First New Streetcar to Arrive in Detroit This Week

Officials with Detroit’s new passenger rail line say this week’s delivery of first streetcar marks big milestone.

M-1 Rail Construction QLine

The first of half-a-dozen streetcars that will carry passengers in Detroit arrives in the city this week.

The 3.3 mile long light rail project, stretching from Detroit’s downtown along Woodward Avenue, broke ground about two years ago and has left the busy roadway filled with construction work ever since.

It’s now called the QLINE, after the company Quicken Loans bought the right to name it.

And rail officials say the project is reaching an important milestone by taking delivery of the first streetcar designated for the system.

Officials add that the project is going more quickly, and costing a bit more, than they previously estimated.

They say the cost to build the QLINE should be about $ 142 million and the construction work should be finished by Thanksgiving.

Author

  • Quinn Klinefelter is a Senior News Editor at 101.9 WDET. In 1996, he was literally on top of the news when he interviewed then-Senator Bob Dole about his presidential campaign and stepped on his feet.