MEMPHIS, Tenn. — The Memphis Area Transit Authority (MATA) announced Wednesday that the Main Street Trolley rail line will now extend to G.E. Patterson when service to the new Central Station trolley station – located in the heart of the South Main Historic Arts District in front of the Central Station Hotel – begins on Sunday, Feb. 28.
The opening of the Central Station trolley station marks the completion of the Central Station Phase II Redevelopment Project, which transformed the historic railroad station and multi-acre site into an area that now features Central Station Hotel, Malco Powerhouse Cinema Grill & MXT and the Memphis Farmers Market.
“We are excited to open this station which not only completes the Central Station transit-oriented development project but also completes the Main Street Trolley Rail Line restoration work,” said MATA Chief Executive Officer Gary Rosenfeld. “The completion of the new Central Station trolley station further emphasizes the City’s commitment to creating a transit-oriented dense urban living space in the South Main Area.”
Located in the center of Main Street, the new trolley station features electric signage for improved customer navigation and ramps instead of mechanical lifts to easily board disabled passengers.
The Central Station trolley station was conceived and funded with the Central Station Phase II Redevelopment Project and funding was obtained through a Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement (CMAQ) grant through the Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT). Construction and safety testing was completed in late 2020.
The Main Street Trolley rail line serves Main Street originating from the North End just south of A.W. Willis Avenue to south of G.E. Patterson Avenue. The Main Street Trolley normally operates (with the exceptions of certain holidays) every 12 minutes from 6:45 a.m.-midnight Monday-Friday, from 8 a.m.- midnight on Saturday and from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. on Sunday.