Last Sunday was the 40th anniversary for the Edmonton LRT.

April 22nd 1978 was the opening of North America’s first modern LRT line, now part of the Capital Line in Edmonton, running 6.9 km from Central station in downtown to Belvedere in the northeast. This included a short tunnel section with two underground stations and three above-ground ones, including stops at the Commonwealth Stadium and the Coliseum. Opening of the line was meant to serve the Commonwealth Games, which were held in Edmonton in the summer of that year. The system has since expanded to 24.3 km and a total of 18 stations. Below you’ll find some photos of the LRT line.

The original Siemens-Düwag U2 cars continue to operate in regular service. Thanks Michael Roschlau for the info.

Stay tuned for more history and news from the Canadian Transit Heritage Foundation!