EDMONTON LIGHT RAIL
Pioneer City for Modern Light Rail

The first segment of Edmonton's light rail opened in 1978, and consisted of only five stations between Central and Belvedere.  But the coming of the new line was highly significant: it marked the first return of light rail to a city in North America that had abandoned streetcars earlier in the century.  And thus it was a hugely significant event in the continent's urban transit history.

The current route consists of eleven stations, of which all five downtown and a stop at the University of Alberta to the south are underground.  The total length for the line remains fairly short, less than 13 kilometers.  An extension further south is in progress; when completed, that full distance will increase to about 20 kilometers.

The view on this page is from an inbound train just northeast of downtown, along the original route.  The outbound train is heading for the terminal at Clareview.