In what has become a bit of a running joke in Edmonton the past few months, there’s was yet another collision between a vehicle and a Valley Line LRT train in south Edmonton.
The seventh collision since last fall happened Tuesday afternoon, operator TransEd said, where the line that runs along 83 Street intersects with 73 Avenue.
The company said it appears a northbound car made an illegal left turn against the “no left turn on red” signage to go east, causing a collision at 1:45 p.m. with the train that runs up the middle of the street.
“I can confirm that (the Edmonton Police Service) attended and there was very minor damage to the train, and no injuries to either driver,” TransEd spokesperson Dallas Lindskoog said in an email.
“The vehicle involved suffered damage to the front end primarily the bumper.”
TransEd said the investigation is still ongoing and the findings from the safety department were still ongoing.
It’s the latest collision between a vehicle and the yet-to-open Valley Line LRT, of which TransEd has ramped up testing in recent months.
In total, TransEd said there have been six collisions and all were the result of drivers not paying attention to signage and making illegal right turns.
- Nov. 8, 2022: 75 Street and Whitemud Drive
- Jan. 21: 83 Street and 82 Avenue/Whyte Avenue
- March 14: 75 Street and 51 Avenue
- March 17: 75 Street and Whitemud Drive
- March 20: 75 Street and 51 Avenue
- March 28: 83 Street and 90 Avenue
- April 18: 83 Street and 73 Avenue
A man laying near the tracks close to the Holyrood LRT station was also hit by a train a few weeks ago.
The 13-kilometre Valley Line southeast from Mill Woods to downtown is different from the current high-floor LRT system that the Edmonton Transit Service operates.
The line features low-floor, urban-styled trains that provide more pedestrian-friendly access with street-level stops.
In residential and commercial areas, embedded tracks are integrated to the established design and traffic flow of the area.
The city and TransEd have also said several times drivers will have to get used to not having crossing gates and audible bells in order to stay safe.
The line was built by public-private partnership contractor TransEd, a consortium made up of four companies: engineering firm Bechtel, construction company EllisDon, train builder Alstom (which acquired former builder Bombardier in 2021) and Fengate Asset Management.
TransEd is responsible for designing, constructing, operating and maintaining the line for the next 30 years.
The opening of the Valley Line has been delayed several times and is more than two years behind schedule as testing and repairs take place.
As has been the case since last year, there is still no confirmed timeline for when the line will be open to passengers.
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