Blue Line (MARTA)

The Blue Line is a rapid transit line in the MARTA rail system. It operates between Hamilton E. Holmes and Indian Creek stations, running through Atlanta, Decatur and portions of unincorporated DeKalb County.

The Blue Line was previously called the East-West Line until MARTA switched to a color-based naming system in October 2009. The East-West Line, from its launch, was considered one line (denoted with the Blue Line color on old system maps) until 2006 when the West branch and the Proctor Creek branch were redesignated as the East-West Line (the current Blue Line) and the Proctor Creek Line (the current Green Line).

The rail line was part of the initial launch of MARTA rail service in 1979. The first segment ran from the East Line segment from Georgia State to the Avondale stations upon the opening in June of that year. By the end of 1979, it extended west to the Hightower station (now Hamilton E. Holmes) on the West Line segment, which serves as that station's terminus. Although the North-South line was expanded throughout the 1980s, the East-West line did not see any extension since its opening until 1992 when the Proctor Creek branch of the line opened to its terminus at Bankhead station. It finally extended to its current eastern terminus at Indian Creek in September 1993.

Now known as the Blue Line, it shares trackage with its counterpart, the Green Line, between just west of Ashby and Edgewood/Candler Park.