The Riverfront Loop is a line of the Memphis Area Transit Authority trolley system. It began operation in 1997, as the second line in the system. It runs for 4.1 mi (6.6 km) through downtown Memphis and along the Mississippi riverfront, with 18 stops along the way. It is the longest of the system's three lines, though it is concurrent with the Main Street Line for about half of its length. Part of the line offers panoramic views of the Mississippi River from atop to the Chickasaw Bluffs.[3]

Riverfront Loop
Trolley approaching the Jefferson Street (Avenue) station.
Overview
StatusTemporarily suspended since 2014[1]
LocaleMemphis, Tennessee, United States
Stations18
Service
TypeHeritage streetcar
SystemMATA Trolley
Operator(s)Memphis Area Transit Authority
History
OpenedOctober 1, 1997 (1997-10-01)[2]
Technical
Track length4.1 mi (6.6 km)
Track gauge4 ft 8+12 in (1,435 mm)
ElectrificationOverhead lines
Route map

Maintenance facility
M
North End Terminal Bus interchange
I
Overton
S
Pyramid Arena
S
Convention Center
I
Civic Center Plaza
S
Jefferson Street
S
Court
I
P
Madison
P
Union Avenue
I
Union
Peabody Place
Beale Street
R
Beale Street Landing
I
Dr. M.L. King Jr.
V
Huling
E
Huling Avenue
R
Butler
Central Station Amtrak

Trolley service on this line has been suspended since June 2014, after two trolley cars caught fire within a span of about six months. Buses have been serving the Riverfront Loop since then, but MATA plans to restore trolley operation to the line eventually.[4] In September 2021, MATA was predicting that the line would reopen in late 2022,[5] but as of December 2022 the service remained suspended, with no predicted date for the planned reopening.[1]

Route description

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As the line functions as a "loop" it does not have any termini. Running counterclockwise, from Amtrak's Central Station in the South Main Arts District, it runs north along the eastern track of the Main Street Line. After following this line for 1.8 mi (2.9 km), it splits off to the west just past A.W. Willis Avenue (formerly Auction Avenue). Passing over Front Street, it turns south and switches onto the western Illinois Central (IC) track toward the Pyramid Arena. The loop goes under the Interstate 40 bridge, emerging in front of the Cook Convention Center along the waterfront. Continuing along the IC tracks, it follows the riverfront until the tracks overlay Tennessee Street. Here, the loop continues along Tennessee eventually turning east onto GE Patterson Avenue. The loop is completed when it travels under the IC tracks in front of Central Station, and turns back onto South Main Street.

List of trolley stops

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between North End Terminal and Central Station counterclockwise
Note: Trolley service on the Riverfront Loop is temporarily suspended indefinitely; route is on detour using transit buses.

Stop Other
trolley line(s)
Notes
North End   North End Terminal transit center
Pyramid Memphis Pyramid, Bass Pro Shops megastore
Jefferson Street Mud Island River Park and Amphitheater (linked by monorail, Mississippi River Park, Memphis Park
Union Avenue Cobblestone Landing, Cossitt Library, University of Memphis Law School
Beale Street Landing Beale Street, Beale Street Landing, Cotton Exchange Museum
Tom Lee Park Tennessee Brewery, Tom Lee Park
Central Station Connects with Amtrak
Transit Center
Butler   South Main Arts District, Blues Hall of Fame
Huling   South Main Arts District, National Civil Rights Museum
Dr. ML King Jr.   Formerly "Linden" for the cross street
FedExForum, Halloran Center
Beale Street   Beale Street, Elvis Presley Plaza, Memphis Rock 'n' Soul Museum, Orpheum Theatre
Peabody Place   Peabody Place, Belz Museum
Union   88 Union Tower, AutoZone Park, One Commerce Square
Madison Brinkley Place, Toyota Center
Court     North Court (northbound), South Court (southbound)
Court Square, Falls Building, Fire Museum, Raymond James Tower
Civic Center Plaza   City Hall, Shelby County Courthouse
Convention Center   Cannon Center, Memphis-Cook Convention Center
Overton   Pinch District
North End   North End Terminal transit center

References

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  1. ^ a b Reals, Steffen (December 1, 2022). "Memphians eagerly waiting for trolleys to return to the Madison and Riverfront lines". WATN-TV. Archived from the original on December 2, 2022. Retrieved 2023-01-31.
  2. ^ "Worldwide Review [regular news section]". Tramways & Urban Transit. UK: Ian Allan Publishing. January 1998. p. 134. ISSN 1460-8324.
  3. ^ "MATA Trolley Service". Memphis Area Transit Authority. Archived from the original on 2013-01-03. Retrieved 2012-05-23.
  4. ^ Flyer Staff (May 5, 2021). "The ?s Issue: You had questions. We found answers. – Will the trolleys ever return to the Riverfront Loop or Madison Avenue?". Memphis Flyer. Archived from the original on July 9, 2021. Retrieved 2021-07-05.
  5. ^ "Worldwide Review [regular news section]". Tramways & Urban Transit. UK: Light Rail Transit Association/Mainspring Ltd. September 2021. pp. 389–390. ISSN 1460-8324.