Edmonton Light Rail Transit, commonly referred to as the LRT, is a light rail system in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. It has three lines, 29 stations, and of track. The system is part of the municipal Edmonton Transit Service (ETS) and serves as of the . It ranks tenth among light rail systems in North America by daily ridership. Much of the Edmonton LRT system has a dedicated right-of-way, including tunnels in Downtown Edmonton.
The ETS started operation of the original LRT line in 1978, expanded by 2010 into the Capital Line, running between Clareview in Edmonton's northeast and Century Park in Edmonton's south end. The first phase of the newer Metro Line started service between the University of Alberta campus and hospital in Edmonton's south-central and the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology northwest of downtown Edmonton in 2015, with further expansion to north Edmonton and neighbouring city of St. Albert planned into the future. These two lines share several stations in the underground portion that runs through Downtown Edmonton.
The Valley Line primarily uses above-ground light rail sections and entirely distinct train type. Construction of the first phase, from downtown Edmonton to Mill Woods in southeast Edmonton, began in 2016, and opened for passenger service November 4, 2023. The line is operated under contract by TransEd Partners on behalf of Edmonton Transit Service. Construction on the second phase of the Valley Line, connecting downtown to west Edmonton, began in fall 2021 and is scheduled for completion by 2028. Following completion of the full line, operational control will be transferred to Edmonton Transit Service.
History
Edmonton's population grew rapidly in the decades after the Second World War, going from 160,000 residents in 1951 to 451,000 in 1976. During the 1960s and early 1970s, city-commissioned studies recommended a number of city-wide transportation systems such as heavy rail transit lines, and freeway networks. The city opted to study light rail as a "balanced" solution; being more cost effective and flexible than heavy rail (i.e., subways), but higher-capacity and less expensive in the long-term than bus-only networks utilizing freeways.
Edmonton's northeast section was selected as the first area to receive transportation improvements, because its road network was at risk of being overwhelmed by new developments. The city council was presented with three options in 1974: a freeway-bus option, which would require 70 buses in peak hours, require substantial land acquisition, and reduce potential transit ridership; an all-bus option that would require 150 buses in peak hours, which would share traffic lanes with vehicles aside from limited bus-priority measures; and an integrated option that required 75 buses in peak hours, and 14 LRT cars on a northeast line. The third option had the lowest operating costs of the three, and the city council approved it in 1973 despite provincial funding not being secured yet. In 1974, the Alberta government pledged $45 million over four years, which was the original estimated cost of construction.
Construction began in 1974 with a budget of $65 million. During planning and construction, the managers of various departments and city-owned utilities coordinated through a Municipal Planning Commission, which allowed the city to reserve a path for the LRT; this included controlling the location of piles under the Edmonton Plaza Hotel to allow for LRT tunnels to be constructed later. Members of the University of Alberta's Faculty of Engineering also served as advisors for the project, and conducted research in areas such as transportation planning, traffic management, soil mechanics, and tunnelling.
Edmonton became the first city in North America with a metropolitan population of less than one million to build a modern light rail system. It also became the first city in Western Canada to operate a rapid transit system. Testing of the new line started in 1977 with regular service starting April 22, 1978, in time for the 1978 Commonwealth Games. The line followed a CN right-of-way from Belvedere station to Stadium station (near Commonwealth Stadium), via an intermediate stop at Coliseum station (near Northlands Coliseum), and then continued in a tunnel under 99 Street to Central Station, at Jasper Avenue and 100 Street, including an intermediate stop at Churchill station. The original line was long.
Planning influences included the rail systems of Toronto (for dimensions), Montreal (underground environment), Cleveland (reuse of existing rail right of way), as well as Netherlands and Germany (feeder bus routes with timed-transfers, and choice of rolling stock). Operating practices were influenced by the MBTA Green Line, British trams, and the Canadian National Railway.
When the line opened, fare collection was modelled on traditional rapid transit lines, with booth attendants. Low volumes of activity at some entrances led to weekend closures of alternate station entrances. On November 19, 1980, Edmonton Transit (as it was then named) switched to a modified European-style "proof of payment" system, retaining the old turnstiles to issue the new receipts. Fares were now collected by automated ticket vending machines that dispensed a receipt to be checked in random proof of payment inspections. The proof of payment policy permitted keeping all entrances and turnstiles open and required fewer staff.
On April 26, 1981, ETS opened a northeastern-bound extension of on the CN right-of-way to Clareview station. In June 1983, the light rail tunnel downtown was extended by to Bay and Corona stations. The D.L. MacDonald Yard, between Belvedere and Clareview, opened in December 1983 to store and service the vehicles. Every station constructed since 1983 has been built with full accessibility for persons with disabilities. The LRT line was extended in September 1989 by to Grandin station (now Government Centre station, close to the Alberta Legislature). On August 23, 1992, the next extension opened from Grandin to University Station, partially via the Dudley B. Menzies Bridge, crossing the North Saskatchewan River with a lower level for pedestrians and cyclists, and partially via a tunnel into the station. Belvedere station was expanded in 1998 with a roof and a lengthened platform that could accommodate five-car trains. Clareview underwent a similar expansion in 2001.
