B Line (Valley Metro Rail)

The B Line is a light rail line in Phoenix, Arizona. It is the north-south line operating as part of the Valley Metro Rail system. Service began on June 7, 2025. The line's inauguration introduced a new two-line system, whereas the system had previously operated with a single line. The B Line runs from Metro Parkway to Baseline/Central Avenue.

Service description

Trains along the segment operate as a new line, originating at Baseline Road and running to the Downtown Phoenix Hub before taking over parts of the existing light rail system and continuing north to the terminus at Metro Parkway. An additional 17 light rail vehicles will also be purchased to accommodate the increase in runs.

The B Line starts in Phoenix on the east side of the former Metrocenter shopping mall at the Metro Parkway station. The rail line runs east on an elevated viaduct, crossing over Interstate 17. After the crossing, the line's alignment parallels Mountain View Road before turning south on 25th Street. The line runs south on 25th Street, crossing the Arizona Canal and passing by the Rose Mofford Sports Complex. It continues until it reaches Dunlap Avenue where it swerves east on Dunlap, before turning south again on 19th Avenue for . After three stops, it turns eastward again on Camelback Road for , then turns south onto Central Avenue where it continues into Downtown Phoenix. At Roosevelt Street, the line splits into one-way segments until Lincoln Street. Both track rejoins at Hadley Street. The rail line continues south under the Interstate 17 then Salt River bridge. The light rail line ends at an intersection with Baseline Road at Baseline/Central Avenue station station.

Hours and frequency

Station listing

The following table lists the stations of the B Line, from north to south. All stations are located in the city of Phoenix, Arizona.

History

The B Line north of Downtown Phoenix was largely constructed as part of the inaugural Valley Metro Rail system, which opened as far north as Montebello/19th Avenue station in 2006. Further extensions of the Northwest Extension Phase I and Northwest Extension Phase II in 2016 and 2024 brought the line's northern terminus to Metro Parkway station.

The expanded the B Line from Downtown Phoenix south along Central Avenue to Baseline Road, adding and eight stations to the Valley Metro Rail system, while connecting with two park and ride locations. The South Central Extension project also constructed a new central station in downtown Phoenix, centered on the block bounded by Central Ave, First Avenue, Washington Street, and Jefferson Street. The Downtown Hub project gives Valley Metro additional flexibility for operating rail services, allowing trains to short turn in Downtown Phoenix during peak hours and special events.

After receiving environmental approval from the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) in January 2017, the project entered the design phase. Plans to reduce the number of general purpose lanes on Central from four to two to accommodate light rail tracks were initially met with backlash, and the city council's decision to proceed with initial plans prompted groups to initiate a ballot measure aimed at stopping all Valley Metro Rail funding (which ultimately failed). Construction began in 2019 and was completed in 2025, with the extension opening on June 7 the same year.

References

External links

South Central Extension Project website

{{Valley Metro

Valley Metro Rail
Railway lines opened in 2025
2025 establishments in Arizona