Calgary Transit commuters will see a refreshed new look on the Red and Blue LRT lines over the coming weeks, with three new LRT cars being put into service.

It’s all part of a lifecycle plan for 40 new C10 light rail vehicles over the next three years to replace the four-decade old U2 LRVs. The new vehicles join 69 other C9 LRVs already in service with Calgary Transit.

This is the first time in six years that new cars have been added to the Calgary Transit LRT fleet.

“There’s a lot that goes into getting new trains into service. We’ve gone to market, we negotiated with the successful vendor, and then determined the final specifications. Only then do we place the order,” said Calgary Transit director Sharon Fleming.

“In this case, it was in 2019, which can result in a lead time of up to six years for delivery. Once we receive them, we need to ensure the safe commissioning of the vehicles before putting them into service, and we’re pleased to announce that we’ve reached that milestone today.”

Fleming said they expect the U2 cars to be out of service by 2028.

“While they’re well past their useful life, they’ve served Calgary really well since 1981,” she said.

“We know the U-2s with their blue and pink stripes are a fan favorite for some of our riders, and we’ll make sure to give them a great send-off when the time comes.”

The new LRT cars will have heated floors, on-board digital display screens, air conditioning, improved accessibility and they’ll cost less to maintain, Fleming said.

Calgary city councillors, who were on a noon break from Tuesday’s public hearing meeting of council, got a lift on the three new cars from city hall to the Victoria Park / Stampede LRT station.

Mayor Jeromy Farkas said the replacement of the fleet is a reminder of the growth and transformation happening in Calgary, and how the infrastructure around it has to change and grow as well.

“We’ve experienced economic booms and challenging downturns in energy bases. We’ve welcomed tens of millions of visitors to our city to experience incredible events and festivals, from the Calgary Stampede to the Great Outdoors Comedy Festival,” he said.

“It only makes sense that our transit system continues to grow and mature alongside the city it serves.”

The new LRT cars are not the new, low-floor version that will run on the Green Line when it opens in 2031. These cars are built for the platforms along the Red and Blue Lines.

Fleming said they’ve been told there are more ready to go in Sacramento, California, and they’ll arrive on rail for delivery at the Haysboro Calgary Transit garage.

“As they slowly arrive, we’ll be working on finishing up the commissioning for the trains, and then we’ll slowly integrate them into our regular service as we decommission the U2 vehicles,” she said.

There is a total of 217 LRVs in Calgary Transit’s fleet, with 32 remaining U2 vehicles.

According to a news release from 2016, the Mask LRVs cost about $3.2 million each