Revenue service on Detroit’s streetcar system will begin on May 12, QLINE officials said last week.
To mark the opening, there will be a special event at the Penske Technical Center and an inaugural ride down Woodward Avenue. Public service begins that evening.
“We are going to be running simulated operations in April,” said M-1 Rail spokesman Dan Lijana. “We want to make sure that the drivers have as much time on the road (as possible) before we start taking passengers.”
M-1 Rail is the operator of the streetcar system. Construction of the $142 streetcar line began in July 2014 and test runs over the 3.3-mile system began in December.
The 66-foot long streetcars can carry 125 passengers on average and will reach maximum speeds of 35 mph.
They will stop for traffic lights and M-1 Rail has begun a public education campaign with the first step being a series of safety videos to help Detroit residents become accustomed to coexisting with streetcars.
The QLINE will operate between 6 a.m. and 11 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 6 a.m. to midnight on Friday, 8 a.m. to midnight on Saturday, and 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Sunday.
M-1 Rail estimates that the QLINE will carry 5,000 to 8,000 passengers per day.
“QLINE’s grand opening will be a historic day in Detroit,” said M-1 Rail CEO Matt Cullen. “We’re bringing rail transit back to the heart of the city and connecting the Woodward Corridor in a way that’s already begun to transform the entire district.”
Tags: Detroit, Detroit M1 Rail, Detroit Streetcar line, Detroit streetcar operator, Detroit streetcars, M-1 Rail, M-1 RAIL Streetcar Project, M-1Rail, M1 Rail, Streetcar lines
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