Delayed Edmonton LRT line resumes testing, express bus route launches in Terwillegar – Edmonton

The delayed Valley Line Southeast LRT is expected to resume testing in the downtown area, and a potential opening date for the line could come in the next few weeks, according to a City of Edmonton spokesperson.

“Passenger service cannot begin until the independent safety auditors complete their assessments,” said Jyllian Park, a communications advisor in the city’s  integrated infrastructure services department.

“More information about a potential opening date for Valley Line Southeast will be provided as the cable replacement, testing and independent certification processes are finalized in the coming weeks.”

Mayor Amarjeet Sohi couldn’t give any more details on an opening for the line, which was scheduled to open in December 2020, but expressed his frustration at the continuous delays.

“Even though (the delays) are not costing us more, that service should have been in place two years ago,” Sohi said.

“We expect soon it will open, but I don’t have a firm date at this time.”

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Valley Line LRT signalling cable replacements coming

The latest delays were announced in June, when TransEd, the private industry consortium contracted to build and operate the transit line, said it discovered signalling system cables that needed to be replaced to improve long-term system reliability.

Sohi’s remarks were made at an opening ceremony Thursday for a different transit accomplishment: a new express bus route on Terwillegar Drive.

Route 31 will run on weekdays, excluding statutory holidays, and will take 35 minutes to get from Leger Transit Centre in Terwillegar to the University of Alberta, thanks in part to a dedicated bus lane along the newly expanded Terwillegar Drive, the city said.

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Terwillegar Drive expansion may be ‘at risk’ amid budget deliberations: Edmonton councillor

“Investing in transit infrastructure, like this new bus lane, is an important step in transforming our transit network to meet future population growth and give people more choice in how they move around,” said in a news release.

Route 31 is meant to eventually run between Ambleside and the university as a bus-rapid transit route, the news release said.

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