City to piggyback on federal, provincial cash to buy 6 more LRT cars

Calgary is on track to get six new light rail transit cars and it appears the decision won't cost the cityanything.

The city has already ordered 63 new Siemens S200 light rail vehicles (LRV).Nineteen of those vehicles have already been received, with the balance coming over the next year and a half.

City council's priorities and finance committee voted Tuesday to acquire six additional LRVs by leveraging some federal and provincial programs.

The two senior orders of government will each put $12.5 million towardthe purchase, if the city puts in $5 million of its own cash.

2016 derailment

For the city, the solution is easy it's going to use the insurance money it received for the damage caused to an LRV in a derailment last year at the Tuscany station.

A C-Train operator was seriously injured when she ran the vehicle off the end of the northwest line. Calgary Transit says the incident was caused by operator error.

• 'Extremely lucky' no one died, Calgary Transit says of Tuscany C-Train derailment

When informed of the insurance cash, Mayor Naheed Nenshi said, "Oh, we're out nothing."

"We're good to go. I'm happy to move [this item]," said Coun.Andre Chabot.

Calgary Transit still has 78 of the older U2 LRVs in its fleet. They were designed to last 30 years, but the oldest cars in the fleet are now into their 35th yearon the tracks.

The U2s are three to four times less reliable than the newest cars in the fleet.

Replacing older cars will take several more years

Transportation general manager Mac Logan said ultimately, the city will need to order more LRVs to complete the replacement of the U2s.

"I would like to come back with another order. I think it's going to be several years down the road where we can finish off the U2 replacement program, but I didn't see that as being viable right now given our other asks," said Logan.

The city is retiring some of the oldest vehicles as new LRVs arrive but it's a balancing act as it wants to expand its four-car train service.

By the time the current order of 63 new LRVs is completed and as oldest U2s are retired, the city expects it will still have 40 U2s still in use.

Transit says when U2s are retired, there is no cost recovery, so they'll be scrapped.

City council will vote next month on the additional six-car purchase order.

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