Edmonton Transit taking over operation of Valley Line

A person watches a Valley Line Southeast train arrive at the downtown 102 Street stop on Nov. 6, 2023. (CTV News Edmonton / Matt Marshall)

Operation of Edmonton’s newest LRT line is being shifted to the city’s transit service.

The City of Edmonton said Tuesday in a media release that the Edmonton Transit Service will take over as the long-term operator of the Valley Line, which includes the currently operating southeast and future west legs, from TransEd.

The city chose the public-private partnership that includes transportation giant Bombardier and major construction firm EllisDon in 2016 to design, build, operate and maintain the $1.8-billion southeast line, which opened for LRT riders in late 2023.

Eddie Robar, the city’s manager, said in the release that the decision to have Edmonton Transit take over operation of the line “is the outcome of a complex and diligent business case analysis to determine the most effective and financially responsible operating model for the entire 27-kilometre Valley Line.”

“This is a business decision in the interests of taxpayers and transit riders, not a reflection on TransEd,” he said.

The transition from TransEd to Edmonton Transit, which begins immediately, will take one to two years, the city said.

The $2.7-billion western leg of the Valley Line, which runs from 102 Street downtown to Lewis Farms on the far west end and is being built by Marigold Infrastructure Partners, is scheduled to be finished in 2028 followed by testing.

The Valley Line is Edmonton’s third LRT route. The city’s first, the Capital Line, opened with five stations in April 1978 and has been expanded in the years since, including current work worth $1.4 billion extending it to the southwest Heritage Valley from Century Park. The northside Metro Line, Edmonton’s second LRT route, cost $665 million to build opened in September 2015 between Churchill Station and NAIT.