Beginning in the late 1980s, Governor of Maryland and former Baltimore mayor William Donald Schaefer pushed for a transit line along the plan's "North" and "South" corridors, motivated in part by a desire to establish a rail transit link to the new baseball park being built at Camden Yards for the Baltimore Orioles.

The initial system was a single 22.5-mile (36.2 km) line, all at-grade except for a bridge over the Middle Branch of the Patapsco River just south of downtown Baltimore.

[citation needed] However, they were at times dictated by politics rather planning: proposed stops in Ruxton, Riderwood, and Cross Keys were not built due to local opposition, while Mt.

Falls Road station was built with less parking than ridership required because community requests and a fence prevented riders from accessing a nearby commercial building.

On September 9, the line was extended north 4.5 miles (7.2 km) to Hunt Valley, adding five stations that served a major business park and a mall.

On July 10, 2019, part of the northbound platform at Convention Center station fell into a sinkhole caused by a broken water main.

[9] On December 7, 2023, MTA Maryland announced the system would shut down indefinitely after inspections revealed a fire hazard in the rolling stock.

[10] A free shuttle bus service connected Light Rail stations as repairs were made to the 53-car fleet.

Because there is significant overlap on these routes, most of the system sees 10-minute peak and 15-minute off-peak headways; stations in the downtown section between Mt.

[16] MTA fares are identical for the Metro SubwayLink, Light RailLink, and local buses: a one-way trip costs $2.00.

Maryland Transit Administration Police officers ride some trains and randomly check passengers to make sure that they are carrying a valid ticket or pass and can issue criminal citations for those without one.

Baltimore LRVs are larger than traditional streetcars and those used on San Francisco's Muni Metro or Boston's Green Line.

Trains are powered by 750 volt DC from overhead lines via a pantograph, and have a maximum speed of 60 miles per hour (97 km/h).

For weekday service, as well as days of Orioles games or events at the CFG Bank Arena or Baltimore Convention Center, trains going from Hunt Valley to Cromwell and BWI Airport are generally run with two cars, while three-car trains are put into service for Ravens games and major downtown events.

Five vehicles at a time were sent for rebuilding, involving testing, removal of all interior and exterior components and replacement with new propulsion systems.

[25] By 2021 the original order of ABB vehicles had their interiors upgrades with security cameras, LED lighting, and LCD screens that show the train's position along the line.

[30] In January 2016, plans were unveiled by Sagamore Development Company, owned by Under Armour CEO Kevin Plank, regarding the redevelopment of Port Covington in South Baltimore.

[31] The new plan for Port Covington calls for two proposed new light rail stations, along with new residential and commercial development.

[32] This proposed extension would create a new spur from the Central Light RailLink line by crossing the Middle Branch of the Patapsco River south of Interstate 95.

The Red Line was cancelled by Governor Larry Hogan, who had campaigned against it in the 2014 Maryland gubernatorial election, on June 25, 2015.

[35] Wes Moore, his successor, indicated his intention to revive it shortly after being elected, and formally announced the return of the project in a ceremony with Baltimore mayor Brandon Scott on June 15, 2023.