Real-Time Ride Along: MAX Blue Line

Ride MAX Blue Line in real-time with this operator's perspective video.
MAX Blue Line is a 33-mile light rail line in Portland, Oregon that was constructed in two segments. The first segment, between Downtown Portland and Gresham, opened in 1986. The second segment, which extended the line to Hillsboro, opened in 1998.
More: trimet.org/sche...

[@railway197240]

I'm Japanese. I used to ride Trimet's LRV a lot when I was a pilot at Hillsboro Aviation. My previous profession was a tram driver and a JR train driver, so I am very interested in these videos of drivers view. I've been waiting for such an official video for a long time. Thanks, Trimet!

[@stuartadamsrailfanningvideos]

I'm a volunteer Motorman and Conductor on the Willamette Shore Trolley (WST) in Lake Oswego, Oregon, USA. Visit our website at: www.wst.oregontrolley.com/

[@VeryWetPaint]

When I drive my MINI convertible near Hillsboro Aviation, friendly pilots often wave to me. If you are one of those pilots, thank you for the wave. In return, please accept this friendly wave from me!👋

[@Lanes100]

I love the train system in Japan. JR is great. I know it isn't always perfect, but Trimet is the closest you're gonna get in the US.

[@ironwolfosiris]

@@Lanes100 Yeah, we got many good rail systems in the US but only a few are top tier. Portland, Seattle (once it gets finished at least), and I loved the rail system of Chicago a lot.

[@mushroomsteve]

@@ironwolfosiris New Jersey Transit is also excellent. 110 mph top speed.

[@TheLewistownTrainspotter8102]

Station time stamps: 0:00 Cleveland Avenue 1:17 Gresham Central 3:05 Gresham City Hall 4:25 Civic Drive 6:46 Ruby Junction 8:48 Rockwood / East 188th Avenue 10:14 East 181st Avenue 11:55 East 172nd Avenue 13:50 East 162nd Avenue 15:44 East 148th Avenue 18:59 East 122nd Avenue 21:37 East 102nd Avenue 23:39 Leaving Burnside Avenue 24:03 Merge with Green Line 25:00 Merge with Red Line 25:24 Gateway Transit Center 28:22 Northeast 82nd Avenue 31:00 Northeast 60th Avenue 33:00 Hollywood / Northeast 42nd Avenue 36:00 Lloyd Center / Northeast 11th Avenue 37:45 Northeast 7th Avenue 38:30 Junctions with Portland Streetcar A and B Loops 39:00 Convention Center 40:32 Rose Quarter Transit Center 41:58 Junction with Yellow Line 42:22 Steel Bridge 43:32 Yellow and Green Line diverge to Portland Transit Mall 44:11 Old Town/Chinatown 45:13 Skidmore Fountain 47:10 Oak Street / Southwest 1st Avenue 49:33 Morrison / Southwest 3rd Avenue 50:56 Former site of Mall / Southwest 5th Avenue 51:07 Crossing with southbound Orange and Green Line track 51:21 Crossing northbound Yellow and Green Line track 51:24 Pioneer Square North 55:40 Galleria / Southwest 10th Avenue 57:14 Crossing southbound Portland Streetcar / entrance to 11th Avenue storage tracks 58:34 Providence Park 1:00:17 Kings Hill / Southwest Salmon 1:01:23 Goose Hollow / Southwest Jefferson Street 1:02:46 Entrance to Robertson Tunnel 1:03:13 Washington Park 1:03:52 West entrance to Robertson Tunnel 1:06:00 Sunset Transit Center 1:10:38 Beaverton Transit Center 1:12:10 Beaverton Central 1:14:33 Millikan Way 1:16:10 Beaverton Creek 1:17:30 Merlo Road / Southwest 158th Avenue 1:18:44 Elmonica Shops 1:19:20 Elomonica / Southwest 170th Avenue 1:22:30 Willow Creek / Southwest 185th Avenue 1:24:38 Quatama 1:27:03 Orenco 1:29:11 Hawthorn Farm 1:30:50 Fair Complex / Hillsboro Airport 1:33:40 Washington / SE 12th Avenue 1:35:23 Tuality Hospital / SE 8th Avenue 1:37:07 Hillsboro Central / SE 3rd Avenue Transit Center 1:39:10 Hatfield Government Center

[@cat9083]

First

[@pcmomof6]

Second

[@stuartadamsrailfanningvideos]

Third

[@ferris-fam]

Forth

[@josephfoxreno5353]

Fifth

[@bnuyguy123]

I mistakenly gave up Portland for a car-centric hellhole of a city on the east coast. Watching this video is bringing tears to my transit-loving eyes.

