San Diego Trolley - History

History

Although electric rail service in San Diego traces its roots back to 1891 when John D. Spreckels incorporated the San Diego Electric Railway, today's operating company, San Diego Trolley Incorporated (SDTI), was not founded until 1980 when the Metropolitan Transit Development Board (now operating as MTS) began planning a light-rail service along the Main Line of the San Diego and Arizona Eastern Railway(SD&AE Railway), which had been purchased by MTDB from Southern Pacific Railroad in 1979. Service began on July 19, 1981, with revenue collection beginning on July 26, 1981. Trains at that time operated on a single line between Centre City or Downtown San Diego and San Ysidro, with stops in the cities of San Diego, National City, and Chula Vista.

In March 1986 SDTI opened an extension east from Centre City San Diego to Euclid Avenue, along the La Mesa Branch of the SD&AE Railway. Service was extended along the same line to Spring Street in May 1989 serving Lemon Grove and La Mesa, and again to El Cajon in June 1989. Service from El Cajon to Santee, which does not operate along the SD&AE right-of-way, began in August 1995.

The "Bayside" extension of the Trolley in Centre City San Diego opened in June 1990. The first phase of the Old Town extension, from C Street to Little Italy in Centre City San Diego, opened in July 1992. The second phase of that extension, running from Little Italy to Old Town, opened in June 1996.

The "Mission Valley West" SDTI extension from Old Town to Mission San Diego commenced in November 1997, and the "Mission Valley East" extension from Mission San Diego to La Mesa began operating in July 2005.