KSHB 41 reporter Charlie Keegan covers politics in Kansas, Missouri and at the local level. Share your story idea with Charlie.
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I spent a lot of time Thursday on the KC Streetcar.
I saw fans for different schools competing in the Big 12 men’s basketball tournament ride along, but one fanbase is gaining a reputation.
Some Iowa State fans have named the streetcar the “Cyclone Train" after the team’s mascot. ISU fans travel in droves from Ames to KCMO and already named T-Mobile Center “Hilton South,” a nod to the Hilton Coliseum on the Iowa State campus.
What is it about Iowa State fans that they like to rename things, I asked Ron.
“Pride, we’ll go with pride,” he said. “We don’t rent a car, we stay downtown, pretty cheap, we go take the streetcar where we’re going.”
The Russell is a restaurant along the streetcar’s new extension, which opened in October 2025. The director of operations said he’s noticed more fans in his restaurant this year compared to last.
“We have, finally, the new streetcar that opened. It’s been fantastic,” Chris Moore explained.
The KC Streetcar wants locals to take advantage of the free ride, too. This spring it will put extra cars in operation so riders don’t have to wait as long for a streetcar to reach each stop.
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