The Orange Line is a proposed north-south light rail line that will serve the central spine of Austin, Texas, United States, from North Lamar to Stassney Lane. It is in the planning stages as a part of CapMetro's Project Connect. It is estimated to begin revenue service as early as 2029.
History A contract for preliminary engineering work along the line was approved on March 20, 2019. In 2020, the planned route was truncated in length to reduce construction costs, with bus bridges providing connectivity through the rest of the corridor. Potential future phases may extend the line north to Tech Ridge and south to Slaughter as initially envisioned — those alignments are expected to be included in National Environmental Policy Act processing to allow for conversion to light rail in the future.
Route The Orange Line is long and will run in its own dedicated transitway, including the Downtown Transit Tunnel, which will allow it to bypass the traffic that plagues the corridor it follows. The Orange Line will operate from North Lamar Transit Center to Stassney & Congress, and will follow the current route of the CapMetro Rapid 801 or a similar alignment. It is planned to run along The Drag.
Future extensions to the line would feature stations at Tech Ridge, Parmer, Braker, Rundberg, William Cannon, and Slaughter.
Stations
Stations are listed north to south.
Station name Parking Rail connections Bus connections Nearby points of interestNorth Lamar Transit CenterYesCapMetro Rapid 801CapMetro Bus 1, 323, 350, 383Anderson Square Shopping CenterNoCapMetro Rapid 801CapMetro Bus 1, 7, 300, 324, 350Crestview station, Midtown Commons, Texas DPS Credit Union, Black Star Co-opKoenig CapMetro Rapid 801CapMetro Bus 1, 337 Texas Department of Public Safety, Texas Highway Patrol, McCallum High SchoolTriangleYes CapMetro Rapid 801CapMetro Bus 1, 345, 656, 990Hyde Park, The Triangle, Texas Facilities Commission, UT Intramural Fields, UT Microfarm, The Triangle ParkHyde Park CapMetro Rapid 801, 803CapMetro Bus 1, 3, 19, 335Hyde Park, Austin State Hospital, Central Market, Heart Hospital of AustinHemphill Park CapMetro Bus 1, 3, 19, 642University of Texas at Austin, Phi Gamma Delta, Scottish Rite DormitoryUT/West Mall CapMetro Rapid 801, 803CapMetro Bus 1, 3, 19, 20, 105, 640, 982, 990University of Texas at Austin, Peter T. Flawn Academic Center, Goldsmith Hall, Sutton Hall, Battle Hall, Parlin Hall, Rainey Hall, Harry Ransom CenterGovernment Center / Capitol WestCapMetro Rapid 801, 803CapMetro Bus 1, 3, 19, 20, 105, 985Wooldridge Square Park, Austin Public Library, Travis County Civil Courthouse, Texas State Capitol, Travis County Adult Probation, Texas Alliance of Child and Family ServicesRepublic Square CapMetro Rapid 801, 803, Gold LineCapMetro Bus 105, 111, 171, 980, 981, 985 City Hall, Republic Square, Sixth Street, Texas State Board of Nursing, United States Federal CourtAuditorium Shores CapMetro Rapid 801, Gold LineCapMetro Bus 1, 7, 20, 142, 935Auditorium Shores, Lady Bird Lake, Long Center for the Performing Arts SoCo CapMetro Rapid 801, Gold LineCapMetro Bus 1South Congress, Texas School for the DeafOltorf CapMetro Rapid 801, Gold LineCapMetro Bus 1, 300South Congress H-E-B, St. Ignatius Martyr School, William B. Travis High SchoolSt. Edward's CapMetro Rapid 801, Gold LineCapMetro Bus 1Saint Edward's UniversitySouth Congress Transit CenterYes CapMetro Rapid 801, Gold LineCapMetro Bus 1, 310, 315St David's South Hospital, St. Elmo DistrictStassney CapMetro Rapid 801, Gold LineCapMetro Bus 1, 311Williamson Creek Greenbelt
References
External links Map and fact sheet A Fact sheet B