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 were 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.

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.
StationDate openedNeighborhoodMajor connections and notes
January 27, 2024Metro Phoenix BRT
Park and ride: 263 spaces
January 27, 2024Rose Mofford
January 27, 2024Rose Mofford
Mar 19, 2016Rose MoffordPark and rideː 415
Mar 19, 2016Sunny High
Mar 19, 2016Glen-
Dec 27, 2008ChristownPark and rideː 794
Dec 27, 2008CordovaPark and rideː 410
Dec 27, 2008UptownPark and rideː 123
Dec 27, 2008UptownPark and rideː 135
Dec 27, 2008Uptown
Dec 27, 2008Uptown
Dec 27, 2008Midtown-
Dec 27, 2008Midtown
Dec 27, 2008Midtown
Dec 27, 2008Downtown
Dec 27, 2008Downtown
Van Buren/1st Avenue 'Dec 27, 2008Downtown
Van Buren/Central Avenue 'Dec 27, 2008Downtown Phoenix BRT
Washington/Central Avenue 'Dec 27, 2008Downtown
Downtown Phoenix HubDec 27, 2008Downtown
Lincoln/1st Avenue 'June 7, 2025Downtown
Lincoln/Central Avenue June 7, 2025Downtown
June 7, 2025Lowell
June 7, 2025Lowell-
June 7, 2025Sunland-
June 7, 2025Sunland-
June 7, 2025SunlandHope
June 7, 2025Park and rideː 110Hope

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 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. Construction began in 2019 and was completed in 2025, with the extension opening on June 7 the same year.