Four-Car Platforms

Anybody who uses the LRT system on a regular basis can tell you what it’s like taking the train during rush hour in this city; it’s not unlike being pressed into a sardine can. Simply put, the trains in Calgary are over-crowded. The demand for the system is there, but the capacity is not.

One plan to ease this crunch is the eventual extension of all platforms to accommodate four car trains, instead of the existing three car system. This is a worthwhile project that with a minimum investment can increase the capacity of our current system by 33%. Many of the newer stations, those built after 2002, have already been built to this standard, as are those currently being built on the WLRT line. As well, most downtown platforms have been upgraded or are currently being upgraded to make this a reality. However, once the downtown corridor is complete, there will still be 22 stations in need of an extension, and while Council has been supportive, they have yet to make it a reality.

Currently, the only stations with actual timelines are Whitehorn on the NE line and Brentwood on the NW line. Whitehorn is being completely renovated and is expected to be completed by this time next year, while Brentwood lists a completion of ‘Late 2014.’ This is a project that needs to be done now, not five years from now, and I don’t understand why Council and Calgary Transit have been dragging their feet on this issue.

The total cost of expanding all stations to accommodate four car trains is around $80 million. This is an affordable cost, which has the blessing of Council, but yet isn’t being done. It’s great that people on Council have said they support this measure, but one of the things Calgarians expect from their City Council is action. So far, on the issue of four-car platforms, there has been very little.

The project was begun in 2005, when downtown stations began to receive their renovations, not simply extending the platform, but completely re-building them, creating a much more enjoyable pedestrian experience downtown. Five years later, a total of five stations have been completed and two are currently under construction. At this pace, it may take twenty years to see any progress on this important initiative. The WLRT is scheduled to be completed by December of 2012. That will be roughly two and a half years from its’ start. Why can an entire line be built in less than three years, but simple platform extensions are scheduled to take over ten years? It doesn’t add up.

Like so many projects in our city, Council needs to take more action to ensure things get done; not simply talk about how they support them, and hope they are eventually completed.

-The Butcher
www.billythebutcher.com
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