Edmonton LRT system-wide closure Sunday morning for Thales signal testing

The entire LRT network across Edmonton will be closed to passengers for several hours on Sunday as the city tests the signalling system by Thales — the contractor behind the Metro LRT system.

From 5 a.m. until 11 a.m. on Jan. 13, service on both the Capital and Metro Line LRT will be suspended while the testing takes place. The city said trains will be running on the tracks, but people will not be permitted to board.

This closure is the first of several planned as part of the evaluation of Thales signalling system, which has been under scrutiny for years.

READ MORE: Edmonton will spend months testing Metro LRT Line signal system; Thales says it’s ready

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The city expects there will be one and a half days of system-wide LRT closures each month to accommodate their testing.

The city expects it will take a number of months to complete the evaluation, which it said includes a review of documentation and field testing to determine whether Thales has met its contractual obligations.

Edmonton Transit Service (ETS) will have replacement buses every 15 minutes on the Metro Line between NAIT and Churchill, including eastbound bus stops by Bay and Central stations. Capital Line replacement buses run every seven to eight minutes.

The problem-plagued Metro Line has experienced several issues since it opened more than a year late in September 2015, including crossing arms coming down on green lights and trains heading in opposite directions on the same set of tracks.

READ MORE: New Metro LRT plan includes Thales deadline, bridge over Yellowhead, proposed train to St. Albert

Earlier this year, the city issued a notice of default to Thales.

A new timetable was established to fix the remaining issues with the system, and Tuesday, Dec. 4, 2018, was the date to hand the system over to the city to operate.

Thales said the system is ready after it was tested over last summer. The city is now conducting its own testing.

READ MORE: 1 week from deadline, Thales says Metro Line LRT signalling system ‘ready to go’