Though the final touches are being made on the Haysboro LRT garage, it doesn’t mean that we’ll be seeing more four-car train service in Calgary.
Calgary Transit provided LWC more details on future four-car service, after a query was made by Ward 11 Coun. Rob Ward during Question Period at the Dec. 16 Public Hearing Meeting of Calgary city council.
Ward said that he had a number of people from his area messaging him about the status of four-car trains.
“I believe the project at Haysboro there is done for the barn. So just a status update, as you know, when are we going to see more four car trains?” Ward asked.
Doug Morgan, GM of Operational Services, said that they were closing in on the finish to the Haysboro barn.
“We are indeed almost done that retrofit on that garage,” he said.
“You should start to see December sign up a few more four-car trains.”
Calgary Transit said that the target opening of the Haysboro garage is January 2026. They’re currently finishing the installation of office furnishings and the “Overhead Contact System.”
Then there will be a building commissioning and an occupancy inspection.
Calgary Transit has said previously that the reason they can’t run more four-car trains at peak times – like the Calgary Stampede – is because of ongoing work at the Haysboro storage location.
At that time, they told CityNews that with the Haysboro expansion that they will be capable of handling more four-car trains.
Calgary Transit first started offering four-car train service back in 2015, allowing a typical train to carry up to 200 more passengers during peak times.
During the pandemic, that was scaled back as Calgary Transit ridership plummeted to all-time lows. It restarted during peak periods once transit ridership returned to normal.
No immediate increase in four-car trains: Calgary Transit
While there’s a greater capacity to handle four-car train units with the upcoming opening of the Haysboro garage, it doesn’t mean Calgary commuters will see more of them on the Blue and Red Lines.
“We monitor ridership daily, and the data guides how many 4-car trains are needed during peak periods. To keep operations efficient, we’ll only increase the number of 4-car trains when ridership shows it’s necessary,” read a response from Calgary Transit.
They said that during the morning peak times, there are 47 train blocks in total, with eight of them as four-car trains and 39 as three-car trains. In the afternoon peak, there are 48 train blocks, with eight as four-car trains, and 40 as three-car trains.
“Our current focus is on running trains more frequently with three cars rather than fewer trains with four cars,” Calgary Transit said.
“To have four-car trains running all the time, we would need to purchase additional trains.”
Coun. Ward said that riders from his ward (11), but also Ward 12 and 13, have told him they’re struggling to get on a train in the morning and afternoon rush.
“I took the train, I think it was two weeks ago, right here at City Hall, and I even had to wait for another train because it was full,” he told LWC.
“It was a three-car. So, yeah, people just want more capacity on the train so they can get where they’re going a little quicker.”
He understood that there’s a bit of chicken-and-egg going on here, too. Ward said that if ridership doesn’t warrant a four-car train it doesn’t make sense to have it running the line and being subject to wear and tear, resulting in more maintenance.
“From what I’ve seen just from riding the LRT myself, I think we’re at that stage where it’s definitely time to put the four-car trains out as quickly and efficiently as we can,” he said.
“So, perhaps ridership coming out of COVID, we know, took a big dip, but I think now we’re at the point where ridership is at a level where this is needed, so let’s get them out there as quick as we can.”
