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Another pedestrian is dead after being hit by light rail train in Calgary

  • Commuter Chaos

Calgary, Alberta – October 15, 2018

Within hours of an incident earlier today where a 6-year-old girl has been struck and killed by a light rail train, another pedestrian has been hit by a light rail train in Calgary and has died of their injuries.

The Edmonton Sun pointed out that both fatal incidents occurred on level crossings along the LRT line, but this one occurred in a different station vicinity. In this case, a man was hit by a C-Train and was not transported to the hospital as he had been killed instantly by the moving train.

Earlier today, LRT service shut downs from the death of a 6-year-old girl caused service delays for over 3 hours. For the second time today, C-Train service on the Red Line has been disrupted in both directions, and shuttle buses were replacing C-Train service in the area. Long traffic back-ups were reported in both directions, radiating from the incident.

See also: 6-year-old girl struck, killed by light rail train in Calgary

Calgary “cheaped out in the 80’s”

Earlier today, C-Train passengers had vented their frustration on social media, offering suggestions and posting pictures showing long line-ups, crowds and confusion as a result of the delays. Some people pointed out that “many people had been hit over the years”, as a result of the at-grade running of the system.

Surrey’s LRT proposal will be prone to fatal collsions.

The proposed Surrey Light Rail Transit system will run at street level on segments of 104th Avenue, King George Boulevard and Fraser Highway. Incidents like this where LRT trains are involved in collisions with vehicles or pedestrians can prove fatal for those who are hit, and generally necessitate complete shut downs of that segment of the LRT system.

Once again, this incident highlights a major, fundamental flaw of the proposed street-running light rail system endorsed by TransLink, the Regional Mayors’ Council, and the City of Surrey. The proposed LRT lines run in the medians of major arterial roads, and would cross through several busy intersections at street level.

Accidents have disrupted light rail service in Calgary in three separate incidents that were highlighted by SkyTrain for Surrey: in May, July and September.

SkyTrain for Surrey has called for the cancellation of the Surrey-Newton-Guildford LRT project, the conversion of the Surrey-Langley LRT into a SkyTrain extension of the Expo Line, and the construction of Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) on King George Boulevard and 104th Avenue (instead of an LRT). With BRT’s ability to detour around accident areas, and SkyTrain’s ability to simply pass overhead, a rapid transit system built on SkyTrain and BRT would not be subject to total disruptions.

Surrey residents expect their future rapid transit system to be trustworthy and reliable. A street-running LRT system will not deliver.

Commuter Chaos

SkyTrain for Surrey is a BC-based community organization that has advocated for the expansion of the Vancouver SkyTrain system, including our successful advocacy for the under-construction Surrey Langley SkyTrain extension.

Commuter Chaos stories are our documentation of the inevitable outcome of choosing an LRT system, especially when it is chosen in place of a SkyTrain or a grade-separated metro. 

Media Contact: Daryl Dela Cruz ​– Founder, SkyTrain for Surrey ・ Phone: +1 604 329 3529, [email protected]

Another pedestrian is dead after being hit by light rail train in Calgary