Starting on the Friday evening of May 12, for the first time in decades you’ll be able to take a streetcar down Woodward in Detroit.
“QLINE’s grand opening will be a historic day in Detroit,” said M-1 RAIL CEO Matt Cullen in a statement. “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.”
A Grand Opening event will begin with a morning press conference featuring elected officials and dignitaries. It’ll be followed by an inaugural first-ride down Woodward Avenue.
QLINE will open to the public on that Friday evening.
“Testing and training continues to go well,” said M-1 RAIL COO Paul Childs. “We’re excited for people to experience their first ride on the streetcar. Our team has done a great job building a system that will be safe, reliable and deliver a best-in-class transit experience.”
QLINE made its first test run on Woodward in December 2016 and the streetcar system according to M1-Rail has gone through more than 1,000 tests in preparation for operations.
Below is video of the first streetcar arriving.
The hours for the QLINE will be 6 a.m. – 11 p.m. Monday–Thursday, 6 a.m.- midnight on Friday, 8 a.m. -midnight on Saturday, and from 8 a.m. – 8 p.m. on Sunday, with special hours for special events.
According to QLINE officials, a detailed calendar of grand opening events is expected to be released sometime in April.
Here are some key facts about the QLINE’s streetcars:
- The three-piece, articulated cars are 66 feet long and carry 125 passengers on average.
- They will travel 35 miles per hour (the maximum speed on Woodward), and stop for traffic lights.
- There’s wi-fi.
- They will be heated and cooled as appropriate.
- The cars are powered by a 750-volt lithium ion battery, operating 60% off-wire, the highest percentage of any streetcar system in the United States.
- QLINE streetcars are compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), allowing for station-level access for pedestrians, and persons who use mobility assist devices such as wheelchairs.
