Twin City Rapid Transit Company

Twin City Rapid Transit
IndustryPublic transport
Founded1875
Defunct1970
FateStreetcar system dismantled completely in 1954, sold in 1970
SuccessorMetro Transit
HeadquartersMinneapolis-St. Paul
Key people
Thomas Lowry, Horace Lowry, Charles Green, Fred Ossanna, Carl Pohlad
Productsstreetcars, horse-drawn buggies, buses
Number of employees
1000 (estimated)
ParentTwin City Lines
SubsidiariesMinneapolis Street Railway Company, St. Paul City Railway Company, Minneapolis & St. Paul Suburban Railroad Company, Twin City Motor Bus Company, Minnetonka and White Bear Navigation Company, Rapid Transit Real Estate Corporation, Transit Supply Company
Twin City Rapid Transit
Operation
LocaleMinneapolis-St. Paul
Open1876
Close1954, sold in 1970
Statusdefunct
Owner(s)Twin City Rapid Transit
Operator(s)Twin City Rapid Transit
Horsecar & cable car era: ca 1876–ca 1890
Status Merged
Owner(s) St. Paul Railway Company & Minneapolis Street Railway
Track gauge ?
Minimum curve radius ?
Propulsion system(s) Horses
Electric streetcar era: ca 1890–1954 / Sold in 1970
Status Defunct
Owner(s) Twin City Rapid Transit
Operator(s) Twin City Rapid Transit
Track gauge 4 ft 8+12 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Minimum curve radius ?
Electrification Overhead lines
Route map 1914

The Twin City Rapid Transit Company (TCRT), also known as Twin City Lines (TCL), was a transportation company that operated streetcars and buses in the Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area in the U.S. state of Minnesota. Other types of transportation were tested including taxicabs and steamboats, along with the operation of some destination sites such as amusement parks. It existed under the TCRT name from a merger in the 1890s until it was purchased in 1962. At its height in the early 20th century, the company operated an intercity streetcar system that was believed[by whom?] to be one of the best in the United States. It is a predecessor of the current Metro Transit bus and light rail system that operates in the metro area.