hazelwood

ILLINOIS

#2 Cahokia Heights | #3 Sauget-Water Street | #8 Alta Sita | #12 O’Fallon-Fairview Heights | #14 Memorial Hospital/Westfield Plaza | #15 Belleville-O’Fallon | #23 Belleville-College

New schedules will be available on the Upcoming Schedule Changes page beginning on Monday, November 17. For questions or assistance, please contact Metro Transit Information at 314.231.2345 (phone) or 314.207.9786 (text), available Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.

The post Quarterly Service Change on December 1 appeared first on Metro Transit – Saint Louis.

On Monday, March 18

The March 18 adjustments include:

• #31 Chouteau | New Map | New Schedule – Route will resume service to Maplewood Commons on both eastbound and westbound weekday trips.

• #1 Main Street-State Street | New Map | New Schedule – Route will resume service to Lebanon Road on weekdays and weekends

If you have questions or need any assistance, please contact Metro Transit Information at 314.231.2345 (phone) or 314.207.9786 (text), available Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.

The post Minor MetroBus Service Change on March 18 appeared first on Metro Transit – Saint Louis.

Since that time, the MetroLink schedule has reflected time built in to accommodate delays for special operations to move trains through that station. Blue Line riders have only been able to board and exit trains from the eastbound platforms at the Skinker Station and the University City-Big Bend Station since then. Starting March 4, the westbound platforms at both stations will reopen and the MetroLink schedule will be adjusted to remove the extra time needed for the speed restrictions and switching issues at the Forest Park-DeBaliviere Station.

That is welcome news to Blue Line customers who patiently waited for a new signal house and its components to be replaced so normal operations could resume at that key junction on the MetroLink system.

BACKGROUND

On July 26, 2022, more than nine inches of rain fell in less than 24 hours, and the resulting flood damage severely one sections of the MetroLink system between the Delmar Loop and Forest Park-DeBaliviere Stations. In the hours and days following the flood, bus shuttles were serving many MetroLink stations due to severely limited train service. On July 30, Red Line MetroLink service was restored, and Blue Line was partially restored. Blue Line MetroLink service would not resume its full route to the Fairview Heights Station until November 2022.

The final damage assessment estimated more than $40 million in costs for flood mitigation and repairs to the light rail system, which included the loss of one MetroLink train, substantial damage to both elevators at the Forest Park-DeBaliviere Station, damage to five miles of track, and substantial damage to communications equipment and signal houses, which are important for managing track switches and train movement.

Metro Transit’s Rail Systems and Maintenance teams have been working non-stop to replace equipment and repair all of the flood damage. Track repairs were completed, with the majority of repairs finished in the three days following the flood. Both elevators at the Forest Park-DeBaliviere Station returned to service in 2023. Metro Transit teams have now completed the installation and testing of all the new signal and switching equipment components and the MetroLink communications system, allowing Blue Line MetroLink service to resume normal operations on Monday, March 6. A new signal house was manufactured and installed on higher ground at the Forest Park-DeBaliviere to help protect the system against damage in the event of flash flooding in the future.

Riders who have questions or need assistance can contact Metro Transit Information at 314.231.2345 (phone) or 314.207.9786 (text), Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.

The post Blue Line MetroLink Trains Resume Normal Operations on March 4 appeared first on Metro Transit – Saint Louis.

• Adding service to 17 MetroBus routes to improve service frequency.
• Minor schedule and routing adjustments to four MetroBus routes to improve on-time performance or to utilize new lanes and bus stops on Pershall Road in North St. Louis County
• There are no changes to MetroLink service.

Like other businesses and transit agencies across the country, Metro Transit has been challenged with a workforce shortage since the beginning of the pandemic in 2020. To strengthen its number of available operators, Metro Transit has aggressively recruited, hired, trained and graduated several new classes of MetroBus Operators over the past several months. With these new additions to the workforce, Metro Transit is now able to increase service frequency on several MetroBus routes beginning on January 15.

“Improving service for our customers is a great way to start the new year,” said Charles Stewart, Chief Operating Officer of Metro Transit. “With the success of recruitment efforts over the last year, we are now in a position to increase MetroBus service on several routes that had their frequency reduced during the pandemic. As we continue recruitment throughout the year, we look forward to more opportunities to improve service as we continue to strengthen our workforce.”

To aid in ongoing recruitment, Metro Transit has extended its special $5,000 signing bonus benefit for new Operators, Mechanics, Electricians and other critical transit positions. Candidates interested in starting a new career should visit WorkAtMetroSTL.com to learn more and apply.

