Testing for the Valley Line Southeast LRT has now reached the "warm-up" phase, which means more trains are running along the tracks, TransEd has announced.
Episode 213 of Speaking Municipally updated listeners on the line's progress, illustrated by TransEd in an infographic released on March 10.
"I think the trains might open this year," co-host Troy Pavlek said before explaining the steps that TransEd has outlined on the journey to opening the line. "I think it's going to happen before Folk Fest, I'll put that on the record."
An opening date for the much-delayed line has not yet been announced. The Edmonton Folk Music Festival takes place in Gallagher Park from Aug. 10 to 13.
Scenario testing, which includes emergency evacuations, power failures, security threats, and collisions, has now been completed. The next phase of testing — called system demonstration testing — will ramp up the frequency and size of trains running along the full 13 km of tracks. You'll notice more trains during peak times, for instance.
With the increase in trains, TransEd is once again reminding Edmontonians to prioritize safety around the LRT. "Never rush to beat a train and never stop on the tracks. When you see tracks, expect a train."
Hear more about this, as well as the provincial government's decision to mandate body-worn cameras for police officers, the latest statistics on transit safety, and new funding for affordable housing on the March 17 episode of Taproot's civic affairs podcast. The podcast will be off next week, with new episodes resuming on March 31.