C-TRAIN

'C-Train' is the light rail transit (LRT) system in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. It has been in operation since 1981. Operated by Calgary Transit, the system currently consists of two major routes on 42.1 km (26 miles) of track, running into the southern, northwestern, and northeastern sections of the city. Currently there are also plans to build additional lines running to the west, north and the southeast of the city. Most track is at grade with its own right of way. The downtown portion is shared right of way. 8% of the system is underground, and 5% is grade separated (elevated). Trains are powered by overhead electric wires and pantographs. In the early 2000s, Calgary Transit began using the spelling 'CTrain' for the LRT system, although this variation has not passed into general use and local media continue to use ''C-Train''.
The CTrain has a higher ridership than any other light rail system in North America with 250,000 boardings per weekday. ^[1]

Contents

History

Route details

Fleet

Route 201

South Line

Northwest Line

Route 202

Future lines

West Line

Southeast Line

North Line and Airport Spur

Other future improvements

Downtown station refurbishment

Underground infrastructure

List of C-Train stations

See also

References

External links

History

The first line of the C-Train opened on May 25, 1981 following three years of track work. This line, the 'South Line', ran from downtown Calgary south to Anderson Station (see 'South Line' below for details). The other two sections of the system, the Northeast Line and the Northwest Line, opened on April 27, 1985 and September 17, 1987 respectively. Since those opening dates, six new stations have been added:

★ August 31, 1990 - Brentwood Station (Northwest Line)

★ October 9, 2001 - Canyon Meadows Station and Fish Creek-Lacombe Station (South Line)

★ December 15, 2003 - Dalhousie Station (Northwest Line)

★ June 28, 2004 - Shawnessy Station and Somerset-Bridlewood Station (South Line)
The system initially used Siemens-Duewag U2 trains (originally designed for German metros, and used by Edmonton's earlier ETS light railway and the U-Bahn, a light rail system in Frankfurt), which constituted the entire fleet until mid-July 2001, when the first cars of the newer Siemens SD-160 trains began arriving. There are now forty-five SD-160s and eighty-one U2s in service (the eighty-third U2 was lost in a March 2001 accident and the eighty second was lost in an accident in late 2006).
However, demand for light rail has exploded in recent years. In the decade prior to 2006, the city's population grew by 25% to over 1 million people, while ridership on the C-Train grew at twice that rate, by 50% in only 10 years. This resulted in severe overcrowding on the trains and demands for better service. In December 2004, city council approved an order for 33 additional SD-160 vehicles from Siemens, and in December 2006, approved an order for 40 more. When all are finally delivered, the city's fleet will include 189 light rail vehicles. At that point in time the city will increase the frequency of trains from one every 5 minutes to one every 3 minutes during rush hour.
As of 2004 there is a total of 42.1 km of track; the three lines are 20.7 km (the southern line or A-Line), 9.8 km (the northeastern line or B-Line), and 11.0 km (the northwestern line or C-Line) in length.
In 2001, the C-Train became the first public transit system in Canada to claim all of its electricity from emissions-free wind power generation. The electricity is generated by TransAlta operating in the southernmost region of Alberta. The trains are powered from the same power grid as before; however, an equivalent amount of electricity is produced at the southern wind farms and "dedicated" to the C-Train. Under Alberta's free market for electricity, large consumers can contract to purchase their electricity from a specific vendor, although the individual electrons received off the province-wide grid may not be exactly the same as those transmitted. The only requirement is that supply and demand be the same at each end.
In the following section preliminary timelines for construction of future stations are referenced. For example, construction of a north C-Train line is not expected until after 2023. It should be noted that the city has, on several occasions, accelerated construction of C-Train expansion due to demand and available money. For example the McKnight-Westwinds station, now scheduled to open in 2007, was as recently as 2002 not planned until beyond 2010. Similarly, the timeline of construction of the south line extension was also pushed up several years due to increasing population and traffic volume.

Route details

There are currently two major routes in operation: 'Route 201' (Somserset-Bridlewood/Dalhousie) and 'Route 202' (Whitehorn/City Centre).

Fleet

★ Siemens-Duewag U2

★ Siemens SD-160[2]

Route 201

This route comprises two lines: the South Line, which was the first of the three lines to be built, and the Northwest Line, which is the newest of the three lines to be built. Currently there are eleven stations on the South line (of which two opened on 28 June, 2004) and seven on the Northwest line.

South Line

Seven stations on this line opened on May 25, 1981, as the first light railway line to serve the city. From north to south, they are Victoria Park/Stampede (originally Stampede), Erlton/Stampede (originally Erlton), 39 Avenue (originally 42 Avenue), Chinook, Heritage (also the site of the Haysboro LRT Storage Facility), Southland, and Anderson (also the site of the Anderson LRT Yards). On October 9, 2001, two new stations were added: Canyon Meadows and Fish Creek-Lacombe. On June 28, 2004, two more stations opened: Shawnessy and Somerset-Bridlewood. A twelfth station - Silverado (most likely in the area of 194th Avenue SW) - is planned for the future once the community of Silverado in the south is developed, likely beyond 2020.

