El Paso, TX

March 2018

First Streetcar Delivered

After being mothballed for more than four decades, undergoing two years of extensive renovation, and making a 3,600 mile round trip to the Keystone State, the very first of El Paso’s vintage streetcars is back in the Sun City!

Car No. 1506 was unloaded on Father Rahm avenue at approximately 10am on March 19, 2018. This marks the first time in about 40 years that a streetcar has been on rails in El Paso city streets. The vehicle was then taken into the Maintenance and Storage Facility (MSF) at 601 South Santa Fe Street for inspection by the Camino Real Regional Mobility Authority and Sun Metro.
 
While members of the public are not able to access the streetcar at this time, the CRRMA and the City of El Paso will soon announce public events to celebrate the streetcar’s homecoming.
 
About Car No. 1506

Car No. 1506, part of the fleet of streetcars which ran in El Paso until 1974, is the first of six vintage Presidents Conference Committee (PCC) streetcars to be refurbished and modernized as part of the $97 million El Paso Streetcar Project
 
El Paso’s fleet of six historic Presidents’ Conference Committee (PCC) streetcars left El Paso on November 12 and December 10, 2015, bound for extensive renovation by Brookville Equipment Corporation in Brookville, Penn. Each of the six streetcars will be painted in one of three vintage color schemes from the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s. Car No. 1506 is painted in the red and green 1970s color pattern.  

What Comes Next?

The return of the first streetcar will allow the CRRMA to begin a rigorous, months-long testing phase to ensure the system is safe before Sun Metro begins operating the service for the public. In the coming weeks, you’ll see streetcars running along the 4.8 mile route but you won’t be able to board. An exact date for the beginning of on-street testing has not been announced.
 
Below are some important tips to remember as we welcome the first streetcar back to El Paso:

• Other than traveling on a fixed route, the streetcars will operate much like other vehicles. They will have a maximum speed of approximately 25 miles per hour, obeying all traffic laws and — in most cases — they will travel with other vehicles in a travel lane.
• The Streetcar is powered by lines running above the street which carry 650 DC volts of electricity. Always consider every line to be fully energized. Never touch the wires or anything touching the wires.
• Don’t ride your bike along the rails your tire can get stuck between the rail and the pavement. When you cross the rails, do so at a 90-degree angle.
• Pedestrians should also use extra caution when crossing the rails or walking near the streetcar line.

Streetcar Line Construction Nears End

An article in the Texarkana Gazette describes the scope of the streetcar construction project and reports that construction is nearly complete. Click here for the full story.