Green Line LRT project eyeing 2031 opening, city officials say

After more than a decade of planning, city officials are eyeing a 2031 opening for the Green Line light rail transit (LRT) project.

City administration presented an update on the project to Calgary city council on Tuesday, saying the southeast portion of the line remains on track. That runs from Shepherd to the Event Centre/Grand Central Station near Victoria Park. Wendy Tynan, the Green Line director, told council the section will have 10 stations and three park-and-ride locations.

The project is being managed in five chunks, with construction making significant progress since groundbreaking in June, Tynan said.

All of the city’s scheduling plans and approved funding have been built with the 2031 completion date in mind, she told council.

“Our team is firmly focused. Our contractors all know the date, and that is where we're trying to get revenue service for Calgarians."

The city is also working through a shortlist of five potential contractors for the rest of the work, which will begin in 2026.

Mayor Jeromy Farkas said “it’s nice to see, finally, traction” on the Green Line, since it is key to the city's goal of an improved transit system.

“I think Calgarians are ready for us to move on from the saga to actually deliver the transit options that we all need to be able to get safely to work affordably and reliably, and the Green Line is a big part of that,” he said.

Farkas also said he has been “heartened” by conversations with the provincial and federal governments on ensuring the project gets done.

Plans for the Green Line were significantly scaled back, after the province initially pulled its funding last year.

Since 2015, $1.6 billion has been spent on the Green Line. The current project has seen a combined $6.25 billion in funding from all three levels of government.

Downtown segment remains a sticking point

The vision for the Green Line is to see it extend from 160th Avenue N. to Seton in the southeast, Tynan said.

For now, the city is focused on Phase 1, which includes the southeast portion as well as a downtown segment.

And work on that downtown section, which would run from the Event Centre/Grand Central Station to Seventh Avenue S.W., is moving slower.

The province’s proposed elevated track alignment has proved controversial. Originally, the city had proposed an underground track system. The city is in the process of assessing the potential costs, risks and benefits of the elevated track system, city administration told council, with plans to start construction in 2027.

Ward 5 Coun. Raj Dhaliwal said he was concerned the province’s support for the project rests on whether the downtown track can run above ground, even if it is not the best option for the city.

“I see lots of risks, because we did an alignment options study in 2020 and it clearly said the elevated option is the least favourable,” Dhaliwal said. “Our hands are very tied because we are responsible for cost overruns.”

Speaking to the media, Farkas acknowledged several stakeholders have raised concerns about the elevated option, and the city is consulting with the community to figure out exactly what an elevated train line could look like.

WATCH | Calgary moving ahead with Green Line development despite unclear downtown connection:

The ultimate goal, however, is to get the southeast and downtown portions built so the city can focus on expanding the line to the north, Farkas said.

“Overall, the business case for the Green Line in its current form is relatively weak, and for us to fully realize the business case, we need to continue to build out to the far north and the far south," the mayor said.

Ward 4 Coun. DJ Kelly, who represents communities in the city’s north, said his “number one concern” is getting a northern Green Line expansion. But he agrees the city has to focus on getting the current segments completed first.

“I think that the current council couldn't ask for anything better right now ... but the project isn't done yet," said Kelly, "and I'm confident that we'll run into some other surprises as we go through."