MATA 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)
StatusSuspended
Routes3 (of which two have been temporarily suspended, i.e. bus-operated, since 2014, the third since August 2024)
OperatorMemphis Area Transit Authority (MATA)
Infrastructure
Track gauge4 ft 8+12 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Propulsion systemElectric
ElectrificationOverhead line600 V DC
Statistics
Track length (total)10 mi (16.1 km)
Route length6.3 mi (10.1 km)
Stops25
Annual ridership0 (2025)
Websitehttps://www.matatransit.com/trolley/routes/

The MATA Trolley is a heritage streetcar system operating in Memphis, Tennessee. The first line opened in 1993 and consisted of three lines by 2004. These lines are the Main Street Line, the Riverfront Loop, and the Madison Avenue Line. The system is operated by Memphis Area Transit Authority. Service on the last two lines was suspended in June 2014, following fires on two cars and remains indefinitely suspended as of May 2024. The Main Street Line was reopened in 2018, but all service was suspended again in August 2024 after the Tennessee Department of Transportation began investigating braking issues with the trolley cars.

The last line of Memphis' original streetcar network closed on June 15, 1947.

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.