The MARTA rail network, a component of the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority system in Metro Atlanta, has four service lines: the Red, Gold, Blue, and Green lines. The lines span 48 miles (77km) in Atlanta and the surrounding suburbs along two general corridors. The Red and Gold lines mainly run along the north–northeast corridor, and the Blue and Green Lines run along the east–west corridor. The two corridors connect at the Five Points station, which is the only station where transfers are possible between all four lines. In 2025, the system had a ridership of 30,373,600, or about 152,000 per weekday as of the second quarter of 2026.
The rail system was approved by voters in Dekalb and Fulton counties in 1971 and began operation on June 30, 1979, with the East Line between Avondale and Georgia State stations. The last major expansion opened on December 16, 2000, in Sandy Springs.
The Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) was created through an act passed by the Georgia General Assembly in 1965 to provide regional transit service to five counties in Metro Atlanta. The initial plan for a rapid transit system, developed by the local metropolitan planning organization as well as Atlanta Transit, covered 50 miles (80km) in four counties. It was rejected by voters on November 6, 1968. A measure in Dekalb and Fulton counties was passed in 1971 and established a one-percent sales tax to fund MARTA operations and construction. A $900million grant from the federal government was awarded to MARTA for the rail system; the funds had originally been earmarked for a rejected rapid transit system in Seattle. Construction began with a groundbreaking ceremony on February 20, 1975.
The first section of the rail system opened on June 30, 1979, between Avondale and Georgia State on 4.6 miles (7.4km) of the East Line. A second line, the West Line, opened on December 22 with 11.8 miles (19.0km) of tracks between Hightower (H.E. Holmes) and Five Points stations. The North Line opened on December 4, 1981, as a 2-mile (3.2km) stub that connected Five Points to Garnett in the south and North Avenue in the north. It was extended north to Arts Center and south to West End by December 1982. A major extension of the North Line opened on June 8, 1996, with three stations extending to Medical Center station in Sandy Springs. Two more stations in Sandy Springs opened on December 16, 2000.
Attempts to expand MARTA further into the suburban counties were rejected by voters several times; these attempts were stymied by campaigns that used racial politics targeted at the white electorate in those counties. The lines names were changed to colors in October 2009; the initial use of the "Yellow Line" was replaced by the "Gold Line" due to its presence in Doraville, an area with a large Asian American community. Atlanta mayor Andre Dickens announced plans for four infill stations, including one at Murphy Crossing on the Southside of the Beltline, on March 25, 2024.
Lines
All MARTA trains are identified with a destination on electronic LCD signs on the front and sides of the train and on each car. An automated announcement system announces train destinations, bus and other transit connections, and landmarks that are at or near each rail station. During daytime hours, trains on the Red and Gold lines service the entire north-south trunk line and split north of Lindbergh Center (N6). After 9pm, and also during single-tracking, the Red Line is short-turned and runs as a shuttle between North Springs (N11) and Lindbergh Center (N6), connecting to the Gold Line at Lindbergh Center. The connection is scheduled, with southbound Red trains arriving at Lindbergh Center just before Gold trains continuing southbound, and in reverse, northbound Gold trains arrive at Lindbergh just before Red trains leave northbound.
Blue and Green lines service the east-west trunk line together between Ashby (W3) and Edgewood–Candler Park (E4). At Ashby, Blue Line service continues to H.E. Holmes (W5) while Green Line trains divert to Bankhead Station (P4). Green Line service terminates at Edgewood–Candler Park, while the Blue Line continues east to Indian Creek. After 9pm, Green Line service is short-turned and operates as a shuttle between Bankhead (P4) and Vine City (stop W2). On weekends before 9pm, Green Line service is short-turned at King Memorial (stop E2).
Older system maps used orange to denote the North-South line and blue for the East-West line, including the Northeast and Proctor Creek branches. Lines were identified by the direction of travel and/or terminals. MARTA switched to a color-based route naming system in October 2009, so the Proctor Creek or Bankhead-Edgewood line became the Green Line, for example. The former Northeast line that served Doraville, known as the "heart of Atlanta's Asian community", was initially named the Yellow Line, which the Asian American community found derogatory. It was renamed to the Gold Line in 2010 in response to the complaints.
Operations
The MARTA rail system operates between approximately 4:45a.m. and 1a.m. Monday through Friday, and 6a.m. to 1a.m. Saturdays and Sundays.
