Calgary breaks ground on long-awaited Green Line LRT project

It’s been years in the making, and now a groundbreaking will officially be held for Calgary’s Green Line LRT. Hannah Lepine reports.

After years of discussions and planning, city officials broke ground on Calgary’s Green Line LRT project on Thursday.

A groundbreaking ceremony was held at the site of the future Shepard LRT station in the city’s southeast, kicking off Phase 1 of the project.

“Today’s groundbreaking is truly a significant milestone,” said Minister of Transport and Internal Trade Chrystia Freeland. “This is a tangible step towards making public transit a more accessible, reliable, efficient and desirable option for Calgarians.”

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This first phase of the Green Line is Calgary’s largest-ever infrastructure investment, with $6.248 billion in funding from all three levels of government.

However, city officials say they’ve identified at least $1.3 billion in additional costs the city will have to cover.

“The Green Line LRT is a generational investment that will create thousands of jobs, unlock new opportunities for housing and development and shape Calgary’s growth for decades,” said Mayor Jyoti Gondek. “Calgarians have waited a long time for this moment, and today we deliver on our commitment.”

The southeast segment, from Shepard to the future Grand Central Station, will build the first 10 stations and 16 kilometres of track, before connecting with the future downtown segment.

It will also deliver 28 new modern low-floor light rail vehicles.

“I think when Calgarians start seeing the rails in the ground, the power lines going up and the stations starting to get built, we will get the momentum to get the job done,” said David Cooper, a transit expert and mobility consultant. “It’s actually pretty significant that it’s actually happening, and I think people need to see that for the project to progress.”

The design of the downtown segment is expected to be completed by next year, with construction starting in 2027.

The provincial government’s preferred alignment for a train through downtown is on an elevated track.

“The Green Line is a long-term investment in the city’s future,” said Premier Danielle Smith. “Our government is pleased to support this next chapter in Calgary’s story.”