TransEd announced on Thursday that the replacement of the cables on Edmonton’s Valley Line LRT has been completed and the company anticipates an opening date in the fall.
The Valley Line LRT expansion cost $1.8 billion and was originally supposed to begin passenger services in December 2020.
The cables had to be replaced because some were affected by oxidization. They were replaced with higher-quality cables, said TransEd, the private industry consortium contracted to build and operate the transit line.
“We upgraded the cables over the last nine weeks in order to make sure that when the lines open to passengers, we don’t have ongoing problems or issues that just kind of plague the system for a while. It was a much better solution,” said Dallas Lindskoog, communications manager for TransEd.
“Take the time now to shut everything down, kind of hit the reset, put these new cables in. So that the long-term system reliability is there for Edmontonians.”
These replacements should improve reliability for the next 30 years, TransEd said.
TransEd is working with a group of three independent certifiers who are witnessing tests and receiving reports of testing done on the line to determine if the line is ready to open to passenger service.
“Obviously the trains paused during the cable replacement,” Lindskoog said. “The auditors still want to see the trains running for a few weeks in order to complete their process. Once they’re satisfied, they’ll communicate that to the city and TransEd and the city will be in a position to determine a final opening date.”
Over the next few weeks, trains will operate along the 13-kilometre line, mimicking passenger services.
The Valley Line LRT will not use warning bells or crossing gates and will behave differently at intersections. Edmontonians are being asked to be aware of their surroundings.
“We’d like to remind Edmontonians to be vigilant and carefully follow all traffic rules and signage around the new line,” said Lindskoog.
For more information on safety visit the TransEd website.
The Valley Line was first announced to be ready for passengers in December of 2020 but got delayed until the end of 2021.
In October of 2021, the opening was delayed again to the first quarter of 2022 but in December 2021 it was announced the line would be delayed until the summer of 2022.
In August of 2022, TransEd found dozens of cracks in the concrete support pillars and delayed the line again.
In August 2022, city manager Andre Corbould said Trans Ed is responsible for any costs that occur because of delays as Edmontonians are protected under the terms of the public-private partnership (P3) agreement for the project.
“It’s TransEd’s responsibility for all of those costs,” Lindskoog said on Thursday morning. “They’re not borne by the taxpayer or Edmontonians at all. Similarly to our delays, all of those costs are borne by TransEd.”
The Valley Line LRT is now anticipated to open to passengers for the fall of 2023.
“We know Edmontonians are anxious for transit and the city to announce an opening date,” Lindskoog said. “We continue to work closely with the city (for) more information about the opening date, which we anticipate will be this fall.”
Shelly Green has heard promised opening dates before and she’s not celebrating the Valley Line just yet.
“Heard it before. When I can physically be on the train, then I know it’s up and running and we can get to where we want to go from the south side.
“It would be great to get it from Mill Woods,” she said.
“My daughter graduated last year from university. And she thought she’d actually be able to use it when she was in her four years of university. She never got to use it. And now she’s finished her degree and she’s in the workforce and she still can’t use the train,” Green said.
“It’s been too long. I love that we’re going to get it but the process has been too long.”
With files from Emily Mertz, Global News