City Of El Paso Testing Streetcar Wires So Don’t Touch Them

It's no secret that I'm thrilled about the trolley coming back to El Paso, but before we can take a ride, the City has to do a lot of testing first. That testing includes several months of testing to make sure the system is safe and operating the way it is supposed to. The Overhead Catenary System such as power substations and overhead lines which will power the streetcars.

The testing began this week and crews will be fully energizing some overhead lines with up to 650-volts DC. City officials say “From this point forward, all lines should always be considered to be energized. Never touch the wires or anything touching the wires.”

There will be specially outfitted trucks and a police escort as the testing of the wires is carried out, but the testing isn't expected to cause problems for motorists, pedestrians, and cyclists.

The streetcars that will be used on the almost 5 mile route are the same ones that ran on El Paso streets until 1974. They have been completely refurbished and will be seen all along the route and the 27 stops along the way.
There will be two loops that you can take, connecting the international bridges, retail areas, government buildings, convention center and the downtown ballpark with the Las Palmas and UTEP area.

I'm super excited about the streetcar and can't wait for this testing to be finished!