• Calgary’s Light Rail Network: Outlining the existing Red and Blue Lines and the planned Green Line—perfect for grounding our discussion in how the system has grown and is evolving.

• Since the CTrain’s Debut in 1981, Calgary’s LRT system has steadily transformed the city’s landscape and mobility. The Red Line marked the beginning, when it launched as a southwest-to-downtown link following approval of the LRT concept in 1976. This original segment, stretching 12.9 km from Anderson Road into the core, swiftly exceeded its projected daily ridership of around 40,000 passengers.

• Encouraged by this Success, the City expanded northward, adding a segment in the late 1980's heading toward the University of Calgary and beyond. Despite initial routing debates, momentum accelerated with the 1988 Winter Olympics boosting support for the northwest extension.

• Simultaneously, the Blue Line found its roots in the original LRT plan but branched northeast first. It opened in 1985, threading from downtown out to Whitehorn.

• Over the following decades, both lines went further afield. The Red Line pushed northwest to Brentwood by 1990 and continued growing—reaching Dalhousie by 2003, Crowfoot in 2008, and Tuscany by 2014. To the south, the line extended to Fish Creek–Lacombe in 2001 and Somerset–Bridlewood in 2004.

• Meanwhile, the Blue Line expanded northeast to McKnight-Westwinds in 2007 and further to Martindale and Saddletowne by 2012, while its western leg extended to 69 Street SW, also opening in 2012.

• By the late 2010's, both lines had upgraded platform capacity. A citywide program—completed in 2017—expanded station platforms for four-car trains, boosting capacity significantly (adding roughly 200 passengers per trip).

• Now comes the Green Line—set to be the most ambitious infrastructure investment in Calgary’s history. Construction formally broke ground in June 2025, signalling the start of Phase 1, which includes a southeast (SE) segment from Shepard Station to the future Event Centre/Grand Central Station, as well as a Downtown segment currently under functional planning

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• Phase 1 will deliver approximately 17 km of twin-track LRT, 12 new stations, three park-and-ride facilities, a maintenance and storage facility, and 28 modern low-floor LRVs—all made possible by coordinated funding from the federal, provincial, and municipal governments totaling around $6.25 billion.

• Once fully realised, the Green Line will span 46 km with 29 stations, pushing the CTrain network to about 74 stations total. It aims to link communities from Seton in the southeast through downtown to areas north of 160 Avenue N. Its strategic importance extends far beyond transport—by facilitating transit-oriented development, enhancing redevelopment opportunities, opening over 190,000 jobs within walking distance of stations, and encouraging up to 70,000 new housing units nearby.

• The Green Line is also projected to improve travel — for instance, trips from Shepard to downtown could shrink by up to 25 minutes compared to bus travel, and congestion on major roadways like Deerfoot Trail is expected to drop by about 10 %.

• Add to that the Environmental gains—such as shifting millions of car trips to transit, reducing greenhouse gas emissions by tens of thousands of tonnes, and offering safer, healthier walking access owing to new multi-use pathways around stations.

• Through these Expansions, the LRT network has genuinely transformed community transport in Calgary, enabling faster, more reliable travel; reducing car dependency; fostering development; and promoting sustainable, accessible city living.