SANTA ANA, Calif. — Orange County’s long-awaited streetcar system will begin testing this summer, and service is expected to start next spring.

According to the Orange County Transportation Authority, eight streetcars will be delivered as part of the first modern OC Streetcar system.

“The arrival of the first OC Streetcar vehicle is an exciting moment for Orange County and a clear sign of the strong progress we’re making toward getting the system running,” said OCTA Chair Doug Chaffee, also the county’s Fourth District Supervisor, in a news release. “We’re looking forward to beginning testing and ultimately launching a safe, reliable transit option that will better connect people to where they live, work and spend time.”

Each vehicle will carry up to 211 passengers, including 62 seated and 149 standing. The streetcars will operate at 44 miles per hour and run on electricity from an overhead catenary system, producing zero emissions as they run along the track, according to the OCTA.

According to the transportation agency, the OC Streetcar will run on a four-mile route between the Santa Ana Regional Transportation Center and Harbor Boulevard in Garden Grove.

The system will serve some of the most densely populated neighborhoods in the county, downtown Santa Ana and the Civic Center, and connect with Metrolink rail service, regional and international bus services and OCTA’s busiest local bus routes.

The agency said up to six vehicles will be in service daily, with two spares rotating in as needed. Stops will occur every 10 to 15 minutes at 10 stations in each direction.

The $649 million project is funded with federal, state and local dollars, including Measure M, the county’s half-cent sales tax for transportation improvements.