MATA Trolley

MATA Trolley
Former Porto trolley on the Main Street line in 2002 or 2003; its trolley pole was replaced by a pantograph soon after.
Operation
LocaleMemphis, Tennessee
OpenApril 29, 1993 (1993-04-29)[1][2]
StatusOperational
Routes3 (2 temporarily suspended, i.e. bus-operated)[3][4]
Operator(s)Memphis Area Transit Authority (MATA)
Infrastructure
Track gauge4 ft 8+12 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Propulsion system(s)Electric
ElectrificationOverhead line600 V DC[2]
Statistics
Track length (total)10 mi (16.1 km)[1]
Route length6.3 mi (10.1 km)[citation needed]
Stops25
Annual ridership365,400 (2023)[5]
Websitehttps://www.matatransit.com/trolley/routes/ matatransit.com/services/trolleys

The MATA Trolley is a heritage streetcar transit system operating in Memphis, Tennessee. It began operating on April 29, 1993.[1] Service was suspended in June 2014, following fires on two cars.[6] After nearly four years and repeated postponements, the reopening of the Main Street Line took place on April 30, 2018.[7] The system's two other lines remained suspended as of December 2022, but with reopening of both planned.[4] In 2023, the system had a ridership of 365,400.

The last line of Memphis’ original streetcar network closed on June 15, 1947.[2]

Since opening the system has been extended twice and by 2004 consisted of three lines, operated by the Memphis Area Transit Authority (MATA). These lines are the Main Street Line, the Riverfront Loop and the Madison Avenue Line; however, service on the last two lines remains indefinitely suspended in December 2022.[4] In the 2011–12 fiscal year, 1.34 million trips were made on the system, a 23.1% year-on-year growth – the highest of any light rail system in the contiguous United States.[8]

  1. ^ a b c "MATA – Memphis Area Transit Authority – Trolley History". Memphis Area Transit Authority. 2016. Archived from the original on June 25, 2018. Retrieved January 31, 2023.
  2. ^ a b c Cite error: The named reference PTJ-Nov93 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Flyer Staff (May 5, 2021). "The ?s Issue: You had questions. We found answers. – Will the trolleys ever return to the Riverfront Loop or Madison Avenue?". Memphis Flyer. Archived from the original on May 6, 2021. Retrieved July 5, 2021.
  4. ^ a b c Reals, Steffen (December 1, 2022). "Memphians eagerly waiting for trolleys to return to the Madison and Riverfront lines". WATN-TV. Archived from the original on December 2, 2022. Retrieved January 31, 2023.
  5. ^ "Transit Ridership Report Fourth Quarter 2023" (PDF). American Public Transportation Association. March 4, 2024. Retrieved March 14, 2024.
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference suspension was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ Dries, Bill (April 30, 2018). "Trolleys Return to Main Street". The Daily News. The Daily News Publishing Co. Inc. Retrieved May 1, 2018.
  8. ^ Charlier, Tom (November 4, 2012). "Memphis trolleys lead nation in light-rail passenger growth". The Commercial Appeal. Retrieved March 18, 2013.

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