The **B Line**, named the Red Line from 1993–2020, is a rapid transit line part of the Los Angeles Metro Rail system. It opened on January 30, 1993, and was fully completed on June 24, 2000, with 14 stations. The B Line is completely underground, and it has stations in the San Fernando Valley, Central Los Angeles, and Downtown Los Angeles. The line is one of the two rapid transit lines (along with the D Line) in Los Angeles. The two lines share tracks between Downtown Los Angeles and Koreatown.

History
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### Early plans

The B Line (formally the Red Line) was part of a plan to connect Downtown Los Angeles with a rapid transit line to central and western portions of Los Angeles. Early plans in the 1980s had the line traveling west along Wilshire Boulevard and then north to the San Fernando Valley using Fairfax Avenue. Many residents who lived near the proposed line did not like the plan.

In 1985, a methane explosion occurred at a Ross Dress for Less clothing store near Fairfax Avenue. Although the explosion was unrelated to the line, the area became a "methane zone". This stopped any plan for a rapid transit line to travel on Fairfax Avenue.

Los Angeles Metro staff decided to reroute the Red Line after the incident. The line changed from traveling north on Vermont Avenue instead of Fairfax. The route on Vermont was originally going to be above ground. It was changed to underground due to complaints from nearby businesses, hospitals, and media studios in Hollywood. 

Crowds of people are getting on and off on a train stopped at a underground stationOpening day of the Red Line extension to Wilshire/Western station (July 1996)
### Construction and opening

The project was built in four phases. Construction started on the first phase (MOS-1) of the Red Line on September 29, 1986. The first phase went from Union Station in Downtown Los Angeles to Westlake/MacArthur Park station. It opened on January 30, 1993. The second phase (MOS-2A) went from Westlake/MacArthur Park station to Wilshire/Western station in Koreatown. That expansion started service in 1996.

The third phase (MOS-2B) continued to extend the line from Wilshire/Vermont to the Hollywood/Vine station. However, some serious problems occurred during the construction of that phase. A sinkhole formed in the ground on Hollywood Boulevard. This nearly hurt many workers and damaged some buildings on the street. This problem stopped construction until experts could decide how to fix it. MOS-2B eventually opened in 1999.

The project's fourth phase (MOS-3) completed the rapid transit line from Hollywood/Highland to North Hollywood station. It opened on June 24, 2000. This phase required tunneling underneath the Santa Monica Mountains. Metro had plans to extend the line further, but those plans were canceled. The people of Los Angeles voted in 1998 for the city to stop using more taxes for subway tunneling. This stopped new rapid transit line construction in Los Angeles. Those plans were replaced with new light rail lines and busways. Overall, the construction of the current Red Line cost $4.5 billion.

Once the line was complete, trains started running on two routes. Union Station to Wilshire/Western and Union Station to North Hollywood. To clarify, the trains that went to Union Station and Wilshire/Western were given a new name, the Purple Line, in 2006. In 2020, the Red Line was renamed to the B Line, and the Purple Line became the D Line.

Operations
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Inside a Breda A650 car used on the Metro B and D Lines
The B Line begins service daily at 4:30 a.m. and ends around midnight. During the day, trains are scheduled to come every 12 minutes. In the early mornings and late nights, trains are scheduled to come every 20 minutes.

The rolling stock (trains) used on the B (and D) Line are called the **Breda A650.** Metro operates those trains with six cars during rush hours and four cars at other times. The B Line operates out of the Division 20 Yard (Santa Fe Yard). This yard also stores and gives maintenance to the trains. The yard is located east of Union Station.

Route and stations
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Entrance to the B Line rapid transit train at North Hollywood station
The B Line stops at 14 stations from Union Station to North Hollywood. All stations are underground. The line's northern station is North Hollywood station in the San Fernando Valley. Heading towards Union Station, the line turns southeast and passes underneath the Santa Monica Mountains. When it reaches the Hollywood/Highland station, the line travels east underneath Hollywood Boulevard. At the intersection of Vermont and Hollywood, the line turns south under Vermont Avenue until it connects to the D Line's tracks at Wilshire/Vermont Station. B Line shares the same track and 6 stations with the D Line from Wilshire/Vermont to Union Station.

| Stations | Opened | Neighborhood | Connections |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| North Hollywood | June 24, 2000 | North Hollywood |  G Line |
| Universal City/Studio City | Studio City |  |
| Hollywood/Highland | Hollywood |  |
| Hollywood/Vine | June 12, 1999 |  |
| Hollywood/Western | East Hollywood |  |
| Vermont/Sunset |  |
| Vermont/Santa Monica |  |
| Vermont/Beverly |  |
| Wilshire/Vermont | July 13, 1996 | Mid-Wilshire/Koreatown |  D Line |
| Westlake/MacArthur Park | January 30, 1993 | Westlake |  D Line |
| 7th Street/Metro Center | Downtown Los Angeles |  A Line D Line E Line J Line |
| Pershing Square |  D Line |
| Civic Center/Grand Park |  D Line |
| Union Station |  A Line D Line J LineMetrolink (California) MetrolinkAmtrak Amtrak |