After nearly four years, the Memphis Area Transit Authority restored passenger operations to the Main Street Trolley rail line after the conclusion of a ribbon-cutting ceremony that included citizens and elected officials.
The Main Street Trolley line will operate from the William Hudson Transit Center (Main and A.W. Willis) to the Butler Station (Main and Butler). The rail line is operating initially with three Trolley cars: 234, 453, and 540. The following is the tentative operating schedule:
- From Sunday through Thursday, the Main Street Trolley line will operate with two trolley cars and run every 30 minutes.
- On Fridays and Saturdays, the Main Street Trolley line will operate with three cars and run every 20 minutes.
- Hours of operation: Monday-Thursday: 6:45 a.m.-12:05 a.m., Friday: 6:45 a.m.-12:15 a.m., Saturday: 8 a.m.-12:10 a.m. and Sunday 10 a.m.-6:20 p.m.
- Customers can ride for free on the Main Street Trolley line rail cars until May 14.
The tentative operating schedule will continue until the refurbishments on 455, 539 and 799 are completed. After the repairs are finished, additional rail testing will be conducted to ensure those Trolley cars have met established and required safety standards.
Gary Rosenfeld, chief executive officer of MATA, says the return of the Main Street Trolleys is a major accomplishment for the public transit authority and the city of Memphis.
“We are proud to announce that the Main Street Trolley line is back in service serving the Memphis community and visitors,” Rosenfeld added. “We are proud that we have diligently and meticulously restored the trolley cars to be the safest in the nation.”