Northwest Line

Five stations on this line opened on September 7, 1987. From the most central to the most northwesterly, they are Sunnyside, SAIT/ACAD/Jubilee (the station name in full is "Southern Alberta Institute of Technology/Alberta College of Art and Design/Jubilee Auditorium"), Lions Park, Banff Trail, and University. On August 31, 1990, Brentwood station was opened as a new terminus, and on December 15, 2003, Dalhousie Station was opened. An eighth station - Crowfoot (formerly Crowfoot-Centennial) - is currently under construction and will open in late 2008^[2], as well as a ninth station - Tuscany-Rocky Ridge - beyond 2023. An intermediate station near Northland Drive is possible in the future as well (between Brentwood and Dalhousie).

Route 202

This route comprises one line: the Northeast Line. All seven of these stations opened on April 27, 1985; from most central to most northeastern, they are: Bridgeland/Memorial, Zoo, Barlow/Max Bell, Franklin, Marlborough, Rundle, and Whitehorn. An eighth station - McKnight/Westwinds - is planned to open in 2007. Two more stations - expected to be named Martindale and Saddleridge - could be added beyond 2023, along with future stations in the 60th Street NE corridor in currently undeveloped land as the areas develop.

Future lines

Plans exist to build two additional lines from the city centre: a westbound line (which would serve as an extension to Route 202), and a southeastern line (which will likely be called Route 203). A third, northern line is to be planned beyond 2023, and will likely be called Route 204. A possible Route 205 spur is also planned, which would branch off of Route 202 and travel to the Calgary International Airport. Note: station names listed below are subject to change (as Calgary Transit has, on several occasions in the past, renamed approved stations prior to construction).

West Line

The plans for this line, which runs west from downtown, have existed since the beginning of construction of the South Line in 1978; it is now expected to open sometime between 2012 and 2014 in the Bow Trail and 17th Avenue SW corridors.^[3] The City of Calgary began a review process in late 2006 to update the plans to current standards and finalize the route. Funding has been approved from the Province of Alberta, which may be forthcoming in 2007 as part of Premier Ed Stelmach's election promise to the cities on infrastructure. Construction of this line may begin as early as 2008 pending a municipal election and following completion of the extensions of the NE and NW lines of the LRT system. It will likely be completed in a 3 to 4 year timespan.
The original plan called for seven stations; they are expected to be named (from east to west): West End, Sunalta (near the Greyhound Bus Depot), 26th Street West (Shaganappi), Westbrook, 45th Street West (Glendale), Signal Hill, and 69th Street West (near Westside Recreation Centre). It is also possible that the line may eventually continue as far west as 85th Street West (or even 101st Street West) in the future as those areas are built out. All stations, with an exception of Westbrook, will likely be located at grade, or at an elevated grade.

Southeast Line

This line is planned to run from downtown to the communities of Douglasdale and McKenzie Lake and McKenzie Towne in the southeast, and onwards past Highway 22X into the so-called "Homesteads" region east of the Deerfoot Trail extension. Seventeen stations have been planned for this route, of which up to eleven are expected to be built by 2023. Three of the proposed downtown stations are expected to be built underground^[4], and the rest of the line will follow the 52 Street SE corridor from Douglasdale and McKenzie Towne to Auburn Bay (south of Highway 22X) and then wind its way through Health Campus (adjacent to a planned southeast hospital) and Seton. Unlike Lines 201 and 202, which use high-floor U2 and SD-160 LRVs, Line 203 is expected to employ low-floor LRVs^[5], such as the Siemens Avanto.
From north to south, the proposed stations are: Eau Claire, Central (at 6 Avenue), Macleod Trail, 4 Street SE, Ramsay/Inglewood, Crossroads, Highfield, Lynnwood, Ogden, South Hill, Douglasdale (the last expected by 2023), Shepard, Prestwick, McKenzie Towne, Auburn Bay, Health Campus (the station likely will share the name of the hospital), and Seton, with further stations to the south expected in the future.^[6]

North Line and Airport Spur

Although it is not expected to be built until beyond 2023, this line (for which a route has not yet been determined) would likely go to serve the Country Hills community and go as far as the planned Stoney Trail beltway. The only part of the north line whereby an alignment has been determined is the portion that will follow Harvest Hills Boulevard north from Beddington Trail and a terminus. In addition, an airport spur (which could include a connection with a proposed high-speed rail service to Edmonton) is also possible, hence creating two lines running concurrently from 64th Avenue NE through to downtown.

Other future improvements

Currently, Calgary Transit operate three-car trains. The four newest stations—Dalhousie, McKnight-Westwinds, Shawnessy, and Somerset-Bridlewood along with the 1st Street station in Downtown—have been built to accommodate trains of four cars, and it is planned to expand the original stations to support four cars. The downtown stations and the South Line will be upgraded first, ending in 2013; followed by the Northwest Line (so as to be able to run four-car trains on Route 201) in 2015 and the Northeast Line in 2017. By 2023 Calgary Transit also plans to begin replacing some of the original Siemens-Duewag U2s (as of 2004 eighty-two of the original eighty-three are in service, and are nearing twenty-three years of service, and by 2023 will be forty-two years old). Ultimately, 40 new SD160 model C-train cars will be in service by the end of 2007. 15 of them have already come into service so far.

