Memphis, Tennessee, USA

Table of Contents

Overview - Memphis

Located on the east bank of the Mississippi River across from Arkansas, Memphis is the seat of Shelby County and the second largest city by population in Tennessee. It has approximately 619,000 inhabitants in the city proper as of 2023. The Memphis metropolitan area (Memphis) comprised 1,335,674 residents as of the 2023 US Census Bureau Estimate.

Memphis currently operates no higher order transit.

MATA Trolley

Opened 1993, the MATA Trolley consists of three historic streetcar services that serve the city of Memphis, Tennessee. All three services are currently out of service.

Main Street Line

The Main Street Line of the MATA Trolley is a historic streetcar service on a North-South alignment. It runs from North End Terminal/William Hudson Transit Center in the north to Central Station in the south via downtown Memphis, serving 14 stations of which two are only served in a single direction and 12 of which are shared with the Riverfront Loop in a single direction only.

The Main Street Line was opened in April 1993. Service was suspended in June 2014 and was reopened in April 2018. Service has been suspended since August 2024. The last extension to the line was to Central Station in February 2021. The Main Street Line is operated by the Memphis Area Transit Authority.

Riverfront Loop

The Riverfront Loop of the MATA Trolley is a historic streetcar service on a loop alignment. It runs along a single directional counterclockwise loop, serving 18 stations of which 12 are shared with the Main Street Line.

The Riverfront Loop was opened in 1997. Service has been suspended since June 2014. The Riverfront Loop is operated by the Memphis Area Transit Authority.

Madison Avenue Line

The Madison Avenue Line of the MATA Trolley is a historic streetcar service on an East-West alignment. It runs from Court in the west to Cleveland Avenue in the east, serving 7 stations.

The Madison Avenue Line was opened in 2004. Service was suspended in June 2014. The Madison Avenue Line is operated by the Memphis Area Transit Authority.

References & Helpful Links

MATA Trolley at Wikipedia

Official Website for MATA Trolley: Memphis Area Transit Authority

Maps

Unofficial Map - Memphis Streetcar System [January 2018] by Chris Neuherz (www.behance.net)

Other Sources

Memphis, USA at Urbanrail.net

Asset Notes

Line colors taken from MATA route maps as of Sept 2020