New LRT station opens at NAIT Saturday well ahead of schedule
It isn't a very long line of track or the biggest stop along Edmonton's LRT network, but the new Metro Line expansion is open ahead of schedule – and on budget.
The NAIT/Blatchford Market LRT station on 109 Street and 116 Avenue was completed in December and opened to passengers Saturday.
The station was initially expected to be finished in 2025. Mayor Amarjeet Sohi said Tuesday the completion was a "significant infrastructure milestone."
“This extension further strengthens our LRT network and provides the north side of Edmonton with greater access to transit service," he said in a press release.
Tuesday, the city said the station had also been completed within its budget.
The new larger platform replaces the temporary NAIT LRT station. The city said the larger space will help meet future increases in ridership.
"The existing station is 100 metres long and accommodates up to three trains, whereas the new platform is close to 150 metres in length and allows to accommodate up to five trains long," said City of Edmonton project manager Eva Cheung.
It's around 100 metres more of a walk from the NAIT campus, but some students Saturday said they don't mind more steps if it means a more comfortable stop.
"I’m super excited about it," said student Leilah Zacharias. "I take this to school every single day and it’s super freezing all the time, so the fact that it’s going to be warmer makes me excited and makes me want to come to school more."
"It’s Canadian winter, it gets cold out here," said student Peter Grant. "So it’s good students have a place to wait for the train."
Bus and LRT service at the new NAIT/Blatchford Market station will remain the same as the temporary station, which has been closed. The city said work to demolish it and reclaim materials would start in the weeks following the opening.
Down the line, another station has also been completed but remains closed.
The Blatchford Gate LRT station is located further north. The city said it won't be opened until it meets the city's Transit Service Standards, which dictate when and how to add more service.
The area's member of Parliament said having the stop ready is important for unlocking the community's potential.
"That vision of 35,000 people living on the old airport site, the Blatchford community, making sure that that community is linked by LRT is really important," Randy Boissonnault, Edmonton Centre MP.
Both new stations are part of the first phase of the 1.6-kilometre Metro Line LRT northwest expansion.
The next phase will connect Blatchford Gate to a future station in Castle Downs.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Russia puts Ukrainian President Zelenskyy on its wanted list
Russia has put Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on its wanted list, Russian state media reported Saturday, citing the interior ministry’s database.
No proof man lied to brother about number of kittens born in litter, B.C. tribunal rules
A man was denied a $5,000 payout from his brother after a B.C. tribunal dismissed his claim disputing how many kittens were born in a litter.
A Chinese driver is praised for helping reduce casualties in a highway collapse that killed 48
A Chinese truck driver was praised in local media Saturday for parking his vehicle across a highway and preventing more cars from tumbling down a slope after a section of the road in the country's mountainous south collapsed and killed at least 48 people.
'I just can't believe that it took so long': Body found in wreckage 3 months after deadly fire
A man accused of arson in a January Old Strathcona apartment fire is expected to be charged with manslaughter after a body was discovered in the burned building late last month.
Two killed after collision with truck on Hwy. 417 near Limoges, Ont.
Ontario Provincial Police say two people were killed after a car and a transport truck collided in the westbound lanes of Highway 417 near Limoges, Ont. on Tuesday afternoon.
Quebec man who threatened Trudeau, Legault online sentenced to 20 months in jail
A Quebec man who pleaded guilty to threatening Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Premier François Legault has been sentenced to 20 months in jail.
A candidate for Germany's key party was beaten up while campaigning for European elections
A candidate for Chancellor Olaf Scholz's center-left party in next month's election for the European Parliament was beaten up and seriously injured while campaigning in an eastern city, the party said Saturday.
Explosion at train station leads to discovery of stolen car on Montreal's South Shore: police
Police are investigating after a BMW exploded in the St-Lambert Exo train station parking lot on Montreal's South Shore.
The pros and cons of discussing mental health issues in the workplace
A group of lawyers has written what they call a groundbreaking book about how mental health is perceived in the legal profession.