Edmonton Metro Line LRT could be at full speed this spring

Edmonton's  Metro Line LRT could be operating at full speed after a safety audit into signalling contractor Thales is completed by May, Edmonton city councillors were told Wednesday. 

Adam Laughlin, general manager of integrated infrastructure service, said he expects the report by Rail Safety Consultants will allow the system to move to full capacity. 

However, he said this timeline depends on whether the rest of the audit uncovers issues that can't be resolved. 

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Since the last update in December, Laughlin said new equipment has been installed on all 94 trains and Thales has installed new software in the control centre.

The city has also improved signalling at intersections around the Kingsway and NAIT transit stations.

Not everything is perfect. There are still problems with crossing gates not coming down quickly enough and a loss of communication along the line has caused trains to stop, Laughlin said.

In February, there were two breakdowns that created 10-minute delays. In November, signalling problems caused 11 service delays.

Trains were originally supposed to start running from Churchill Station to NAIT in April 2014. But problems with the signalling system postponed the opening several times.

Since September, trains have been operating at reduced frequency at a maximum of 25 km/h, giving operators enough distance to stop if they see something on the tracks.

Last fall, Rail Safety Consultants started a deeper audit of Thales to verify the safety of its software after an initial assessment found more work was required. 

Mayor Don Iveson was optimistic about the progress that was being made and that the city can sign off on the safety audit soon after it is submitted in May. 

However, he says it could be a few more months before the trains run more often. 

"Full frequency will take a little bit more work, but hopefully we will be able to turn up to full speed," Iveson said, noting that will reduce the negative impact on intersections because the trains will be moving through faster.