[@graciegjj]

I'm torn because I have a car now and I absolutely love it... Sometimes I like just chilling and spending time in it and being alone... But I don't live in Portland anymore... But I miss Portland and Oregon in general. I miss the really good public transportation Portland has. I suppose I would keep my car if I ever came back but Portland is awesome because no matter what you can get around with ease.

[@bnuyguy123]

@@graciegjj heck yeah

[@LuluLulu-jw9fi]

Cars are the best easy way to go. You control. Max can break , you can be killed, etc. Not in a car. Max is plan b o ly

[@bnuyguy123]

@@LuluLulu-jw9fi what? You can’t even type lmao

[@yhat429]

​@LuluLulu-jw9fi you are a lot more likely to die in a car crash than to be killed by someone on public transportation

[@luispatron8380]

Oh dear Trimet, I love you and I miss you

[@yesec9]

The Blue Line is basically the workhorse of the MAX light rail network. I've ridden it before, and I like how fast it moves in many sections. Its routing and efficiency unsurprisingly make it by far Tri-Met's busiest transit line.

[@jayrainly2689]

How to get licensed for driving the max?

[@owen5704]

In the priority seating area, you are required to move for seniors and people with disabilities. En el área de asientos prioritarios, debe moverse para personas mayores y personas con discapacidades.

[@brickalienproductions155]

LOL I always love that innercom lol

[@ricomon35]

Puertas, a la izquierda ;)

[@davidwillem-herrera779]

Raise your hand if you were here solely for the tunnel and deeply disappointed by the slight exaggeration 🙋

[@Seawiz21]

Next time show the tunnel run. We all want to see the tunnel run.

[@gigatheprotogen]

I know way too much about trains lol, planning on moving to Portland soon. In this video I learned; What the speed limit signs look like, what the next speed limit indicator signs look like, what the stop markers look like, and that they use 2 aspect tram signals for basically the entire line.

[@graciegjj]

You're ready for your degree

[@richard7crowley]

0:00:00 Cleveland Ave. East end of Blue Line in Gresham, westbound 0:00:25 Crossover from eastbound side to westbound side 0:01:17 Gresham Central Transit Center 0:03:06 Gresham City Hall 0:04:23 Civic Dr. 0:06:52 Ruby Junction / E 197th 0:08:47 Ruckwood / E 188th 0:10:26 E 181st 0:12:02 E 172nd 0:13:52 E 162nd 0:15:47 E 148th 0:19:05 E 122nd 0:21:42 E 102nd 0:23:42 Turn right northbound along Interstate 205 0:25:28 Gateway / NE 99th Transit Center 0:26:38 Turn left westbound along Interstate 84 0:28:21 NE 82nd 0:31:04 NE 60th 0:33:01 Hollywood Transit Center 0:36:05 Lloyd Center / NE 11th 0:37:48 NE 7th 0:39:00 Convention Center 0:40:28 Rose Quarter Transit Center 0:42:32 Westbound across Willamette River on the Steel Bridge 0:43:34 Turn left southbound onto 1st Street 0:44:13 Old Town Chinatown 0:45:15 Skidmore Fountain 0:47:08 Oak / SW 1st 0:48:55 Turn right, westbound onto Morrison St. 0:51:22 Pioneer Square N 0:55:38 Galleria SW 10th 0:57:42 Bridge over Interstate 405 0:58:38 Providence Park / 18th 0:59:39 Left turn southbound onto 18th Ave. 1:00:24 King's Hill / SW Salmon (closed) 1:0107 Right turn westbound onto SW Jefferson St. 1:01:19 Goose Hollow SW Jefferson 1:03:02 Entering Robertson Tunnel 1:03:16 Washington Park - Deepest transit station in USA 1:03:52 Emerge from Robertson Tunnel, southbound along OR Hwy 26 1:06:04 Sunset Transit Center 1:06:50 Tunnel under Oregon Hwy 26 "Sunset Highway" 1:06:55 Left turn southbound along OR Hwy 217 1:09:30 Right turn westbound through Beaverton 1:10:32 Beaverton Transit Center 1:12:12 Beaverton Central 1:14:33 Millikan Way - Tektronix Campus 1:16:09 Beaverton Creek 1:17:35 Merlo / SW 158th 1:19:20 Elmonica / SW 170th 1:22:35 Willow Creek / SW 185th Transit Center 1:24:38 Quatma 1:27:03 Orenco 1:29:11 Hawthorn Farm - Intel HF Campus 1:30:50 Fair Complex / Hillsboro Airport 1:33:42 Washington / SE 12th 1:35:24 Tuality Hospital / SE 8th 1:37:02 Hillsboro Central / SE 3rd Transit Center 1:39:20 Hatfield Government Center West end of Blue Line in Hillsboro

[@graciegjj]

Thanks for the reconnaissance

[@gabek3697]

Aw I wanted to see the Robertson tunnel :(

[@beavermuffin]

They can’t. For security reason, it had to be censored.

