UC San Diego Central Campus (San Diego Trolley Blue Line)

UC San Diego Central Campus is an elevated Blue Line station, primarily designed to service pedestrians going to and from this University. This means the trolley station’s exit leads down to what are small campus streets, and not any main roads.

The elevated structure contains two side platforms for the two-track line that are divided by a fence between the tracks. At the station the line passes over a small canyon of sorts that makes the elevated structure feel impressively off the ground, as the railroad takes a straight shot on a viaduct, with the topography below quite varied. Each platform contains two brown shelter structures, and pedestrian grade crossings at each end of the platforms.

Both of the station’s exits are at the northern (UTC-bound) end of both platforms. From the UTC-bound platform is a wide staircase, from the San Ysidro-bound platform is a wide staircase and a glass elevator structure containing two elevators (this station, of the new Blue Line stations requiring elevator access has the fewest number of elevators, the rest of the stations have at least 3, great for redundancy!). These lead down to a plaza just off of Innovation Lane, a low traffic street that shortly ends at the Matthews (student) Apartments just south of the station, north of the station are some new university buildings including the Design & Innovation building that is the closest to the trolley station and opened around the same time as the trolley.

The southern end of the San Ysidro-bound platform has an emergency exit staircase that is super long and impressive looking as it goes down to the small canyon below.
Photos 1-25: July 25, 2022

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Stepping off a UTC-bound train

S70 #5040 wrapped in a Trolley to UTC livery (not all stations are on the stip map at the bottom of the car from San Ysidro/International border to UTC

Another view of S70 #5040 wrapped in a Trolley to UTC livery

S70 #5031 brings up the rear of a 3 car Blue Line train, all cars not wrapped with outside advertising (just one for the new extension) in the traditional and distinctive trolley red

S70 #5031 brings up the rear of a UTC-bound train

A northbound UTC-bound train leaves the elevated UC San Diego Central Campus station

The station was built by a couple of vacant spaces on campus that will probably soon be developed (assuming higher education doesn't collapse)

Starting down the staircase to leave the UTC-bound platform and the hilly topography beneath

Approaching the station's entrance plaza

Heading down to street level from the UTC-bound platform

Entrance to UC San Diego Central Campus Station beneath the elevated structure

The glass elevator structure provides a contrast to the concrete elevated structure

The single glass elevator structure that contains two elevators for platform access (San Diego: Great redundancy)

The elevator structure at street level up to the elevated platforms

A Pronto machine at street level before the wide entrance staircase to the San Ysidro-bound platform

The wide entrance staircase to the San Ysidro-bound platform

The wide entrance staircase to the San Ysidro-bound platform and elevator to the very end of the platform beyond

Looking down to the impressive looking emergency exit staircase at the southern end of the platform

Looking out under the station platform who's elevation off the ground changes depending upon the topography below

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