After nearly 20 years, numerous stops and starts, potential derailment, and public fatigue over debate on a shrinking project, ground has officially been broken on the $6.25 billion southeast Green Line.

This will be, by far, the largest capital project ever undertaken in Calgary’s history.

What started out as a vision for a southeast transit way back near the turn of the millennium turned ceremonial sod on June 26, 2025, in a bid to be in service by 2031.

The SE Segment will go from Shepard in the southeast to the Event Centre / Grand Central Station location in the Beltline. It’s the first 16 kilometres in what’s one day going to be a 46-kilometre project tying in Seton with the northernmost reaches of Calgary.

With a future elevated downtown segment, still in the functional planning stage, the total will be 17.2 kilometres of twin track, connecting 12 stations (three park and rides) and 27 communities. A maintenance and storage facility will be built in Shepard to house 28 low-floor light rail cars.

“The Green Line is more than a transit project. It’s a commitment to building Calgary’s best future and a more connected, accessible and prosperous city for all Calgarians,” said Wendy Tynan, director of the Green Line LRT southeast project.

“This is a generational investment, and demonstrates what happens when federal, provincial and municipal partners, alongside indigenous communities and local champions work together.”

The Government of Canada, the Government of Alberta and the City of Calgary all put in an initial $1.53 billion for the project. While other, smaller contributions have been made by both other orders of government along the way, the City of Calgary carries the bulk of additional cost, including finance charges, to reach the $6.25 billion price tag.

Calgary Mayor Jyoti Gondek called it a generational investment, the kind that drives cities forward.

“Public transit is a powerful equalizer. It connects people to jobs, to education, to services and, frankly, to each other,” she said.

“It reduces barriers, it helps to shape active and accessible communities, all while getting more cars off the road, improving traffic congestion across the city.”

‘The best time to build them is right now’: Minister Dreeshen

The project was first given the green light back in 2015, with wrangling over the alignment going on until 2018, and then again through 2020. Multiple provincial reviews – ones that came to the same conclusion time and again – plus the pulling of funding as another review was sought, put the once $4.5 billion project into a financial tailspin.

That’s why the comment made by Alberta Transportation Minister Devin Dreeshen during the event was a peculiar one to some.

“It’s a testament not just to the current government, but even previous governments that invested and saw the growth potential of Calgary and then obviously building these big, mega projects, not just for today, but obviously for generations to come,” he said.

“And if you don’t build them as soon as you can, they’ll obviously get more expensive. So, the best time to start is right now.”

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said that a great city deserves great transportation, and with shovels in the ground it was a promise to deliver on that in Calgary.

“Thank you to Calgarians for your patience as this work gets underway,” Premier Smith said.

“There’s an incredible transformation right around the corner for the southeast and the whole city.”

Federal Minister of Transport and Internal Trade, Chrystia Freeland, also attended Thursday’s groundbreaking ceremony. She said kind of project is possible with all parties working together for a common goal.

“We have a project right now that is bringing all of Canada together. We have the federal government, we have the province, we have the city, we have Indigenous leaders,” Minister Freeland said.

“That’s how we build big things in Canada.”