January 15 Service Change Details

Details on the January 15 service change, including new schedules and maps, can be found on the Upcoming Schedule Changes page. Transit customers who have questions or need assistance should contact Metro Transit Information at 314.231.2345 (phone) or 314.207.9786 (text) or, Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.

The post Special Service Change on January 15: Adding Service to 17 MetroBus Routes appeared first on Metro Transit – Saint Louis.

MetroLink will implement a new operating plan starting at the beginning of service on Monday, December 4, which will include periods of two-car service, single-car service and single-car boarding. This new operating plan follows the conclusion of a pilot program launched on October 2 to evaluate potential benefits of single-car MetroLink service.

Under the new operating plan:

• During weekdays (Monday through Friday), two-car trains will be in operation on the Red and Blue Lines from beginning of service until 8 p.m.
• During weekday evenings after 8 p.m., MetroLink customers will need to board on the front train car. The rear car will be closed and customers will not be able to board it.
• During weekends, MetroLink will operate single-car trains all-day long on Saturday and Sunday.
• MetroLink will operate two-car service during weekday evenings and weekends if needed, when there are large events in downtown St. Louis or other instances of high ridership.

Single-car boarding and single-car service will be used during low ridership periods due to public safety benefits highlighted during the pilot program, including more effective surveillance and patrols from the Metro Transit Public Safety team, law enforcement partners and contracted security teams.

“We are always looking for operational efficiencies while balancing customer needs both with space and security. We appreciate the patience demonstrated by our customers during this pilot program, and now as we implement these MetroLink changes,” said Taulby Roach, President and CEO of Bi-State Development.

The post New Operating Plan for MetroLink Starting December 4 appeared first on Metro Transit – Saint Louis.

Click Here: Details of the November 28 Service Change

These service adjustments will improve MetroBus-MetroLink connections and should provide more reliable schedules and consistent transit service for customers. Metro Transit, like other transit agencies and businesses around the nation, continues to be challenged by workforce shortages. For more than two years, it has been necessary to cancel scheduled MetroBus trips on a daily basis due to a shortage of bus operators.

“Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have been regularly making adjustments to Metro Transit operations to address our workforce issues. However, some of our customers continue to experience unplanned cancellations, which can cause significant delays and inconvenience,” said Charles Stewart, Executive Director of Metro Transit. “By changing schedules and service frequency on some of our MetroBus routes and restoring Blue Line MetroLink service to Fairview Heights, we can better match our workforce resources to service levels and riders can have a better transit experience and more dependable service.”

Click here for details of the November 28 Service Change. New schedules and route maps for MetroLink and the affected MetroBus routes will be available on Transit app and the Upcoming Schedule Changes page beginning on Monday, November 14.

Transit riders who have questions or would like assistance are encouraged to text Metro Transit Information at 314.207.9786 or call 314.231.2345, available Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.

The post Metro Transit Service Change – Monday, November 28 appeared first on Metro Transit – Saint Louis.

• Blue Line MetroLink Service: Blue Line trains will only operate between the Shrewsbury-Lansdowne I-44 and Forest Park-DeBaliviere Stations. There will be no Blue Line service east of Forest Park. Blue Line trains will operate on a 20-minute frequency, seven days a week.
• Red Line MetroLink Service: Red Line trains will operate between St. Louis Lambert Airport and Shiloh-Scott MetroLink Stations, and will operate on weekday schedules Monday through Friday and weekend schedules on Saturday and Sunday.
• Blue Line passengers will need to transfer to a Red Line train at the Forest Park-DeBaliviere Station to continue their eastbound trips.
• Passengers heading west to Blue Line stations toward Clayton and Shrewsbury-Lansdowne I-44 will need to transfer to a Blue Line train at the Forest Park-DeBaliviere Station.
• All transfers between the Red Line and Blue Line will be made at the Forest Park-DeBaliviere Station, and passengers should allow extra time for the transfers.

Background – Flood Damage

Metro Transit has been looking for solutions to work around the complex challenges created by $40 million in flash flood damage, which occurred on July 26. Key signal and communications systems near the Forest Park-DeBaliviere Station sustained major damage during the historic rainfall. Since then, Metro has been working to keep trains moving efficiently despite not having these key systems operational. Although train service to all 38 MetroLink station has resumed, some riders are experiencing significant delays with the operational plan that launched on August 22.

“We are in emergency flood recovery mode and are looking at all viable solutions to improve MetroLink service for our customers. The operations plan we put into place on August 22 is not producing the results we need for our customers. In fact, it has created further MetroLink delays, so now we move on to this next option,” said Taulby Roach, President and CEO of Bi-State Development. “Realistically, we are looking at six months or more to completely replace the signal and communications components before we are back to pre-flood service levels on MetroLink.”

