EDMONTON – The city is confirming there is an issue with the Metro LRT line, which has yet to open and has been delayed three times.
The line, which runs from the Health Sciences/Jubilee Station to downtown and on to NAIT, was supposed to be up and running now. However, there have been delays from the signal contractor.
The software was being worked on with a handover to the city planned for the end of the year. A city official confirms that handover won’t happen by Dec. 31, but that an early 2015 opening is still scheduled.
In a statement to Global News, the signal contractor, Thales Canada Inc., said:
“At this point, we would like to express that Thales is working in close cooperation with the City Of Edmonton to complete the project as quickly as possible, applying all its resources to the project throughout the holiday period. At the same time, Thales balances its efforts with the important need to meet the transit demand during the holiday period and limit passenger disruptions to a minimum.
“As you know, this is a complex environment, with a mix of new and existing infrastructure.
“Together with the City of Edmonton, we will ensure that the system is completely safe before we hand it over to the transit agency and complete preparations to open the Metro Line, including staff familiarization and training on the new system.”
The line was originally expected to be ready for passengers in April 2014. Several months prior, the city announced the opening date would be pushed back to June 2014. Then, in March, it was pushed to the end of the year.
Earlier this year, city officials had hoped to see the line running by February.
“I am frustrated and very disappointed,” said Mayor Don Iveson in October, when the line was delayed for the third time.
“Mark my words: the time for assigning blame will come.”
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