Why go
The story adds a layer to a River Street walk: the line reused a former railroad corridor and brought a Melbourne streetcar to Savannah. Look at the riverfront as a working route that has carried freight and passengers at different times.
The full story
Savannah's street railway history began with horse-drawn cars in 1869. Electric streetcars followed in 1890, but the system ended in 1946. River Street later had a different rail life: Norfolk Southern used the branch for local freight, including the River Street Rambler, until 2003. The city bought the right-of-way in 2004 and developed a heritage streetcar service on the tracks set into the waterfront cobbles. For that project, it acquired a 1930s W5-class car from Melbourne, Australia, and adapted it with an onboard biodiesel generator and batteries. Nicknamed Dottie, the car began regular service in 2009. The sequence explains why tracks appear beside the Savannah River and why an Australian tram became part of a Georgia port's story. It also shows how transport infrastructure can be reused as the waterfront changes. Check the city's current transit information before planning a streetcar ride.