Page 6 - Edmonton’s Valley Line Southeast LRT

Valley Line Southeast Churchill Stop
(Credit - David Olsen)
“Another great advantage of a low-floor LRT system
is that the stops can be small and require minimal
infrastructure—a stop can be as simple as a raised
curb and sidewalk,” says Nicholson. “This supports
safe, pedestrian-friendly communities.”
“An LRT is a fitting choice for Edmonton because of
its size and population,” says Nicholson. “We also
have a heritage for LRT, as Edmonton was the first
city in North America to have a modern, purpose-
built LRT.”
The Valley Line was split into two phases shortly
after design of the line. “Edmonton city council
decided that implementing the Valley Line
6 7
should be its top priority for LRT Expansion,” says
Nicholson. “Next, we spent a few years updating the
preliminary engineering and went through a public-
private partnership (P3) procurement which included
design, build, operations, maintenance, financing
and vehicles–the full package–for the Valley Line
Southeast. TransEd will operate and maintain the
line through to 2050.”
And with the Valley Line Southeast nearly complete,
what’s next? “The City did a separate procurement
for the Valley Line West, and we've ordered an
additional fleet of trains that will be able to run the
entire Valley Line when it's open.”