On January 1, 2006, the line was extended south through the University Campus to Health Sciences Station, which is located at street level. On April 25, 2009, McKernan/Belgravia and South Campus stations were opened as part of the south LRT expansion, with Southgate and Century Park opening on April 24, 2010. The LRT expansion was developed entirely at surface level with several underpasses after 2006, one at Belgravia Road and the other under 111 Street south of 61 Avenue. A short busway was also constructed from the South Campus station roughly parallel to Belgravia Road in conjunction with the South LRT expansion.
Metro Line
On April 27, 2007, the city began detailed planning of a new LRT line that would run north from Churchill Station, to the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT), and eventually beyond to north-end neighbourhoods with a terminal station south of St. Albert. The new line, named the Metro Line, branches off the Capital Line at Churchill station and crosses the MacEwan University City Centre Campus with a northern terminus at Kingsway Mall and NAIT.
In April 2008, Edmonton City Council approved $45 million in funding to build a tunnel under the Epcor Tower site immediately, while it was still under construction, with the aim of saving $140 million more than would have been required to dig under the tower once it was completed. This step was taken even though the rest of the project had not yet been approved, because of the time constraint posed by the construction of the new tower. Construction on the tunnel began in August 2009 and was completed by approximately September 2010.
On July 2, 2009, the federal and provincial governments approved the reallocation of funding from the proposed Gorman Station extension to the Metro line as the city felt that NAIT was a higher priority.
The expansion added three stations to the system; MacEwan station at MacEwan University, Kingsway/Royal Alex station near Kingsway Mall and the Royal Alexandra Hospital, and NAIT station at the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology. The temporary NAIT station was located north of Princess Elizabeth Avenue, on the south side of NAIT's swimming pool and hockey arena. The Metro Line was completed at a cost $90 million under its estimated $755 million budget, with a total project cost of $665 million.
In December 2023, the first phase of the Metro Line Northwest Expansion was completed, including two new stations: Blatchford Gate station in the northern area of Blatchford, and NAIT/Blatchford Market Station located roughly 300 meters from the temporary station. On January 20, 2024, service commenced to the NAIT/Blatchford Market, and the temporary NAIT station was permanently closed. Blatchford Gate station remains closed for passenger service as it does not yet meet city transit service standards. Construction on the extension began in 2020, and was completed on budget and ahead of schedule, as the extension was originally anticipated to be completed in 2025.
Valley Line
In December 2009, the city council approved a new LRT route that would leave a new ground-level station at Churchill Square on 102 Avenue between 100 and 99 Streets before stopping in The Quarters redevelopment on 102 Avenue between 97 Street and 96 Street. From here the route enters a tunnel and travels beneath 95 Street descending into the river valley to cross the North Saskatchewan River on the new Tawatinâ Bridge, east of Louise McKinney Park. The route then proceeds to climb the hill adjacent to Connors Road then proceeds east along 95 Avenue and southbound at 85 Street. The route will travel southbound along 85 Street crossing the traffic circle and shifting to 83 Street, continuing south and east towards Wagner Road. Finally the line will proceed south along 75/66 Street until it reaches Mill Woods Town Centre. The new line would use low-floor trainsets and not be compatible with the existing Capital and Metro lines; the new Gerry Wright Operations and Maintenance Facility, at Whitemud Drive and 75 Street, would be constructed to maintain and store vehicles for the line.
On February 15, 2012, city council approved the Downtown LRT concept plan. The Downtown LRT Project became part of the Southeast to West LRT project. The city hoped to have money in place by the end of 2013 for the $1.8-billion LRT line from downtown to Mill Woods to start construction in 2016. City council committed $800 million, the federal government invested $250 million, and $235 million would come from the provincial government, leaving a $515 million funding gap delaying the project. On March 11, 2014, it was announced that the project would be completely funded with an additional $150 million from the federal government and $365 million from the provincial government.
The first phase opened on November 4, 2023, with 11 stops between 102 Avenue in downtown and Mill Woods. The opening had originally been scheduled for December 2020 but was delayed to replace cracked concrete piers and of copper wires used for signalling. The consortium TransEd Partners were originally planned to operate the line for a 30-year period as part of the private–public partnership agreement signed with the city government. ETS announced in June 2026 that the Valley Line would be operated directly by them after a two-year transition process; TransEd Partners had not been selected to operate the western extension. The Valley Line replaced route 73, which was retired in February 2024.
Lines