We have a date!

According to the M-1 Rail, the QLINE will have a big grand opening Friday, May 12 at the Penske Tech Center. It opens to the public that morning. More events around the grand opening will be announced in April.

“QLINE’s grand opening will be a historic day in Detroit,” said M-1 RAIL CEO Matt Cullen. “We’re bringing rail transit back to the heart of the city and connecting the Woodward Corridor in a way that’s already begun to transform the entire district.”

The streetcar has been testing since December and has already gone through 1,000 tests. We know you’re watching and capturing the bright red streetcar out on Woodward. Stations along the rail line are currently being completed.

Worried about how it will co-exist with traffic? The M-1 Rail has released first in a series of safety videos, helping Detroiters get accustomed to coexisting with the new system. There will also be more public meetings to offer assistance with learning to live with the rail.

The three-piece cars are 66 feet long and carry 125 passengers on average. They will travel 35 m.p.h. and stop for traffic lights. The streetcars are compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), allowing for station-level access for pedestrians, and persons who use mobility assist devices such as wheelchairs. The streetcars are wifi enabled with vertical back racks and a heating and cooling system. The cars are powered by a 750-volt lithium ion battery, operating 60% off-wire, the highest percentage of any streetcar system in the United States.

The QLINE will operate from 6 a.m. - 11 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 6 a.m.- midnight on Friday, 8 a.m. -midnight on Saturday, and from 8 a.m. - 8 p.m. on Sunday.