Buffalo Metro Rail is the public transit rail system in Buffalo, New York, operated by the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority (NFTA). The system consists of a single, 6.4-mile-long (10.3 km) light rail line that runs for most of the length of Main Street from KeyBank Center in Canalside to the south campus of the University at Buffalo in the northeast corner of the city. The first section of the line opened in October 1984; the current system was completed in November 1986. In 2023, the system had a ridership of 2,433,300, or about 6,600 per weekday as of the fourth quarter of 2023.
Two typical trains at Fountain Plaza station
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Image: Interior of a Buffalo Metro Rail LRV (2015)
1975 "Projected rail transit route alignment"
Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority
The Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority (NFTA) is the public agency responsible for operating most public transportation services in the Buffalo–Niagara Falls metropolitan area. The NFTA, as an authority, oversees a number of subsidiaries, including the NFTA Metro bus and rail system, the Buffalo-Niagara International Airport, the Niagara Falls International Airport and NFTA Small Boat Harbor. The NFTA Metro bus and rail system is a multi-modal agency, utilizing various vehicle modes, using the brand names: NFTA Metro Bus, NFTA Metro Rail, NFTA Metrolink and NFTA PAL. In 2023, the system had a ridership of 15,429,900, or about 53,600 per weekday as of the fourth quarter of 2023.
Image: NFTA Gillig T40 number 1101 2011 04 30
Image: Buffalo light rail train laying over at Erie Canal Harbor station (2015)
1975 logo of NFTA
1974 Holiday bus