36 replies to this topic

[Sloan]

Trolley Trials
After two fires, a scathing maintenance report, and a new MATA director, Memphis’ trolleys could rumble back to life. Soon.

http://www.memphisfl...ent?oid=3764190

[KevinKorell]

Memphis, TN Flyer, 1/20/15:

 

Trolley Plan To Go Public

 

Trolleys will take center stage at Memphis City Hall in two weeks as Memphis Area Transit Authority (MATA) officials are expected to bring their plans for reviving the trolley system to the Memphis City Council.

 

Story

[KevinKorell]

Memphis, TN Flyer, 2/1/15:

 

Council Gets First Look at MATA Trolley Plan 

 

Changes may be ahead for the Memphis trolley system as city leaders weigh in next week on the plan to bring the trolleys back.

 

The trolley system was shut down last June after two trolley cars caught fire on the Madison Line in separate events only seven months apart. Trolley 452 caught fire in November 2013. Trolley 553 caught fire on April 7th of last year. Both trolleys were burned beyond repair.

This Story

[KevinKorell]

WHBQ-TV, FOX-13 in Memphis, TN, 1/2/15:

 

Trolley's Still Being Restored

 

Downtown trolleys have been a downtown fixture for more than 20 years.  Last year MATA shut down the entire fleet due to several fires that broke out.

According to MATA's website, restoration work on the trolleys is being concentrated on five of the cars that are in the best condition. The work involves re-inspection, re-certification and repair. They had hoped the trolleys would be back up and running this past fall but there is nothing but empty tracks.

 

News item

[KevinKorell]

WHBQ, Fox-13 in Memphis, TN, 3/12/15:

 

Why Are MATA Trolley Repairs Taking So Long?

 

Despite promises made earlier, the Memphis Area Transit Authority trolley line won't be ready to roll in time for Memphis In May.

The trolleys have been idle since June 2014.

MATA President and General Manager Ron Garrison told FOX13 News on Thursday there is no definitive timetable for the trolleys to return to Memphis' streets.

The story continues....

[KevinKorell]

WATN-TV, Local 24, in Memphis, TN, 4/28/15:

MATA Wants $32M To Get Trolleys Rolling Again

 

The head of the Memphis Area Transit Authority admits he is going to have to convince city council member it is worth spending $32 million to get trolleys back downtown.

 

The latest

[KevinKorell]

WREG-TV, Channel 3 in Memphis, TN, 4/24/15:

 

Trolley returns for Downtown celebration

 

 

Trolley nights haven’t been the same since the city pulled them off the tracks last summer, and downtown businesses felt it.

 

Story

 

And the headline using the word "trolley" is clearly a stretch. Those are buses built to look like trolleys, clearly fakes. It is deplorable that businesses want trolleys to return so badly that they would be happy to contribute to this fraud.  Put the money into getting the real trolley fleet back on the rails.

 

Point is, we are approaching one year since the trolley service was totally suspended, and their return looks less promising than it did then.

[KevinKorell]

No further news out of Memphis lately.  The fleet has been down for over a year now.

[KevinKorell]

Opinion piece in Mid-South Peace & Justice Center, 8/12/15:

 

Off The Rails: The False Narrative of Memphis Trolleys

 

For Memphis's three-pronged trolley system, 2015 has been a year of scrambling to pick up the pieces after fires and a critical APTA report shut it down. 

Continue

[KevinKorell]

Progressive Railroading, 11/13/15:

 

Memphis to receive federal funds to restore rail trolley service

 

The Memphis Area Transit Authority (MATA) will receive $2.6 million in federal funding to purchase three new electric rail trolleys for the city's downtown, U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen (D-Tenn.) announced yesterday.

Story

 

I don't think just 3 trolleys will cut it to support the Main Street line, plus there are also the Riverfront and Madison lines as well.