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Edmonton LRT closures planned for signalling system work

The Metro Line LRT in Edmonton, near the Royal Alexandra Hospital. Dave Carels, Global News

There will be some major disruptions for LRT riders as the system undergoes work for the Metro Line’s alternative signalling system.

On Feb. 25 and 26, the Metro Line will be closed. Transit users will have to take bus routes 8 and 9 to travel between Churchill and NAIT stations. On these days, Capital Line trains will continue to run every 15 minutes between Century Park and Clareview stations.

On Feb. 27 and 28, the entire LRT system will be closed — both the Capital and Metro lines.

The City of Edmonton said people may still see trains running, but they will not be picking up or dropping off passengers. On Feb. 27 and 28, Capital Line replacement buses will run between Century Park and Clareview every eight minutes. The stops are marked by a red decal that says “LRT Replacement.”

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An LRT Replacement bus stop in Edmonton. Courtesy, City of Edmonton

Those who typically take the Metro Line can use bus routes 8 or 9 between Churchill and NAIT stations, the city said. These routes run every 15-30 minutes on weekends.

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The City of Edmonton said the line closures are needed to accommodate testing and commissioning work for the Metro Line’s alternative signalling system.

“Once testing and commissioning is complete, a decision will be made on when Edmonton’s LRT system can switch over to the new Alstom system. This switch could occur as early as Monday, March 1, 2021,” the city said in a news release Wednesday.

In November 2019, the city announced a brand new signalling system would be installed on the Metro Line.

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The announcement came after years of back and forth with the original signalling contractor Thales, which ultimately ended in the city terminating its contract with Thales Canada in April 2019.

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