MATA Trolley

This article is about Memphis Area Transit Authority heritage streetcar. For the heritage streetcar in Dallas, Texas, see M-Line 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]
StatusSuspended[3]
Routes3 (of which two have been temporarily suspended, i.e. bus-operated, since 2014,[4][5] the third since August 2024)
Operator(s)Memphis Area Transit Authority (MATA)
Infrastructure
Track gauge4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Propulsion system(s)Electric
ElectrificationOverhead line, 600 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)[6]
Websitehttps://www.matatransit.com/trolley/routes/

The MATA Trolley is a heritage streetcar transit system in Memphis, Tennessee. It began operating on April 29, 1993.[1] Service was suspended in June 2014, following fires on two cars.[7] After nearly four years and repeated postponements, the reopening of the Main Street Line took place on April 30, 2018,[8] while the system's two other lines remained suspended (still as of 2024), but with reopening of both planned.[5][9] However, all service was suspended again in August 2024 in response to a recommendation by the state department of transportation after an issue arose with braking of the trolley cars.[3][10] 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 May 2024.[9] 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.[11]

  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. ^ a b "MATA suspends trolley service due to financial constraints after trolley brake issue". Mass Transit. August 20, 2024. ISSN 2150-413X. Archived from the original on August 28, 2024. Retrieved October 16, 2024.
  4. ^ 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.
  5. ^ a b 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.
  6. ^ "Transit Ridership Report Fourth Quarter 2023" (PDF). American Public Transportation Association. March 4, 2024. Retrieved September 5, 2024.
  7. ^ Cite error: The named reference suspension was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  8. ^ Dries, Bill (April 30, 2018). "Trolleys Return to Main Street". The Daily News. The Daily News Publishing Co. Inc. Archived from the original on May 2, 2018. Retrieved October 16, 2024.
  9. ^ a b Reals, Steffen (May 10, 2024). "After nearly a decade, Memphians look for answers as to why the Madison and Riverfront trolley lines have yet to return". WATN-TV. Retrieved October 16, 2024.
  10. ^ Williams, Imani (August 18, 2024). "Trolley operators fired after trolley service suspended". WMC-TV. Retrieved October 16, 2024.
  11. ^ Charlier, Tom (November 4, 2012). "Memphis trolleys lead nation in light-rail passenger growth". The Commercial Appeal. Retrieved March 18, 2013.