[@jfitzpa503]

There are other videos on KZbin that show the tunnel.

[@benfryback9878]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/oWKbm2ZqppZliLs

[@Cupertinorail]

What's wrong with Joke Tunnel? You should be yelling like you are riding a roller coaster

[@Trainlover1995]

@@beavermuffin Security reasons? What, is the government storing something down there? EDIT: Okay, I just found out that there is a reason. DHS is paranoid that anyone taking pictures in the tunnel could be conducting photo recon for a terrorist attack to collapse the tunnels. How or why any terrorist group would do that, I have no idea.

[@mbclev]

Nice way of marking the construction zone west of Elmonica station (a yellow board marks its beginning, and a green board signals the end).

[@JustReed]

After 25 years in Portland. Lots of memories riding MAX. Now living in Maryland.

[@OliversElevators]

Does anyone know why they didn’t show any of the tunnel? It seems quite peculiar.

[@richard7crowley]

It is a rather long ride in complete darkness. Nothing to see here, move along.

[@waterskippers]

@@richard7crowley I haven't ridden it in a while, but it used to be lit inside.

[@ferris-fam]

@@waterskippers it’s lit

[@Trainlover1995]

The DHS believes any photography within the tunnel could be photo reconnaissance for a terrorist attack. Yes, they are THAT paranoid.

[@oregonpaul3752]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/oWKbm2ZqppZliLs

[@bobbieswanson9480]

Trimet could you do one on the red line as well.

[@TheLewistownTrainspotter8102]

I think that might be a ways off since there's construction work on the Red Line at the airport.

[@ivanleterror9158]

I live in Portland and have many many miles on Max. But the difference from the cab is amazing. Almost looks like a different city.

[@ricomon35]

Too bad this was done during lockdown. City look s like a ghosttown :(

[@waterskippers]

Why did you skip the tunnel? The tunnel is the best part.

[@Trainlover1995]

Photography inside the Washington Park Tunnel is STRICTLY prohibited (outside of the station) because the Department of Homeland Security thinks ANY photography inside the tunnel could be used by terrorists planning to cave the tunnel in with explosives.

[@DannyManny98]

This video is actually going westbound

[@MrSquareart]

Nice video!

[@Sumguy21]

yes it is like this

[@BalooUriza]

Wow, Portland flat out died if that was morning rush hour.

[@JETZcorp]

Oh yeah in early-mid 2020, it was a ghost town. I decided to go the beach one day, and didn't think about the fact that it was 5:30pm on a Friday until I was doing 70mph over Fremont Bridge. It was surreal. Emphasis on "was".

[@gigatheprotogen]

lol

[@jg-7780]

57:13 What's that area to the left for? Overnight layovers? Turnarounds during service disruptions?

[@ferris-fam]

From 1986-1997 the Max blue line ended here then the Max red line ended here from 2001-2003 then the Max yellow line ended here from 2004-2009

[@noahmizrahi9834]

what a large transit network, the city must cover a huge area. i dont know of any city that takes two hours to get from one place to the other end

[@JETZcorp]

Looking at it on my phone right now, Gresham Transit Center to Hillsboro Transit Center takes 1hr39min via the MAX light rail (seems to match the video pretty well!), or just 45min via car. And that's point-to-point at train stations that aren't very close to freeways. The city isn't that big, our light rail is just very slow. Our transit ridership is okay for an American city, but VERY small given how extensive the light rail network is. It's not uncommon at all for other cities to have half the rail network and double the passengers.

[@compdude100]

@@JETZcorp Yeah, Seattle's Link light rail system is a lot better because, ironically, it's being built more like a metro/subway line than a light rail. So in other words, it's better because it's not a typical light rail lol.

[@Cupertinorail]

Way to go with Joke Tunnel

[@simonsv9449]

Imagine working in Hillsboro and living in Gresham. Having to travel with Light Rail for one and a half hour every day lol.

[@simonsv9449]

32:15, oh my god! Didn’t know an LRT could go so fast!

[@EvrenLife]

What is the maximum speed of this line?