Originally, MARTA operated trains every eight minutes during the day on weekdays on each route. When two routes operated on the same tracks, the effective headway was cut in half, and the North-South Line operated on a combined four-minute headway between Lindbergh Center and Airport stations on the trunk. On Saturdays, it was every ten minutes (five minutes combined on the North-South Line trunk), and on Sundays it was every 15 minutes (7.5 minutes on the North-South Line trunk). At night, trains operated every 15 minutes.
After budget cuts in 2005 affected the rail system, headways were increased by 25–50% to 10 minutes weekdays during rush hour and 12 minutes during midday, and 20 minutes nightly and weekends. For combined service, headways increased to 5 minutes during rush hour and 6 minutes during midday and 10 minutes on the weekends during the day. All rail lines operate 20 minutes during late night (8:30pm weekdays, 8:50pm weekends) as the Red Line was short-turned and only ran from North Springs to Lindbergh Center; likewise the Green Line was short turned and operated from Bankhead to Vine City.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Atlanta, train headways were reduced to 15minute intervals between trains during most weekday hours and 20minutes at other times. In August 2023, MARTA announced that frequencies would increase to every 12 minutes on all rail lines between 6 a.m. and 9 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Following the increase, headways would be every 6 minutes along the interlined portion of the network. In December 2024, they announced that frequencies would increase again back to their pre-pandemic headways of every 10 minutes between 6 a.m. and 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. and 7 p.m and every 12 minutes during off-peak hours on weekdays.
Due to ongoing rail system maintenance, weekend headways were variable and could range from the normal 20 minutes to as much as 24 minutes, with the Green and Red lines being truncated in up to 80% of weekends in 2024. During weekends in the latter case, headways along the shared lines will increase from 10 minutes to 20 minutes.
In April 2025, MARTA announced weekend headway improvements for the first time since the 2005 service cuts, bringing frequencies back to 15 minutes. Red Line trains will serve Airport station at all times.[citation needed]
Ridership
In 2025, the MARTA rail system carried a total of 30,373,600 passenger trips. It ranked eighth among U.S. rapid transit systems. Ridership remains below levels recorded before the COVID-19 pandemic; in 2019, the system carried 64million total passengers. By February 2023, weekday ridership had only reached 50percent of its pre-pandemic level while weekends were at 62percent. The counting methodology used by MARTA was primarily based on faregate data until it was switched to estimates based on samples of manual passenger counts aboard trains in January 2026.
Fares
Currently, the one-way full fare for MARTA costs US$2.50. Passengers over 65, passengers with disabilities and Medicare recipients are eligible for discounted fares. MARTA also offers unlimited travel through multiple transit pass options ranging from one day to 30 days. Rail stations have fare gates at their entrances, which accept payment using MARTA's Breeze Card or credit/debit cards.
The primary form of payment is the Breeze Card, a contactless smart card that allows riders to load stored value and add prepaid passes. In 2026, MARTA introduced a new system with updated faregates designed to support more contactless payment methods, like mobile wallet and debit/credit cards equipped with near-field communication (NFC). A new app was made with support for digital cards. New touchscreen ticket vending machines were also added and are available at various retail locations. Implementation is scheduled to be completed the following year in preparation for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Stations
Each station also has a secondary designation that provides the cardinal direction (typically north, south, east, or west) and relative distance from the central Five Points station. For instance, Lindbergh Center is the sixth station from Five Points traveling north, and has the secondary designation (N6). Northeast of Lindbergh Center on the Gold Line, stations are designated with NE while continuing the numbering, so Lenox is (NE7). Similarly, Bankhead is on a branch from the main east-west trunk and is designated (P4), a legacy of the original Proctor Creek name for the Green Line.
Many suburban stations offer designated free daily and paid long term parking in MARTA-operated park and ride lots. These stations also have designated kiss and ride passenger drop off parking spaces closest to the stations' entrances.[citation needed] MARTA maintains a total of 19,602 parking stalls at its rail stations.
MARTA currently operates a total of 312 married pair rail cars which can operate at speeds of up to 70 miles per hour (110km/h). The trains are powered by an electrified third rail and can be operated in any combination from two to eight rail cars, with six cars being the normal length for the Blue, Red and Gold rail lines, and two cars for the Green line (due to the shorter platform at Bankhead).
