In December 2011, the Federal Transit Administration announced that CATS was awarded an $18 million Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery III (TIGER III) grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation for capacity enhancements along the LYNX Blue Line light rail line (TIGER III application).

This project, called the Blue Line Capacity Expansion Project, will upgrade the capacity of the LYNX Blue Line Light Rail Line to meet current and future ridership demand. The Blue Line Capacity Expansion Project will incrementally provide the ability to operate three-car trains at increased frequencies. These improvements will lengthen the existing light rail station platforms to accept three-car trains, and add power supply substations to operate longer, more frequent, trains.

Design for the project is expected to begin in 2012, with construction starting in 2014.