The City of Edmonton announced the Valley Line Southeast LRT will open for passenger service on Saturday, November 4. Service will begin at 5:15 a.m. at the Mill Woods stop and 102 Street stop downtown.
Valley Line Southeast has been independently certified by professional engineers, a safety auditor and an independent, professionally qualified, certifier. TransEd Partners recently received a formal certificate from the independent certifier, indicating the infrastructure is complete and meets the requirements of the project agreement.
“I know many Edmontonians have been looking forward to opening day for the better part of two decades. Valley Line Southeast will offer an affordable and climate-friendly choice to move around our city for decades to come,” said Mayor Amarjeet Sohi. “I’m looking forward to riding the new line and seeing this project cross the finish line.”
The Valley Line Southeast is an integral part of achieving the City Plan, and will provide more accessible, convenient and sustainable travel options for Edmontonians over the coming decades. The City Plan aims for a future where 50 per cent of trips are made by transit and active transportation.
“Valley Line is the first completely new transit line to open in western Canada in a generation and will transform the way we move and experience our city,” said City Manager Andre Corbould. “While the project delays have been challenging for everyone, all parties have kept their focus on one thing – providing a safe, reliable service for Edmontonians.”
Leading up to the opening of the line, TransEd will be conducting final operational exercises along the alignment to ensure their train operators and Control Centre staff are prepared to handle standard operational challenges encountered by all transit agencies. Over the coming weeks, TransEd will also be completing final work like curbs, landscaping and maintenance—this work does not affect the safe operation of the system.
“This has been a long journey, with challenges and detours, but we’re confident in the system we’ve built. Our focus has always been, and will continue to be, delivering a safe, reliable system to Edmontonians,” said TransEd Partners CEO, Ronald Joncas. “We’re excited to welcome passengers onboard these brand new trains.”
TransEd Partners is composed of Bechtel, EllisDon, Alstom, and Fengate Capital Management Ltd., together with the added expertise of Arup Canada and IBI Group—each world leading experts in design, engineering, construction, transportation solutions, project management and finance.
In a public-private partnership (P3) with the City of Edmonton, TransEd Partners is responsible to not only design and build stage one of the Valley Line LRT, but also to operate and maintain the line for 30 years.
A formal grand opening ceremony will be held in 2024 with funding partners, City officials and others after the system has been in service for a number of months.
Featured image: (EllisDon)