111/112 converted to a work unit.103/104 scrapped after 2019 derailment.
501–520
20
0
All single units. Cars retired in 2006 and stored at Avondale Yard until 2023. Currently in the process of disposal in preparation for delivery of CQ400 pilot cars. Units 509 and 510 preserved by the Southeastern Railway Museum and the Trolley Museum of New York, respectively. Some of the cars were dumped into the Atlantic Ocean for use as an artificial reef.
Currently on order. Scheduled to enter service in 2026. Will gradually replace all current rail cars.
In 2002, Alstom was contracted by MARTA to overhaul 98 CQ310 cars and all 120 CQ311 cars as part of a $246 million refurbishment contract. The rehabilitated cars feature upgraded passenger amenities and upgraded propulsion and train control hardware. The first rehabilitated cars began service on March 12, 2006. The rehabilitation was completed on February 23, 2009.
In 2011, Alstom was awarded an additional $117 million 5-year contract with MARTA to upgrade its train control and SCADA systems. The new technology is designed to provide MARTA's rail team with more efficient operations, better communication between trains and stations, enhanced monitoring capabilities, quicker response times, and reduced maintenance costs. Included in the project is an upgrade for all 318 rail cars to install an enhanced Fault Identification and Monitoring System (FIMS) and full color driver's display built by Quester Tangent. The new systems passed "mini fleet" testing in 2015.
On December 1, 2017, MARTA posted a notice of intent to award a $146 million contract for the "Rail Car Life Extension Program" to Kinki Sharyo International LLC. On January 26, 2018, Kinki Sharyo signed the $146 million rail car refurbishment contract. The work starts with 118 cars, with 94 more options.
On March 29, 2019, Stadler Rail was awarded the contract to manufacture up to 354 new CQ400 rail cars for MARTA. These cars, which will enter into service in 2026, will replace the entire fleet of CQ310, CQ311, and CQ312 trains and provide expansion to the rail fleet.
↑Eckstein, Sandra (December 17, 2000). "MARTA stations open doors". Atlanta Journal-Constitution. p.C1. Retrieved September 15, 2026– via Newspapers.com.
12"Interior Rail Map"(PDF). Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority. 2019. Archived(PDF) from the original on March 16, 2022. Retrieved March 10, 2022.
↑"MARTA Rail Map"(PDF). Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority. 2000. Archived from the original(PDF) on August 19, 2000.
12"MARTA Rail Map"(PDF). Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority. August 2008. Archived from the original(PDF) on March 19, 2009.
↑Hart, Ariel (October 2, 2009). "MARTA lines to be color-coded". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Archived from the original on March 10, 2022. Retrieved March 10, 2022.
↑"COVID-19 Service Modifications". Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority. April 24, 2021. Archived from the original on March 11, 2022. Retrieved March 11, 2022.
↑"MARTA". www.itsmarta.com. Retrieved November 6, 2023.
↑"MARTA Service Changes". Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority. April 24, 2021. Archived from the original on December 12, 2024. Retrieved December 14, 2024.
↑"MARTA Maps". MARTA GUIDE. Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority. May 15, 2010. Archived from the original on December 22, 2021. Retrieved March 10, 2022.
12345678Hairston, Julie B. (June 30, 2004). "MARTA marks 25 years of trains: Next stop unknown". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. p.B1.
12Beasley, David (December 6, 1992). "MARTA trains to roll at Bankhead, Doraville". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. p.E15.
12345AJC Editorial Staff (May 16, 1985). "Atlanta's air, rail transportation among nation's best". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. p.E5.
123Goldberg, David (June 8, 1996). "Suburban transit– North Line worth risk for MARTA". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. p.E2.
↑Roughton, Jr., Bert (December 20, 1987). "MARTA officials open Chamblee rail station amid union protests". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. p.B3.
↑Roughton, Jr., Bert (August 17, 1986). "East Point starts a new era– First MARTA train pulls in as city observes 99th year". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. p.B1.
12Beasley, David (June 25, 1993). "Transit expansion– MARTA on the move– New stations push rail system beyond the Perimeter". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. p.D1.
12Shelton, Stacy (December 18, 2000). "MARTA christens 2 new stations– North Fulton riders report few problems". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. p.B1.
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