The Copper Line is a new East County Connector Trolley to serve stations between El Cajon Transit Center and Santee Town Center. The Copper Line will serve each station every 15 minutes most of the day and run from approximately 5:00 a.m. – 11:00 p.m. every day. The Copper Line (East County Connector) service will replace the existing Green and Orange Line Trolley Service north of El Cajon Transit Center. Riders traveling north of El Cajon will transfer to the Copper Line at the El Cajon Transit Center (where both the Green and Orange Line will stop service).
The Copper Line will start on September 29, 2024.
Copper Line Rider Appreciation Event
- Date: Monday, September 30, 2024
- Time: 6:00 a.m. – 8:00 a.m.
Celebrate the first weekday of Copper Line service with MTS at the El Cajon Transit Center on Monday, September 30, 2024 from 6:00 a.m. – 8:00 a.m. Stop by the MTS booth during your transfer to get a free donut, coffee, and either a Copper Line mug or collector’s pin.
Why Make a Change?
The Copper Line will improve the reliability of the Green and Orange Lines, not just in East County, but throughout the system. Benefits of the Copper Line include:
- Service Reliability: Discontinuing Orange and Green Line Trolley service east of El Cajon Transit Center and implementing the Copper Line will allow for greater reliability on the Green Line, preventing trips from turning around at Gillespie Field on an unscheduled basis. In addition, it's expected that overall, on-time performance would improve, meaning riders have more reliable transfer times, and fewer delays.
- Extended Green Line Trips: Green Line Trolley frequency will be increased to East County later at night, and all Sunday trips will terminate at El Cajon Transit Center instead of half the trips stopping short at the SDSU Transit Center.
- Traffic Stop Improvements: MTS will operate one- or two-car trains on the Copper Line, rather than three-car trains. This will reduce the wait times and lessen traffic at the Mission Gorge Road and Cuyamaca Street intersection.
Copper Line at a Glance
- Stations served:
- El Cajon Transit Center
- Arnele Trolley Station
- Gillespie Field
- Santee Trolley Station
- Operating hours: Approximately 5:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m.
- Service frequency: Every 15 minutes most of the day
- Operated by a one- or two-car Trolley
- Start date: September 29, 2024
Effective September 29, 2024
Background
When the Trolley tracks were constructed between Gillespie Field Trolley Station and Santee Town Center, a single track was installed along Cuyamaca Street. The single track, which only allows one direction of Trolley service at a time, along with the traffic signal at the intersection of Mission Gorge Road and Cuyamaca Street, results in delays with Green Line Trolleys. These delays often impact Orange Line Trolley service as well, and cause riders to miss bus and Trolley transfers further west. To reduce these impacts, Green Line Trolleys are often unable to complete their route to Santee and are turned around at Gillespie Field at least once a day.
The Copper Line is an effort to increase reliability and on-time performance for the Orange and Green Lines. Approximately 8% of current riders on the Orange and Green Lines are expected to now make a transfer to/from the Copper Line.