Main Street Line (MATA Trolley)

Main Street Line
The Civic Center Plaza station with its clock tower.
Overview
Type	Heritage streetcar
System	MATA Trolley
Status	Operational
Locale	Memphis, Tennessee, USA
Termini	Butler Avenue North End Terminal
Stations	13
Operation
Operator(s)	Memphis Area Transit Authority
Technical
Line length	2.0 mi (3.2 km)
Track length	3.7 mi (6.0 km)
Number of tracks	2
Track gauge	4 ft 8 ^1⁄2 in (1,435 mm)
Electrification	Overhead lines
Route map Legend Riverfront Loop North End Terminal Overton Avenue I-40 Convention Center Civic Center Plaza Jefferson Avenue Court Avenue Madison Avenue Line Madison Avenue Union Avenue Peabody Place Beale Street Linden Avenue Huling Avenue Butler Avenue Riverfront Loop

The Main Street Line is a line of the Memphis Area Transit Authority trolley system. It began operations in 1993, becoming the first streetcar line to operate in Memphis since 1947.^[1] It runs for about 2 mi (3.2 km) along Main Street, with 13 stops in Downtown Memphis. The Main Street Line is concurrent with the Riverfront Loop for almost all of its length.^[2]

Route description

The Main Street Line begins in the South Main Arts District at Butler Avenue. From here it runs north past major attractions such as the National Civil Rights Museum and Beale Street. At Peabody Place, Main Street becomes a pedestrian mall allowing the trolley full right-of-way. On the Main Street Mall, the line passes through the heart of downtown Memphis, passing Court Square, the Civic Center Plaza, and the Cook Convention Center. At Madison Avenue, the tracks connect with the Madison Avenue Line, though the two lines to not have connecting routes. The mall ends at Exchange Street in front of the convention center, whereby the trolley continues north to the North End Terminal on Shadyac Avenue. The terminal provides connections with the MATA bus system. For the entirety of its route, the Main Street line has a double track, with cars operating in both directions.

References

1. Huston, Jerry (April 22, 1993). "Trolley rumbles to life in city – Line readied for comeback downtown". The Commercial Appeal.
2. "MATA Trolley Service". Memphis Area Transit Authority. Retrieved 2012-05-23.