Calgary Transit launches 4-car C-Train service; capacity to increase by 33%
Calgary Transit launches 4-car C-Train service; capacity to increase by 33%
Today, Calgary’s C-Train is carrying over 333,000 passengers a day and is the most heavily used new build LRT system in North America. No wonder the SkyTrain lobby hate the C-Train so much!
Also worth noting that modern LRV’s being delivered to Calgary, able to carry 200 passengers cost about the same as ART Mk.2 car which can carry about 110 persons, crush loaded.
Calgary Transit currently operates as a single fare zone, with a flat rate fare for all standard service including bus, BRT, and the C-Train. The cost of an adult 1 zone fare is $3.15, a monthly adult pass is $99.00. No need for an extremely expensive Compass Card and fare gate system.
Simplicity and affordability is just not in TransLink’s lexicon.
More and more, the SkyTrain ALRT/ART rapid transit system becomes the Edsel of public transit.
Actually haven’t you consistently slammed the Calgary C-train? Pretty sure I frequently use Calgary as an example of LRT done better than Portland which for some reason you love.
Zwei replies: Is that the best you can do?
Run one of these down the HOV lane on Hwy 1 from Brunette to Abbotsford (where the province is going to widen the hwy to 6 lanes).
Do I need to do more? You should probably look at old comments, you will note that it is usually me stating Calgary has a pretty good system with you saying if only it did not function as an S-bahn…
Zwei replies: After dealing with Calgary transit many times over the years, I pretty well know the system. It is a very heavy built LRT, in fact it is a borderline light-metro and was designed as such, but it still retains the ability to operate on lesser rights-of-ways. Calgary is, what Vancouver could have been, instead with SkyTrain we are paying about 60% more to operate it and just to throw a little more salt into the wounds, more people are killed by SkyTrain annually, than by the C-Train.
The problem with the C-Train was several years of neglect by politicians but now, from what I have been told, there is going to be an extensive expansion.