Arizona Interurbans and Streetcars

(Please note the photos below feature general trolleys and interurbans, not those found in Arizona.)

Arizona interurbans were a rarity as the Grand Canyon State was home to only a few systems. One could also find a few streetcar lines in service there that served larger population centers like Phoenix and Tuscon. States like Arizona and New Mexico found in the heart of the Southwest were quite scarce of true interurban systems, or those companies that provided electrified passenger services to more than one town. Interestingly, nearby states like Texas, Colorado, and California were home to several lines that offered quite an array of service. Arizona lay in a region where interurbans operated more like freight, feeder lines to large traditional railroads; unlike eastern systems which not only provided much less such services (partly due to the fact that they were not designed to do so) but also found themselves constantly at odds with railroads who did not want to interchange traffic with them (at least during the early years).

While the state's streetcar lines did not offer much freight service its one interurban did serving local copper mines and lumber industries. Unfortunately, by the late 1920s much of this business played out and so did interurban service. The information below includes short paragraph descriptions of most Arizona interurbans and streetcar railroads.

Phoenix Street Railway: The Phoenix Street Railway began operations in 1887 originally using horse-powered carts although it switched to electric streetcars in 1893. The system was one of the larger interurbans in the country reaching as far as Glendale, a distance of nearly 11 miles. It operated until October of 1947 when a fire destroyed most of the streetcar fleet. Today, light rail is making a return to Phoenix and the Arizona Street Railway Museum keeps alive the memory of the Phoenix Street Railway.

Tuscon Street Railway: The Tuscon Street Railway began operations in 1898 connecting the Southern Pacific Railroad's station along Toole Avenue with the University of Arizona's campus. It changed its name to the Tuscon Rapid Transit Company in 1905 and reached its final length of 8 1/4 miles in 1904. It operated until December 31, 1930 when the service was converted over to buses. Today the interurban has been partially revived under the direction of the Old Pueblo Trolley project.

Warren-Bisbee Railway: This system was the one true Arizona interurban located in the state. It began operations on March 11, 1908 serving Warren and Bisbee, a distance of 8 miles, in the state's southeastern regions where copper mining was becoming prevalent (very close to the Mexican border). The building of the line was during the second big boom of construction of the interurban industry, the first occurring during the first few years of the 20th century. The company became profitable enough to also construct a four-mile spur serving an area outside of Warren that was rich in lumber traffic. Overall the Warren-Bisbee was a poorly built system with 7% or higher grades along much of its main line. As the copper industry played out and automobile use increased the line was abandoned by 1928.

For a small gallery of photographs highlighting Arizona interurbans and streetcar railroads please click here.

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