CTrain fleet refresh picking up speed with new vehicle rollout

Calgary Transit is making CTrain travel more comfortable for customers, with new C10 light rail vehicles (LRVs) going into service this week. It is the first time in six years new LRVs are being added to Calgary Transit’s fleet. These new trains will keep CTrain service reliable, cost-effective, and are a big step to modernizing public transit in Calgary.

“The new C10s, or Mask LRVs, as we know them by their design, gives CTrain riders modern amenities, such as heated floors, onboard digital displays, air conditioning and improved accessibility.” says Sharon Fleming, director of Calgary Transit. “They’ll be more reliable with lower maintenance costs. They’re a big step up from the original U2 trains that they’re replacing.”

Three new Mask LRVs will begin duty this week joining 69 other C9 model LRVs (also of the Mask design) already in service.

“Calgary continues to attract people from across the country and around the world. And as we grow and modernize, so must the transportation network we rely on. These new C10 cars are a step forward for our city, and means a more reliable, more comfortable transit system for each and every Calgarian who relies on it,” says Calgary Mayor Jeromy Farkas.

After more than 40 years of service, Calgary Transit’s latest LRVs will replace the last of the long-serving U2 cars, which are well past the end of their service life and ripe for decommissioning. Calgary Transit plans to put 37 more Mask LRVs into service over the next two-and-a-half years as aged-out U2 cars come off the track.

“This phased rollout will enable us to fully retire our remaining U2 CTrain cars in 2028,” says Fleming. “Our U2s have been stalwarts, serving our city well since the 1980s. Our new LRVs will provide a better customer experience today and position us for future growth.”

There are 217 LRVs in Calgary Transit’s CTrain fleet, including 32 U2 cars. Calgary Transit most recently added new LRVs in 2020, when it put into service the last of its original 69 Mask LRVs delivered between that year and 2016.

The CTrain began operation in 1981 and handles more than 150,000 passenger trips every weekday, making it one of the busiest light rail transit systems in North America.

Courtesy: The City of Calgary Newsroom