[@oregonpaul3752]

55. I clocked it using the mileposts doing 56.25 mph at 35:00

[@MrGhettistory]

If I may, I've watched other transit systems, & they all had their stations labeled. If you're gonna renew, that would be my suggestion if you please. Thanx

[@frankswecker8230]

Nice tram system 😊

[@sandratorres8940]

I like MAX I will ride it in this summer

[@ferris-fam]

Yes!!!!!

[@coloradocrone]

It feels like Scandinavian. 🌲

[@ferris-fam]

Give me red.

[@kibaanazuka332]

Blue line is basically one long interurban line

[@Galastin]

I'm confused, where are the signals for the interlockings? How do they know how the switches are aligned?

[@red_transitx]

There’s simply no need for signals at interlockings because there are indicators near switchs that tell the drivers that the switches are aligned

[@ovrxpsd]

@@red_transitx In houston, we have signals at the interlockings showing the switch alignment as well as the indicators near the switches.

[@cynthiabarnwell1229]

There are signals at interlockings. Theyjustaren't always visible to cameras

[@mistystraight1746]

How come you guys haven't made a MAX red line video?

[@hobog]

The rose quarter speed bottleneck is frustrating for the whole system Hillsboro would benefit from densifying even more along its MAX stations

[@ferris-fam]

Rad line pls?

[@simonsv9449]

In some parts of the, the MAX Light Rail feels like a commuter rail. For example at 2:52.

[@Simonsprunkiyoutube]

Guys what model is this because I almost recognized that bell.

[@woofplays]

based on the shadows and the fact that the top lamp goes over top of the rest of the train I believe type 1? if not then type 2 or 3. NOT type 4 or 5

[@kp0224]

Siemens or somthing

[@NotTheCubicWorld]

You're both right! It's a type 1 built by Bombardier but it doesn't have its og bell (like you can hear on the other train at 10:47). This unit was retrofit with a Siemens bell at some point. They used this e-bell on many of their models, so we can't really narrow it down further than that.

[@tiffanykistler1480]

I love it ❤

[@baronlocal8569]

33:52 ROAD above rail 12:11 No smoking indicator !? I saw, a woman who smoked in the station ?! So probably, the ban is not respected, smokers are not fined too much !? However, in Eastern Europe, smoking bans on bus stations will probably not occur for more than 100 years. There are many women, many young women and men who smoke in bus and tram stations every day. They enter trams, trolleybuses, etc. with smoke on their clothes, sometimes in their lungs, expectorating inside, the last cigarette smoke absorbed before entering. Indicator fumatul interzis!? Am vazut , o femeie care fuma in statie anterior ?! Deci probabil , nu se respecta interdictia , nu se prea dau amenzi fumatoarelor !? Oricum in Europa de est probabil nici peste 100 ani nu vor aparea interdictii de fumat in statii de autobuz . Sunt zilnic multe femei multe tinere si barbati care fumeaza in statii de autobuz , tramvai . Ei intra in tramvaie , troleibuze etccu fum pe haine , uneori si in plamani , expectorand inauntru , ultimul fum de tigara absorbit inainte de a intra ..

[@ferris-fam]

Red line!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@ashtonhanks5836]

It looks like the fastest San Diego blue line MTS trolley to utc mall

[@red_transitx]

I like it, but why you have to censor the Robertson Tunnel part? I would like in the red line ride along

[@beavermuffin]

For security reason, they had to censor it.

[@Sumguy21]

@@beavermuffin what security reasons

[@benfryback9878]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/oWKbm2ZqppZliLs

[@Cupertinorail]

There are no security reasons or censoring, Trimet just thought it would be cool for them to show Joke Tunnel instead

[@Trainlover1995]

@@Cupertinorail No, there actually are security reasons. The Department of Homeland Security apparently thinks the tunnel is vulnerable to terrorists, and thus has banned all photography inside the tunnel outside the Washington Park station (and even then, you could get hassled by TriMet security).

[@ES-hr6vg]

Portland’s finest at 46:00.

[@clb8645]

Lost her stick, but scored more blue bags of garbage. I feel bad for her, I wonder how her life turned out that way.

[@DahlPalm]

Yep t t series

[@unknown-pz4pq]

Find a state trooper lol

[@hiboisssss]

if you think about it people along this track got doxxed

[@graciegjj]

Why just because their on camera?

[@hiboisssss]

@graciegjj well no, its because it goes by alot of houses especially coming into hillsboro

[@graciegjj]

@@hiboisssss it's nothing really. It's on Google too. The world we live in.