DETROIT (WWJ) — The Detroit People Mover is getting a new set of new railcars.
Well, they’ll be new to Detroit, at least.
The Detroit Transportation Corp., which operates the People Mover, is set to purchase the cars from the Toronto Transit Commission, which operated a similar service until it was shut down last year, according to a report from The Detroit Free Press.
The cars from Toronto would replace Detroit’s existing fleet, which has been in use since the People Mover began operations in the late 1980s.
Detroit City Council recently approved $38.5 million in funding for the People Mover, which would cover five years of a $6.5 million operating subsidy and $6 million to complete the purchase of the cars, according to the Free Press report.
Officials would get the opportunity to inspect the cars in Toronto and choose which ones will come to Detroit, according to the report.
The cars would then be moved to Detroit, ready to be lifted onto the track. Robert Cramer, the general manager of the Detroit Transportation Corp., told the Freep switching the cars should not require a complete shutdown of the People Mover.
The switch to the new cars is expected to be completed within about 18 months, according to the report.