Calgary’s far southeast could move a step closer to the Green Line, with a city report proposing about $4 million over the next budget cycle to keep planning and designing an extension to Seton.

Councillors will receive the report as information at the Nov. 3 Executive Committee meeting; the funding itself would be decided during November budget deliberations. The report calls for an estimated $16.6 million over the 2027-2030 budget to advance planning and design activities for the southeast extension to Seton, and north corridor planning.

Council had requested this work in September in advance of the upcoming November budget deliberations.

The report proposes $12.5 million for the north due to a broader scope of work and planning requirements. About $4.1 million would be for the south extension.

“The southeast extension is further advanced and requires less project development at this stage,” the administration report reads.

The proposed southeast segment would go from Shepard to Seton, with proposed stops at Prestwick, McKenzie Towne, Auburn Bay, the South Health Campus and then to Seton.

Some of the key risks identified in the report are potential cost escalation due to further delays, and potential missed opportunities on funding without proper advanced planning.

Premier Danielle Smith and Transportation and Economic Corridors Minister Devin Dreeshen have both said they want the Green Line to reach Seton. The province pulled its $1.53-billion share of funding in 2024, saying it wanted a longer, above-ground line reaching Seton; the version council later approved stops at Shepard.

Ward 12 Coun. Mike Jamieson said advancing an extension to Seton is a long time coming.

“When the hospital went in, those communities were promised the Green Line, and the hospital is over 10 years old now,” he said.

“I think now the way that Seton is a hub, the south hospital is such a major piece of infrastructure. It really does need to be connected to the network for many different reasons, but especially to connect that very important piece of infrastructure directly to the downtown.”

Potential to work concurrently with Green Line Phase 1

Jamieson said that with how much easier it is to extend the Green Line to the south, with a natural corridor already in place, he believes it’s possible – with funding – to advance potential construction work on this southeast extension while they’re building the current Green Line phase from Grand Central Station to Shepard.

“It’s a train on ground, which is the least expensive way to do it,” he said, noting one unknown, which is the Stoney Trail crossing.

Otherwise, Jamieson said, “It’s clear sailing, and I think that’s why council is starting to look at that.”

Mayor Jeromy Farkas said that if they can “punch” the Green Line down to Seton and up to the Aurora Business Park in north Calgary, then it improves the overall Green Line business case considerably.

“So many more riders come on board, and because of how much more cost-effective it is to move people by train than bus, the financial model of Green Line gets to a point where it’s nearly breaking even to be able to operate it, so we need to continue to push that,” he said.

Farkas said it would be ideal to begin work on advance planning for this section, as there are likely advantages to working on the project at the same time as the Green Line phase 1. He said the section is simpler to build, and that could appeal to provincial and federal funders.

“I think that, based on what I’ve learned from administration, as well as my own personal experience on the project, is that much of the land has already been assembled. A lot of the design work has stayed the same in these greenfield settings. We’ve set aside the right-of-way and so on, and it’s much easier to build, and it’s a much easier design than the trickiest parts in the downtown,” Farkas said.

“So, the cost-effectiveness, especially for provincial and federal counterparts who are trying to prove just the value of the money they give to us, it’s a slam dunk.”