Downtown station refurbishment

In June 2007 the City of Calgary released information on the schedule for the refurbishment of the downtown stations.
^[7]. The plan involves replacing and relocating a number of the stations, and expanding other stations (such as Centre Street which was refurbished in 2001) to allow for four-car trains. Many of the new stations will keep their existing names, however they may be shifted one block east or west, or to the opposite side of 7th Avenue SW. The first station to undergo refurbishment will be the 7th Street SW station, which will be relocated one block to the east. The new stations will feature longer platforms for longer trains, better integration of the platforms into the sidewalk system, better lighting, and more attractive landscaping and street furniture.
Replacement of the 10th Street SW station with a new station at 11th Street SW has been postponed and will likely be completed as part of the West LRT project.

Underground infrastructure

Although it initially planned to build most of the downtown portion underground, and actually built some tunnels which still exist, the city deferred the plans due to the high costs and an economic recession. It also discovered that the surface system could accommodate higher passenger volumes than expected without incurring the costs of a tunnel. As a result of the original plans, when it built a new Municipal Building, it built an incomplete LRT station beneath it and a short section of tunnel leading to it under 8th Avenue S. The turnoff to this station is visible in the tunnel on Route 201 entering downtown from the south, shortly before City Hall. However, after urban explorers discovered the tunnel and visited it during a transit strike, the city walled off the spur tunnel with cinder blocks. The underground station it connects to still exists, although it is not open to the public.
As the population of metropolitan Calgary increases and growing suburbs require new lines and extensions, the higher train volumes will exceed the ability of the downtown section along 7th Avenue S to accommodate them. To provide for long-term expansion, the city is reviewing its plans to put parts of the downtown section underground. The current plans allow the expanded Route 202 (Northeast/West) to use the existing 7th Avenue S surface infrastructure. The expanded Route 201 (Northwest/South), currently sharing 7th Avenue S with Route 202, will be relocated to a new tunnel dug beneath 8th Avenue S. The future Southeast/Downtown route will probably enter downtown through a shorter tunnel under one or more streets (candidates include 2nd Street W, 5th Street W, 6th Street W, 8th Avenue S, 10th Avenue S, 11th Avenue S, and 12th Avenue S). The future North line will probably share track from the Zoo through downtown with the existing Northeast line (Route 202), avoiding the cost of a tunnel until passenger volumes grow too high. ^[8].
However, the city is unlikely to complete this expansion before 2023 unless additional funding is received from provincial or federal governments.

List of C-Train stations

'Route 201 (Northwest Line)' ★ ''North-West'' ★ ★ Crowfoot (opens late 2008) ★ ★ Dalhousie ★ ★ Brentwood ★ ★ University ★ ★ Banff Trail ★ ★ Lions Park ★ ★ SAIT/ACAD/Jubilee ★ ★ Sunnyside ★ ''Downtown'' ★ ★ 8th St. SW ★ ★ 6th/7th St. SW ★ ★ 3rd/4th St. SW ★ ★ 1st St. SW/Centre St. ★ ★ Olympic Plaza/City Hall 'Route 201 (South Line)' ★ ''South'' ★ ★ Victoria Park/Stampede ★ ★ Erlton/Stampede ★ ★ 39th Avenue ★ ★ Chinook ★ ★ Heritage ★ ★ Southland ★ ★ Anderson ★ ★ Canyon Meadows ★ ★ Fish Creek-Lacombe ★ ★ Shawnessy ★ ★ Somerset-Bridlewood

'Route 202 (Northeast Line)' ★ ''Downtown'' ★ ★ 10th St. SW ★ ★ 8th St. SW ★ ★ 6th/7th St. SW ★ ★ 3rd/4th St. SW ★ ★ 1st St. SW/Centre St. ★ ★ Olympic Plaza/City Hall ★ ★ 3rd St. SE ★ ''East'' ★ ★ Bridgeland/Memorial ★ ★ Zoo ★ ★ Barlow/Max Bell ★ ★ Franklin ★ ★ Marlborough ★ ★ Rundle ★ ★ Whitehorn ★ ★ McKnight-Westwinds (opens 2007)

See also

★ List of rapid transit systems

References

1. CTrain Facts
2. City of Calgary - Northwest LRT Extension - Dalhousie CTrain Station to Crowfoot CTrain Station
3. Calgary Transit - West LRT functional study
4. [3] Centre City Plan, Part 2, p. 79
5. [4] Beltline Area Redevelopment Plan, Part 2, pp 85-86
6. Calgary Transit - Southeast LRT plans
7. [5] 7 Avenue Refurbishment
8. Southeast LRT Planning Study

External links

★ Calgary Transit's official website

★ LRT in Calgary (an informative third-party web site)

★ www.ctrainmap.com (Google Maps version of the C-Train system)