Yes! Phase 1 of the Green Line LRT, from Shepard to Eau Claire, is approved and moving forward. The project was reviewed, approved, and funded by the City of Calgary, Province of Alberta and the Federal Government in 2021.
Construction is already underway with projects in the Downtown, Beltline and Ogden – click the links below for details. Construction of stations, tracks and tunnels is expected to begin in 2024.
The construction schedule will be determined through our Development Phase, which began in May 2023. During this time, we are working with our Development Partner, Bow Transit Connectors, to develop the project schedule, advance the design, and negotiate risks and price. Once the Project Agreement is signed in 2024, the schedule will be shared.
Main construction of Phase 1, Shepard to Eau Claire, is on track to begin in 2024. Based on other projects of similar size and scale, it should take approximately five to six years to complete construction. The schedule will be confirmed during the Development Phase, prior to us signing the Project Agreement.
Phase 1 of the Green Line LRT is the largest infrastructure investment in our city’s history. This is a megaproject and requires the construction of stations, tracks, a tunnel under downtown Calgary, multiple bridges and elevated guideways, a maintenance and storage facility for Light Rail Vehicles (LRVs), Park and Ride facilities and much more.
It is helpful to compare the scale and timeline to other LRT projects in Calgary:
Bow Transit Connectors (BTC) was announced as Green Line’s Development Partner in May 2023. BTC brings together Barnard Constructors of Canada, LP, Flatiron Constructors Canada Ltd, and WSP Canada Inc, along with their financial advisor EllisDon Capital Inc. Collectively they bring shared expertise in underground, above-ground structures, and LRT design and construction to deliver Phase 1 of the Green Line LRT Project.
During the Development Phase, BTC is advancing design while the project cost, schedule and risk allocation are negotiated, prior to signing the Project Agreement in 2024 and beginning main construction. Their teams will be supported with local contractors, suppliers, and trades.
Our early works program, currently underway, is being performed by PCL Construction, the third-party utilities (ENMAX, Telus, etc.) and Graham Construction.
The full 46km vision for Green Line extends from Seton to 160 Avenue N. As funding becomes available, City Council will make the determination on north and south extensions.
Stations from south to north include:
There are plans for an Airport Transit Connector that would connect both the Green Line and Blue Line to the airport. Visit our Future Stages page for more information.
In July 2023, the City of Calgary announced that a study will be conducted to identify the optimal rail connection and alignment between downtown Calgary and the airport. The study will also include a ridership review, and development and evaluation of different alignment scenarios. For more information, visit the Airport Transit Study page.
In 2020, City Council approved the alignment for Stage 1, from Shepard to 16 Avenue N., which includes a bridge over the Bow River, connecting the Eau Claire station to Crescent Heights. This work will be advanced once Phase 2, from Eau Claire to 16 Avenue N is approved by the Green Line Board. More information about the preliminary planning and design of the Bow River Bridge is here.
Green Line has developed a Business Support Program with a team on-the-ground to keep businesses informed and help them prepare for the impacts of nearby construction. The best way business owners can connect with us and stay informed is to register your business with us.
Some examples of how we support businesses include:
Building safe transit infrastructure and providing safe Light Rail Vehicles (LRVs) are our top priorities. Visit these pages for more information on the safety features of our stations and vehicles:
Once Green Line is open it will be operated by Calgary Transit. The City of Calgary is committed to improving safety and security on Calgary’s transit system. The Transit Public Safety page outlines steps being taken to improve transit safety and weekly snapshots of transit safety incidents.
The City is focused on increasing staff, including Peace Officers, outreach teams and security guards, and making improvements to station lighting and surveillance. In May 2023, they also released a report on the potential of implementing a “closed system.”
Low-floor LRVs are now the preferred choice for new LRT systems across North America because they offer improved accessibility, enhanced vehicle and pedestrian safety, and the ability to integrate seamlessly into existing urban transportation networks.
With low-floor LRVs, train stations at street-level don’t need long ramps, stairs, or large platform structures. The low platforms are curb height (33 cm compared to 98 cm for high-floor trains), which allow for simpler station designs, resulting in cost savings when building the stations.
The Urbos 100 low-floor LRVs for Green Line are intended to operate exclusively on this line. Due to their low-floor design, they will not be compatible with the existing transit infrastructure on the Red and Blue Lines as station platforms are too high. There are also fundamental differences with the existing electrical network that would prevent the Green Line LRVs from running on the Red and Blue Lines.
