CEREMONIES were held on October 5 to dedicate the first extension of Calgary’s C-Train light rail network to be completed in 11 years. The 3·5 km, two-station extension of the south line to Canyon Meadows and Fish Creek-Lacombe (146 Avenue) opened for revenue service on October 9, following the Canadian Thanksgiving holiday.
The C$80·1m project is the first of several extensions in Calgary which are due to open over the next five years. A further two stations on the south LRT line, at Shawnessy and Somerset-Bridlewood (162 Avenue), are scheduled for completion in 2003, along with an extension of the the northwest line from Brentwood to 53rd Street. Another section of the northeast line is scheduled to open in 2006.
C-Train ridership has jumped 73% during the past five years, and the network is now carrying around 188000 passengers on a weekday. Calgary Transit is currently taking delivery of 32 additional SD160 LRVs fromSiemens. n
