Madison Avenue Line (MATA Trolley)
| Company type | Streetcar line |
|---|---|
| Industry | Public transportation |
| Founded | 2004 |
| Headquarters | Memphis , United States |
Area served | Midtown Memphis, Medical District, Memphis |
| Products | Streetcar transit service |
| Owner | Memphis Area Transit Authority (MATA) |
The Madison Avenue Line operates as a component of the Memphis Area Transit Authority MATA Trolley network. Established in 2004 with an investment of $56 million, this route includes double tracks spanning along Madison Avenue with seven designated stops, reaching into the Midtown Memphis area. Its primary purpose was to connect the Main Street trolley route to the Medical District, Memphis located east of downtown.
Since April 2014, trolley operations have been halted following two separate fires that damaged vehicles within a six-month period. In the interim, bus service has substituted trolley transit on this corridor, although MATA intends to resume trolley service eventually.
In 2020, MATA procured a pre-owned Siemens–Duewag U2 modern streetcar previously used by the San Diego Trolley system. Plans were made to conduct test runs on the Madison Avenue Line in 2022 as part of initiatives aimed at reinstating rail service.
Route description
The line begins at the intersection of Main Street and Madison Avenue, proceeding eastward and crossing Danny Thomas Boulevard by means of two rail-exclusive bridges situated alongside the Madison Avenue bridge. It traverses the Medical District, passing notable locations such as the University of Tennessee Health Science Center campus, then crosses over I-240 before entering Midtown Memphis. The route terminates just beyond Cleveland Street within the Crosstown neighborhood.
List of trolley stops
From Main Street to Cleveland Avenue
| Stop | Other trolley line(s) |
Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Court | Riverfront Loop Main Street Line |
Eastbound stop at North Court and westbound at South Court Nearby landmarks include Court Square, Falls Building, Fire Museum, and Raymond James Tower |
| Third Street | Now known as B. B. King Boulevard Close to AutoZone Park, First Horizon Bank Tower, and Toyota Center | |
| Danny Thomas | ||
| Orleans | Proximity to Sun Studio | |
| Dunlap | Serves Health Sciences Park, Medical Center, and UTHSC | |
| Pauline | Adjacent to Medical Center | |
| Cleveland Avenue | Located near a park-and-ride facility |