Arizona Rail Passenger Association

LRV 114B leads a westbound train out of the Tempe Transportation Center. Marc Pearsall photo

Opening weekend’s popularity is evident in this photo of METRO light rail in Tempe, Arizona. December 27-28, 2008 saw over 150,000 riders try out the new 20-mile train service linking Phoenix, Tempe and Mesa.

Here, LRV 114B leads a westbound train out of the Tempe Transportation Center, just steps from Arizona State University’s Sun Devil Stadium, which saw another 70,000 Kansas-Minnesota football fans crowding on and near the train for New Years Day’s Insight Bowl.

This portion of the METRO light rail is historic, as the mainline was build within the former “Creamery Branch” railroad right-of-way. Originally built through Tempe as a far flung-Santa Fe Railway subsidiary Phoenix & Eastern, the mainline from Phoenix to Tempe — and eventually Winkleman, Arizona — was turned over to Southern Pacific control in 1908. Downgraded over the years to a spur line known locally as “The Creamery Branch” due to the traffic generated by the still-standing 8th Street Dairy Creamery (Four Peaks Brewery today), the spur was abandoned by Union Pacific in 1997 when the Hayden Flour Mill in downtown Tempe closed.

METRO light rail bought the right of way in 2003 and the new Tempe Transportation Center was built upon the site of the original P&ERR depot! What is old is new again!