KC Streetcar begins rail testing on line extension   

The first rail testing of Missouri’s Kansas City Streetcar Main Street extension began this week, making history as streetcars passed south of Pershing Road on Main Street for the first time since 1957.

Construction on the Main Street extension began in April 2022, and the anticipated launch date for the route is set in 2025, according to the streetcar’s website.

This testing of the system is a critical milestone for the planned operational changes to the streetcar’s downtown route in the fall and the anticipated launch of the Main Street extension next year, KC Streetcar Authority officials said Aug. 20 in a statement.

When completed, the 3.5-mile extension will connect the University of Missouri–Kansas City campus to the River Market.

Comprehensive testing of the southbound rail connection and crossover at the intersection of Main Street and Pershing Road will continue in the coming weeks, the authority officials said. While the existing downtown streetcar system is connected to the northbound Main Street extension tracks, streetcar service will be temporarily suspended for about three weeks beginning in late September.