Began service February 11, 2009 End East Broad Street Journey time 12:00 noon - 9:00 pm | Start Montgomery Street Length 1 mile (1.6 km) | |
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Locale Savannah, Georgia United States | ||
The River Street Streetcar is a heritage streetcar line in Savannah, Georgia, in the United States. It began regular operation on February 11, 2009, and shuttles between six stops along River Street, next to the Savannah River.
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History
The first horsecars began operation in Savannah in 1869. Electric streetcars started operation in 1890 but were discontinued on August 26, 1946. The Norfolk Southern Railway had owned the River Street branch line for years, operating the River Street Rambler, which was a local freight train, until 2003.
The city of Savannah purchased the River Street Branch line right-of-way from Norfolk Southern in 2004 for approximately $600,000. The streetcar now runs along the abandoned railroad tracks in the cobblestones on River Street east and west of City Hall.
To provide streetcar service a 1930s-era W5-class streetcar (#756), originally from Melbourne, Australia, was purchased by the city for about $207,000 and converted to power its motors with an onboard biodiesel-fueled generator and batteries as a hybrid drive for an additional $100,000. Hence it is a form of diesel railcar. The streetcar was nicknamed "Dottie'" — a reference to the Savannah DOT that completed the project. The service was initially introduced during the Climate Action Parade on December 9, 2008. Additional free rides were provided for a day on December 13, 2008. Regular operations started on February 11, 2009.
Schedule and stations
The streetcar operates Thursday through Sunday from 12:00 noon to 9:00 p.m.
From west to east the station stops along the line are:
Future expansion
In the spring of 2009 it was hoped that the operating schedule would be expanded to six days a week and operating hours will be extended hours to 10:00 p.m. each evening. A second car for the current single-car service will allow for operation of a two-car train that will be bidirectional.
Later, the River Street Line may be extended to the city's Roundhouse Railroad Museum and Visitor Center, provided that Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard could have new streetcar tracks laid along it. Other new lines have been planned, which most likely will run on abandoned railroad tracks throughout the city, such as on Fahm Street.
While the River Street Line's streetcar currently operates on a biodiesel fueled internal combustion engine, the future lines will probably be electrified by overhead wires. Either replica or vintage streetcars could be used for the future extensions. The restoration of Birney Safety Car #656, a single-truck streetcar, is another likelihood.