Edmonton Transit LRT System
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 7 ก.พ. 2025
- This entire video is about the history of the LRT system in Edmonton Alberta Canada. I have included many details including the DL MacDonald garage, the 3 types of LRT cars used, the construction completion dates and what's to come. Opening in 1977 Edmonton was the first city with under 1 million people to build a system like this and now has the largest fleet of U2 cars in north America if not the entire world. For another view from a motorman's perspective have a look here: • ETS Street Team: On th...
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Lucky!! In Toronto we have subway cars that entered service around the same time as these cars. The Hawker Siddeley H5s but retired the same year Edmonton's Siemens U2 cars was rebuilt. If only we Toronto did the same with the older subway cars
Yes, the U2s are sort of rare now, Calgary has a few still in service but they are soon to be scrapped. The U2s are a bit rough for a ride but they are nostalgic and fun to be on. Thanks for commenting
Wow, what a great video about our LRT! Subscribed and shared it. I'm mostly a cyclist, but love the LRT. We are awaiting it's expansion (in progress). This system is far superior to any kind of bus system. I recently made a video about it too, to show winter cyclists how the LRT can help them out with their commute on a snowy day. Greetings from the heart of Edmonton 👍
Thanks, I hope the city can get moving on the north leg of the Metro line, sooner rather than later.
@@TonyVRailfanning I will also get the LRT drivers to honk at me when they arrive.
In America we call them motorman
I love the old U2 rolling stock. Such a classic look.
Yes, this old U2 cars are quite unique
When a mass transit system is as clean and nice as you have there. It invites the public to use it. Nice work Tony.
When I was transferred to Baltimore md in 1985 I used their mass transit system.
Thanks, I’m sure we are not the only city that has clean trains but certainly given the age of the older U2 cars they held up well
Spectacular shots, and super interesting information! I never knew, and never would have known any of this without this video! How cool, great work Tony!
Thanks, thought I would do something different
Lovely photos, well expressed. Superb blog. Thank you. And the history was greatly appreciated.
Your so welcome, glad you enjoyed it
Wow,super clean city and transit system Tony. The covered stations kinda remind me of the ones in the older parts of Germany.
Take care of yourself and be safe out there.🌲
Many thanks
I use the LRT to go to Clareview on the weekend for exercise and swimming. Takes just an hour one-way vs. the bus (probably 2 transfers and over an hour long commute time each way). I've also been privileged to have to travel to all ends of the LRT system including the new Valley Line, mostly because of work.
It’s a good system not everybody likes it, but you can’t please everybody all of the time
Fricken loved this video! Those drone shots were just spectacular. Keep up the good work dude! 👍
Thanks, check out the other videos I have many views of trains from the air
@@TonyVRailfanning Fo sho!
Fantástico sistema de transporte rápido en Edmonton
Thank you!
I like the music you put on the video! 😄
Thanks
I didn’t
wow~~the video is good. I'll look forward to more awesome videos. I became your fan.~~Thank you for sharing the video.
Your very welcome, thanks for watching
Thanks for the video
Your welcome
Awesome video! I went to school in Edmonton and know it well!
Thanks, Born and still living here after 50 years myself
I really miss Edmonton Transit in all of its incarnations!!!
I hear how Edmonton’s light rail gets some impressive numbers of patronage. I wonder if somewhere down the line the fleet will be converted to Metro style Vehicles. Boston’s Blue Line is a perfect example. The line was originally a streetcar but in the 1920’s it was converted to high platform. So the dimensions of Blue Line trains to this day are substantially shorter than most heavy rail metros due to clearance issues with narrow Boston Harbor Tunnel and the tight turns found in the Downtown Boston area.
Yes prior to Covid ridership was quite high at 120,000 people per day. It will be interesting to see how the newer lines develop. The city seems to like the idea of the low floor trains.
At 125 metres long (410 feet), the Edmonton LRT trains are already in metro territory. I believe they are the longest LRT consists in North America.
6:01 awesome horn
Ya, these SD160s have an electronic old fashioned whistle.
Valley SE started construction in 2016, not 2018, but otherwise, this is a great video of Edmonton's LRT System!
Thanks for the compliment and the comment about the date being wrong.
Really awesome! You captured the vibe of the city pretty well, Edmonton was the first city in western Canada that I visited.
I noticed that ETS made a name change from Edmonton Transit System to Edmonton Transit *Service,* is there any idea why they made the name change like that?
Thanks for the comment, Not really sure why the slight name change but maybe just to align with what other cities call them.
@Karl von Bahnhof I think you're talking about yourself by accident.
@@TonyVRailfanning What is the second music for this video?
60th Comment!!!
I always thought it was "Low Rail Transit" as a kid
Very informative video!
Thanks for watching!
Actually the Edmonton LRT opened in 1977.
And Edmonton's LRT was the first "purpose built LRT system" in the World of any size of city. All older LRT systems are streetcar systems upgraded to LRT systems after 1977. Let me be clear, Edmonton's is the first LRT system in the World.
