Phoenix Light Rail Extension Opens

The South Central line extends 5.5 miles of rail into South Phoenix neighborhoods, bringing the city’s total light rail network to 35 miles.

1 minute read

June 11, 2025, 8:00 AM PDT

By Diana Ionescu @aworkoffiction


Crowd gathered at train station for grand opening of South Central Extension/Downtown Hub in Phoenix, Arizona.

A crowd gathers at the grand opening of Valley Metro's South Central Extension/Downtown Hub in Phoenix, Arizona. | Valley Metro / South Central Extension/Downtown Hub

The Phoenix-area Valley Metro launched its 5.5-mile South Central light rail extension last weekend, connecting neighborhoods in South Phoenix with downtown and the rest of the rail system.

According to an article in Mass Transit, “With the opening of the extension, the A line now travels east to west, the B line travels north to south and weekday service increased to 12 minutes before 7:00 p.m.”

The extension is expected to add 8,000 daily riders to the system’s current boardings of 32,000. “There are eight new stations, a new park-and-ride facility at Baseline Road/Central Avenue and a transit hub converging in downtown Phoenix. The extension also includes a number of community upgrades such as enhanced bike lanes, pedestrian pathways, over 550 new trees and desert-adapted landscaping.”

Monday, June 9, 2025 in Mass Transit

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