Historically, the cities of El Paso and Ciudad Juárez relied on a unified streetcar system across the Rio Grande which initially consisted of horse and mule-drawn trolleys,[9] which were replaced by the first electrified street cars in 1902.

This made it perhaps the only streetcar line in which a passenger boarding in either city, and returning later to his starting point, had to pass twice through customs and immigration between two countries.

[7] The first of the refurbished streetcars was received on March 19, 2018,[19] and the first test trip on the line under power was made on April 3.

[citation needed] Streetcar service was suspended on March 22, 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic,[22] but resumed on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays starting on July 29, 2021.

[24][25] City officials expressed their desire to preserve the history of El Paso by refurbishing the old PCC streetcars that once made their way through Downtown from 1949 to 1974.

[26] The city had about eight streetcars, which were stored in a desert area at the El Paso International Airport.

[28] Work to restore six cars to operating condition began in 2015 and was carried out by Brookville Equipment Corporation.

Modifications to the cars included the installation of wheelchair lifts, to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act, half-diamond pantographs in place of trolley poles, and the addition of air conditioning.