No
@@ohhi2002 Yes.
Now they have 2 systems - one with high floors and one with low floors.
Low floor seems to be the new normal for most cities
Can you do a Calgary transit ctrain documentary like this one
That would take some time but I can look into it this summer
Cool!
I was born in Edmonton at the royal Alex hospital
Wow
10:11 It's every 5 mins, not 4.
The Capital Line runs every 5, but the Metro Line shares the same tunnel every 15 minutes: that's 16 trains per hour, one every 3.75 minutes.
So eglington crosstown in Toronto vs edmonton new line. I wonder who will finish first? I'll put my money on Edmonton considering they have been building this damn thing for 10 plus years...and I live in Toronto. Whoever made this video....if they ever finish this thing ever...please come to Toronto and make a video of the crosstown.
Oh yes, they are doing a Finch West LRT to in Toronto..which they claim they will finish in 2023...which I highly doubt that. Your video's would be awesome for that.
lol yup, it’s been a crazy construction schedule for this line. A lot of errors and setbacks. When it’s open (by this fall) I’ll get video of it. My in-laws live in Oshawa so once this pandemic is over I plan a trip there
The second and first train kinda looks the same as Calgary’s c trains
Yes, the same modes however Edmonton was first to get there’s by 4 years (the U2 model)
😍😍😍😍😍😍😍
I am not a fan of the LRT.
It's always in my way and accessing it, with the bus system, is a pain.
Putting up with what I'll term as "transit theater " is also less than ideal. However your stats are impressive.
I do hope that once the valley line is fully operational to the west that the system will integrate with the bus system better
Based on its Rustic theme I always thought Grandin/Government center was the first one ever built.
I consider that one my favourite out if all of them lol
Ya, grandin is certainly a nice station.
Moscow by far has the best Metro transit anywhere!
Yeah, and the best weather.
@MultiCappie Actually, Edmonton and Moscow are on the exact same parallel of latitude, both are far from the ocean, and as such have very similar climates.
@@MultiCappieCough,cough, cough and cough! C'MON MAN! 😊
@@gavinmclaren9416 The point is, Moscow has neither the best weather nor the best metro transit.
Those newer trains cost $1.5M each!
Everything is expensive, new Busses cost 150k (battery powered busses more than double that) and hold far less passengers plus you need a driver for each bus. Trains carry hundreds of passengers each and last way longer
Edmonton the eyesore capital
it is 1978
1977.
April 22nd 1978
Nom 3:.’ BBF en
Calgary Transit operates approximately 50 U2 cars. 😉
Nope, they have almost all been retired and in storage. Edmonton is possibly going to purchase some for parts
Railfanning with Tony V there's still 39 in service.
Actually Calgary has the largest fleet of u2s in north amercia
Nope, Calgary has sold some to edmonton for parts and many of them are now out of service
Currently Calgary has 39 u2s in service as of 2021 and Edmonton has 37 cars and 39 is greater then 37
@@rezakarim8774 I would like to know where you get that info from because my contact says otherwise.
@@TonyVRailfanning According to Wikipedia, as of March 2020, Calgary had 39 U2 LRV's still in service. If you have a different number, we'd love to hear it.
@@coreymcdonald7745 Calgary sold 5 to Edmonton for a parts source and 20 have been retired. They only keep a handful ready just as a backup.
Lol corona station
In the three years pre-Covid, North American Construction moved from Calgary to Edmonton; Aurora Cannabis moved from Vancouver to Edmonton; Flair Airlines also moved from B.C. to Edmonton; Google Deep Mind (AI) opened it's first office outside London in Edmonton; Improbable Worlds (gaming) (another Google affiliated company) also opened its (now) largest office outside London in Edmonton; three Chinese companies (E.H. Logistics, WeFaces, Lightbox) have opened their sole North American bases in Edmonton, and Edmonton based Stantec Engineering took over MWH, thus becoming the 7th largest engineering/design company in the World. All of those companies chose Edmonton ahead of Calgary and Vancouver.
Edmonton leads Canada in engineering, nanotechnology, AI, and cannabis, three of the most important growth industries, and is ahead of both Calgary and Vancouver in all tech not related to O&G or visuals production. Edmonton is also ahead of Calgary in tourism and has the all the top 4 Alberta based financial institutions' headquarters.
Since 2012, Edmonton has been the fastest growing CMA in Canada, and since 2015 the Edmonton CMA has had both the highest GDP per capita and the highest disposable income in Canada.
Thanks for that detailed information MultiCappie.
We don’t need the Valley Line, but to improve the safety of the service. With the new line, it will only provide more spaces for the homeless to arouse trouble, more risk for the normal, law keeping populations!
Although I understand your thoughts the city is far too large to not have a system to move people downtown and back, the pandemic is the cause to this issue and more security at stations is going to be necessary till things get better