EDMONTON -- A woman whose face was left broken and bruised after an altercation on an Edmonton LRT train says she is nervous about riding on the system again without security improvements being made.

Cassidee Hogan says she was on her way from the Sir Winston Churchill Station to Belvedere when the assault happened on Wednesday at noon.

According to the Edmontonian, Hogan stepped in to a heated exchange between a middle-aged woman and a second older woman regarding Don Cherry.

"There was a lady sitting across from an elderly lady on the other side of the train, getting in her face, berating her about Don Cherry. So I yelled across the train, 'No one wants to hear this. If you want to fight, go on Facebook.'"

Hogan told CTV News Edmonton the middle-aged woman then approached her and slammed her head against a post, causing Hogan to momentarily black out.

When Hogan came to underneath the bench, she said the woman was kicking and kneeing her in the face.

Other LRT passengers hit the panic button and Hogan eventually called 911 when the train stopped, but she said it took 15 minutes for Edmonton Police Service and another estimated 10 to 15 minutes for an ambulance to arrive. She added ETS personnel, save one operator of a train heading in the opposite direction, were slow to respond.

EPS confirmed it had been called at 12:45 p.m. and that officers met the train at Belvedere Station.

"It was reported that the two females, who were not known to one another, became engaged in a verbal argument that escalated to a physical fight, which then escalated further to an assault," a police spokesperson said.

A 52-year-old woman faces one charge of assault causing bodily harm.  

Hogan was not charged, but she was left with a broken orbital bone, two facial fractures, one-millimetre laceration across her eye lid and bleeding on the left side of her face. She said there's a 50 per cent chance of being able to see out of her left eye again.

"I just really couldn't believe it was happening at noon in public on an LRT with that many people around, considering there was a security guard in the station and when I was leaving, he still had no clue what was going on," Hogan said.

"I think if the emergency button is pressed, there should be somebody there to respond."

However, the City of Edmonton says the altercation was dealt with as quickly as possible given safety is its highest priority and that the woman charged was handed a one-year service ban.

"The emergency button on the train was pushed, and that call went directly to the LRT Operator in the cab of that particular train. The operator immediately contacted the LRT Control Centre who quickly contacted EPS and EMS who were then dispatched to the scene," a statement from the City reads.

"All safety procedures and protocols were followed."

It also referenced a safety and security plan to make more than $20 million in upgrades. Since last fall, ETS has added security guards and Transit Peace Officers, equipped buses with onboard security cameras and is in the process of adding retractable bus shields, and given the majority of its staff additional training for dangerous situations.

But Hogan says the incident has left her nervous to use transit again.

"Seeing as I take it daily, that's not really OK with me. But I guess I'll have to figure out how to deal with that, and people, again," she commented.

"I really think something needs to be done and put in place. I mean, if they spent $20 million on security last year—where is the security and what are they doing?"

The City of Edmonton has counted a 25 per cent reduction in crimes reported to police on ETS property since last fall, and an improved perception of safety from transit users.  

Hogan said she doesn't regret intervening, despite the results.

"I'm not OK with the situation, so I'll do it again if I have to."