DETROIT – The Regional Transit Authority of Southeast Michigan will acquire ownership and control of the Detroit QLine streetcar, Detroit Free Press reports. The deal was approved on Sept. 19 and will be effective Oct. 1.
The QLine began as M-1 RAIL, a non-profit organization formed in 2007 to lead the design, construction, and operation of a 3.3-mile circulating streetcar along Woodward Avenue. Service began in May 2017 with six new Brookville Equipment Corp. streetcars. The cars operate under wires for part of the route and on battery where overhead wires were not desirable.
“We’ve always envisioned QLine becoming an official part of the larger regional transit system,” says RTA Executive Director Ben Stupka.
The QLine’s FY 2025 budget stands at $10.59 million, mostly funded through state resources. It is presently free to ride, but has charged in the past.
The line serves Amtrak’s Detroit station at the northern end of its route.
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