The City of Edmonton has taken delivery of the first Hyundai Rotem low-floor light rail vehicle (LRV) for the ETS (Edmonton Transit Services) Valley Line West LRT, “marking a major milestone for the project.”
Shipped in two sections from Hyundai Rotem Company’s facility in Changwon, South Korea, the vehicle underwent testing before being loaded July 1 onto a roll-on/roll-off ship designed to carry wheeled vehicles. The ship arrived at the Port of Tacoma, Washington State, on July 20. The LRV was then transported by truck to the Gerry Wright Operations and Maintenance Facility in southeast Edmonton.
Upon arrival in Edmonton, the LRV was offloaded and will undergo final assembly. Testing and commissioning will occur on the Valley Line Southeast tracks, “with measures in place to ensure this does not impact existing passenger service,” ETS said.
Hyundai Rotem is supplying 46 Valley Line West LRVs. Currently, there are 16 at various stages of manufacturing in South Korea. Delivery to ETS will continue into 2027. The 46 new vehicles will complement the current fleet of 26 Alstom Flexity Freedom LRVs operating on Valley Line Southeast. Both vehicles are designed to be fully compatible with the infrastructure of the entire 17-mile Valley Line.
“The arrival of the first LRV is more than just a milestone; it’s a sign of momentum for the Valley Line West. Watching this train roll into Edmonton is a proud moment for our team and for the city,” said Brian Latte, Director, Valley Line West, City of Edmonton. “This LRV is a part of where we’re headed as a city. As Edmonton grows toward two million people, Valley Line West will change how we move, how we build, and how we connect with one another.”
“We’re proud to see the first LRV arrive safely in Edmonton. From initial design to manufacturing and testing in Korea to final delivery, this vehicle represents years of collaboration and a shared commitment to delivering a high-quality transit vehicle,” said Chiseung Kim, Project Manager, Valley Line West, Hyundai Rotem Company. “As the LRV manufacturer, Hyundai Rotem hopes that the LRVs we deliver will operate well in Edmonton and be helpful to Edmontonians in their daily lives.”
In 2023, Edmontonians were invited to participate in user testing and interact with a full-scale LRV mock-up. “Participants’ feedback directly shaped the final design, helping ensure these vehicles are accessible, comfortable and inclusive for all riders,” ETS noted.
When completed, the entire Valley Line will run from from Mill Woods through downtown Edmonton to Lewis Farms, with 25 stops. Unlike the existing LRT (Capital and Metro Lines), it will run primarily at grade in the center median of city streets, connecting to the Capital and Metro lines at Churchill station.
Valley Line Southeast, an 11-station segment from Mill Woods to 102 Street in downtown Edmonton, was constructed first, beginning in 2016. It opened in November 2023, three years behind schedule. This segment cost C$1.8 billion, with $800 million coming from the City of Edmonton, $600 million from Alberta Province, and C$400 million from the Canadian federal government. A P3 (public–private partnership) of the City of Edmonton and TransEd Partners (Bechtel, EllisDon, Alstom, Fengate Capital Management Ltd., Arup Canada, IBI Group) built and operates Valley Line Southeast under a DBOM (design-build-operate-maintain) contract.
Construction for the C$2.6 billion Valley Line West extension project began in 2022. In 2020, the City of Edmonton, in a P3 contract, selected Marigold Infrastructure Partners to build it. Construction commenced in May 2022 and is expected to be completed in 2028.