“We appreciate the patience demonstrated by our customers. We know their MetroLink commutes have been challenging since the flooding damaged a key area of the MetroLink system.”

Updated Schedule Information

These changes to MetroLink operations will help provide more reliable schedule times for riders. Below are links to schedules that will go into effect on Monday, September 5.

MetroLink System Schedule: Weekday | Weekend

Station Schedules: 5th & Missouri | 8th & Pine | Belleville | Brentwood I-64 | Central West End | Civic Center | Clayton | College | Convention Center | Cortex | Delmar Loop | East Riverfront | Emerson Park | Fairview Heights | Forest Park-DeBaliviere | Forsyth | Grand | JJK Center | Laclede’s Landing |  Lambert Terminal #1 | Lambert Terminal #2 | Maplewood-Manchester | Memorial Hospital | North Hanley | Richmond Heights | Rock Road | Shiloh-Scott | Shrewsbury | Skinker | Stadium | Sunnen | Swansea | University City-Big Bend | UMSL North | UMSL South | Union Station | Washington Park | Wellston

Modified Boarding at Select Stations

Passengers at the Forest Park-DeBaliviere Station will continue to board all eastbound and westbound Red Line trains on the westbound side of the platform, and all westbound Blue Line trains on the eastbound side of the platform. At the Skinker and University City-Big Bend Stations, all eastbound and westbound trains will board on the eastbound platform.

No Elevator Access at Forest Park

Both elevators at the Forest Park-DeBaliviere Station are out of service due to flood damage. MetroLink riders who need elevator service and start or end their trips at the Forest Park-DeBaliviere Station can continue to request special transportation by using the Passenger Assist Telephone (located at all MetroLink stations and Transit Centers), by calling 314.982.1400, x4870 from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, or calling 314.289.6872 after hours.

Trip Planning

The latest details on MetroLink service, including updated schedules, are available on the Special MetroLink Operations page. Contact Metro Transit Information for questions or help planning your trip by calling 314.231.2345 or texting 314.207.9768, Monday through Friday, from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.

The post MetroLink Changes Starting September 5: Blue Line Service to Operate Between Shrewsbury and Forest Park appeared first on Metro Transit – Saint Louis.

Due to the unprecedented rainfall that led to significant flood damage on July 26, MetroLink service was severely disrupted. In the days following this historic event, Metro Transit teams were able to restore disrupted Red Line service, followed by partial Blue Line service.

Beginning Monday, August 22, Blue Line service will be restored throughout the system with the following operations:

• All Blue Line stations will be serviced by MetroLink trains. Station shuttles will no longer be needed to transfer between the Red Line and Blue Line.
• All Blue Line and Red Line MetroLink trains will operate on a weekend schedule with 20-minute frequency.
• You may experience delays due to speed restrictions and modified operations. Please plan extra time for your trips.
  • Blue Line riders should plan for 10-minute delays between Forest Park-DeBaliviere and the University City-Big Bend Stations.
  • Red Line riders should anticipate 10-minute delays between the Delmar Loop and Forest Park-DeBaliviere Stations.
• The elevators at the Forest Park-DeBaliviere MetroLink Station are out of service indefinitely. If your trip begins or ends at this station and you are unable to use the stairs, call 314.982.1400 x4870 (Monday-Friday 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.) or 314.289.6872 (after hours)

These modified operations will be in effect until further notice.

New Boarding Instructions

Skinker and University City-Big Bend MetroLink Stations (Blue Line)

• All eastbound and westbound trains will board on the eastbound platform

Forest Park-DeBaliviere MetroLink Station (Blue Line and Red Line)

• All eastbound and westbound Blue Line trains will board on the eastbound side of platform (facing the wall art mural)
• All eastbound and westbound Red Line trains will board on the westbound side of platform
• No Elevator Access. If your trip begins or ends at this station and you are unable to use the stairs, call 314.982.1400 x4870 (Monday-Friday 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.) or 314.289.6872 (after hours)

The majority of the flood damage is concentrated on a 2-mile section of MetroLink between the Forest Park-DeBaliviere Station and the Delmar Loop Station. Full restoration of MetroLink service that includes a return to regular weekday schedules will take some time due to the total and partial loss of critical operating facilities. We appreciate your patience as our teams continue to restore service and keep the region moving.

For questions or assistance, please contact Metro Transit Information,
available Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. at
314.231.2345 (phone) or 314.207.9786 (text).

For information on current transit service, visit our MetroLink Special Operations page.

The post Modified MetroLink Single Track Service Begins Monday, August 22 appeared first on Metro Transit – Saint Louis.