Keeping Edmonton moving: Inside the operations powering the Valley Line Southeast LRT
Keeping Edmonton moving: Inside the operations powering the Valley Line Southeast LRT
TransEd, the public-private partnership that includes Alstom and its partners, currently operates and maintains the Valley Line Southeast LRT in Edmonton.
Edmonton is a bustling city of over a million people in Alberta, Canada. It is the northernmost metropolis of its size in North America. Since November 2023, the city has been enjoying a new addition to its public transit service: the Valley Line Southeast LRT. The 13-kilometre Valley Line Southeast LRT connects Mill Woods in southeast Edmonton with downtown through 11 stops and one elevated station. It operates 20 hours a day, seven days a week.
Alstom not only designed and built the 26 Flexity™ light rail vehicles that make up the fleet, but it also currently leads the operations and maintenance of the system as part of TransEd, a public-private partnership.
The service has really taken off with Edmontonians, as there were over three million rides on the Valley Line Southeast in 2025. This reflects the strong, day-to-day operations provided by the Operations & Maintenance team, who are committed to delivering a safe and reliable service.
Have you ever wondered what it’s like to drive an LRV? Follow Mark Young for a day in the life of a train operator.
To ensure Alstom and partners deliver what is expected, an annual customer survey is conducted to get rider feedback and to highlight any areas for improvement. Andrew Neary, TransEd Deputy Operations Manager, explains, “Through rigorous operational planning and proactive maintenance, we deliver a reliable and on-time service. Trains run every five minutes during peak hours. The trains are new, clean and efficient and the people of Edmonton really like the service. Customers gave us an 88 per cent satisfaction score.”
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13kilometres
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20hours of operations a day
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>3million rides
Clean, comfortable journeys for every passenger
High on the agenda for passengers is cleanliness. The Valley Line Southeast’s operations teams make sure the rail cars are in tip-top condition by cleaning each train every time it comes back to the garage. Every 72 hours, the trains are taken through the “train wash” – basically just like a car wash, but big enough to accommodate the whole train.
“We're constantly running trains through the wash, making sure that when they're launching the next day, the outside is clean, windshields are clean, the inside is clean and ready for passengers,” says Andrew.
The operators also do their bit. “Part of our LRV operator's duties is to do a walkthrough of the train at turnaround locations, every 30 minutes. They’re equipped with protective gear and garbage bags to remove any debris they see and ensure the LRV remains clean, safe, and ready for passengers,” adds Andrew.
"The trains are new, clean and efficient and the people of Edmonton really like the service. Customers gave us an 88 per cent satisfaction score."
Keeping service accessible and responsive
The Valley Line Southeast LRT has also been an opportunity to enhance the accessibility of Edmonton’s public transit. The Flexity rail cars are low-floor, meaning wheelchair users and people with mobility aids or strollers can easily access the trains. This helps provide crucial access to explore the city on their own terms without relying on specialized services to get to work, appointments, hobbies, or even attend the city’s many festivals.
“When it comes to any kind of special event planning, anything the City has requested we have provided. We've never said no,” says Andrew. In December 2025, the team received the Smooth Operator Award from Edmonton Transit Service, recognising the expertise and support they provide in helping people travel to the city’s events.
Edmonton is a big festival city, especially in summer, and the Valley Line Southeast’s operations team regularly adapts service levels to scale capacity and smoothly transport festival goers back and forth to venues.
An excellent example is the increased service TransEd provides for the Edmonton Folk Music Festival, held each August near the city’s river valley. The four-day event attracts more than 20,000 people a day to Gallagher Park, a natural amphitheatre near the Valley Line Southeast route. The park has limited adjacent parking, which places the Valley Line LRT as a vital transportation option for music fans getting to and from the venue.
Maintenance that maximises performance
Keeping the city moving means keeping the light rail vehicles in good repair. The modular design of the train cars makes them easier to maintain and repair while still maintaining service. This approach underpins Alstom’s operations and maintenance strategy, helping maximise fleet availability and ensure consistent reliable service.
If a rail car experiences a mechanical issue, the relevant module (for example, a heating and air conditioning unit), can be removed and replaced easily with a back-up unit. The part can then be repaired in the workshop while the rail car goes back out into service.
The City of Edmonton measures the performance of Alstom on how many completed loops the trains complete. Alstom conducts weekly, monthly and annual inspections of the rail cars to ensure there are enough rail cars available to meet their service requirements, day in, day out.
Since entering service, the Valley Line Southeast has consistently achieved high operational performance, with a performance score averaging close to 99 per cent.
Sustaining a high-quality service for Edmonton
With strong operational processes, dedicated maintenance and a clear focus on the passenger experience, the Valley Line Southeast has established itself as a reliable, well-maintained and accessible part of Edmonton’s public transit system.
From daily cleaning and proactive inspections to modular maintenance and performance monitoring, the work of Alstom and its partners underpins the dependable service that thousands of riders rely on each day. The line’s consistently high operational performance score reflects the effectiveness of these efforts and the commitment to delivering a high-quality experience. As the light rail system continues to mature, the Valley Line Southeast team remains focused on providing safe, consistent and carefully-managed operations for the community it serves.
