KC Streetcar Riverfront Extension reaches the Riverfront

Last week, KC Streetcar Riverfront Extension carried a streetcar into Kansas City’s Riverfront area for the first time, as reported by Railway-News.

On Wednesday, 17 December, the vehicle moved from the River Market toward the Riverfront on newly built track and made a stop at the new Riverfront Streetcar Stop.

This is reported by the railway transport news portal Railway Supply.

That initial trip marked the first official use of the extension and the first time a streetcar has ever reached Kansas City’s riverfront. Tom Gerend, Executive Director of the KC Streetcar Authority, said the moment follows years of planning, design, and construction and aligns with a goal of a connected riverfront that can serve the city for decades.

Testing and operations for the KC Streetcar Riverfront Extension

Before the arrival, construction crews carried out “dead wire” tests with a specially built clearance cart designed by the Riverfront Extension construction team. The cart was used to verify the streetcar can run safely on the new tracks, including passing surrounding and adjacent structures and existing track elements.

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Testing will continue over the coming months under a defined KC Streetcar Riverfront testing schedule. The current phase, Systems Integrated Testing (SIT), is expected to continue into early 2026, and KC Streetcar’s “Rolling to the River” update sets out what follows. After SIT, the project moves into Pre-Revenue Operations (PRO), focused on operator training, safety drills, and real-world service simulations.

Remaining work, traffic impacts, and the Berkley Riverfront connection

During all testing phases, vehicular and pedestrian traffic may experience minor delays. A closure of Grand Boulevard between 3rd Street and the Riverfront has also not been ruled out.

Crews will continue finishing work during testing. That list includes installing communications, train signals, and traffic signals; completing shelters and station stops; restoring sidewalks and curbs in Berkley Riverfront; final concrete and cleanup of the new two-way cycle track; and clearing laydown yards at Berkley Riverfront, 3rd Street, and Grand Boulevard.

The KC Streetcar Riverfront Extension remains on schedule and is set to open in early 2026. The 0.7-mile extension is intended to connect riders from UMKC to the heart of Berkley Riverfront, as described in the KC Streetcar Riverfront Extension project overview.

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