MATA Trolley
The MATA Trolley is a heritage streetcar transit system operating in Memphis, Tennessee. It began operating on April 29, 1993. Service was suspended in June 2014, following fires on two cars. After nearly four years and repeated postponements, the reopening of the Main Street Line took place on April 30, 2018. The system's two other lines remained suspended as of December 2022, but with reopening of both planned. In 2022, the system had a ridership of 346,700.
| 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 | |
| Locale | Memphis, Tennessee |
| Open | April 29, 1993 |
| Status | Operational |
| Routes | 3 (2 temporarily suspended, i.e. bus-operated) |
| Operator(s) | Memphis Area Transit Authority (MATA) |
| Infrastructure | |
| Track gauge | 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge |
| Propulsion system(s) | Electric |
| Electrification | Overhead line, 600 V DC |
| Statistics | |
| Track length (total) | 10 mi (16.1 km) |
| Route length | 6.3 mi (10.1 km) |
| Stops | 25 |
| Annual ridership | 346,700 (2022) |
| Website | https://www.matatransit.com/trolley/routes/ matatransit.com/services/trolleys |
The last line of Memphis’ original streetcar network closed on June 15, 1947.
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. 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.