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Calgary's C-Train LRT shut down again after collision

FROM: Calgary, Alberta – September 11, 2018

A man is in the hospital in critical condition after being struck by a light rail train in Calgary this afternoon. Investigators subsequently shut down a 3-station section of Calgary’s Northeast LRT line, causing major delays for C-Train commuters. It is not the first time this has happened this year.

Global News Calgary, CTV News Calgary and the Calgary Herald report that the collision occurred at approximately 3:15PM mountain time. The victim was dragged by the train several stations down the line before the driver discovered that someone had been hit.

The resulting shut-down of service required passengers to board replacement shuttle buses, lengthening many PM rush hour C-Train commutes. Calgary Transit reported that trains were not fully returned to schedule until 5:45PM mountain time – a total disruption time of 2-and-a-half hours.

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.

Any one of these busy intersections could be blocked and shut down if there is an accident.

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 a trustworthy and reliable service. A street-running LRT system will not deliver one.

About SkyTrain for Surrey

SkyTrain for Surrey is the community organization that advocated for the Surrey-Langley SkyTrain extension, and continues to push for high-quality rapid transit projects in Surrey and Langley. We began as a petition calling for the scrapping of a street-level LRT proposal, which eventually amassed more than 6,000 signatures, and later contributed to making SkyTrain an election issue as a registered third-party advertiser. SkyTrain for Surrey continues to call for high-quality projects that offer a positive return-on-investment and recognize the rapidly increasing demand for transit.

Media Contact:

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

Calgary’s C-Train LRT shut down again after collision