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Edmonton has a population of 650,000 in the city and 930,000 in the metropolitan area and was the first North American city with less than a million inhabitants to build a light rail system, which runs underground in central areas, just like a European Premetro or Stadtbahn system.

Construction on a 7.2 km LRT line began in 1974 at 95 Street and 106 Avenue. The first segment was inaugurated in April 1978, in time for Commonwealth Games. The line follows an CN right-of-way (National Railways) from Belvedere to Stadium, and then it continues in a new tunnel to Central station. In 1981 it was extended towards the north to Clareview, and soon after that in through the city centre to Corona (1983) and Grandin (1989). In 1992, the deepest station of the line, at 23 m below street level, opened at University of Alberta after crossing the North Saskatchewan River on the Dudley B. Menzies LRT Bridge, which has a lower level for pedestrians and cyclists.

From 1983 on, all stations were built with full accessibility for the disabled, other stations are currently being upgraded. In the late 1990's Clareview and Belvedere stations were covered and their platform lengthened to allow use of 5-car-trains.

22 April 1978 - Belvedere - Central (6.9 km)
26 April 1981 - Belvedere - Clareview (2.2 km)
June 1983 - Central - Corona (0.8 km)
Sept. 1989 - Corona - Grandin (0.8 km)
23 Aug 1992 - Grandin - University (1.6 km)
01 Jan 2006 - University - Health Sciences (0.8 km)

Photos © Xuan Zhang

 Projects

A 10 km extension south from University is in preparation. All details about it can be found here. Construction of the 800 m section to Health Sciences station started in Jan. 2003 and was completed in Jan 2006.

The extension to Century Park (Heritage Mall) was approved in May 2005. The stations at McKernan/Belgravia (76 Avenue) and South Campus are scheduled for completion in 2008; and Southgate and Century Park in 2009.

A new line from Churchill in the city centre to NAIT (Northern Alberta Institute of Technology) in the north of the city is under consideration.

Trains run 05:30 - 01:30 (Mon-Sat), 05:30-00:30 (Sun), every 6 minutes peak hours, every 10 minutes daytime, every 15 minutes evenings and Sundays, every 10 minutes on Saturdays.

- FARES (2007, in Canadian Dollars)

Cash fare - $2.50 (incl. 90 min. transfer)
Day Pass - $7.50 (for LRT and buses)
Book of 10 tickets - $21.00
Monthly Pass - $59.00 (for LRT and buses)

www.TakeETS.com - Official Site

Some nice photographs at lightrail.com

Southern extension project

Citizens for Better Transit in Edmonton