The New M-1 Rail Name Is... Delayed

DETROIT (WWJ) - One of the most closely guarded secrets in Detroit is apparently going to stay a secret for a little while longer.

Billionaire Dan Gilbert and his company Quicken Loans were set to officially announce the new name of the M-1 Rail on Tuesday. But late Monday night, project organizers said the public name reveal has been postponed indefinitely.

"The streetcar's name will be announced at a later date as we have some additional steps to complete in the process," Dan Lijana, spokesman for the project, told the Detroit News.

The new M-1 Rail name is such a secret, that not even the top transit officials in the region know what it is, according to the newspaper.

The streetcar project will run 3.3 miles along Woodward Avenue between downtown and New Center neighborhoods.

The rail line is scheduled for completion in early 2017 and will have 16 curbside and four median passenger stations. It will run in a 6.6-mile loop from Detroit's riverfront along Woodward Avenue to the New Center area and is expected to spur economic and job growth along the corridor.

The federal government has committed more than $37 million to the $140 million project.