North East LRT Electrification Upgrade

North East LRT Electrification Upgrade

Recommendation:
That Transportation and Public Works Committee recommend to City Council:
That the budget for Capital Project 08-66-1273 North East LRT Electrification Upgrade totalling $10 million be approved. Funds are provided from the Federal Government Public Transit Capital Trust 2008 program.

Report Summary

This report identifies funding required to upgrade the electrification system on the North East LRT line, to allow four car SD160 train operations to increase ridership capacity.

Report

  • At the May 6, 2008, Transportation and Public Works Committee meeting, Transportation Department report 2008TD0649 was received for information. The report identified that $10 million from the Federal Government Transit Capital Trust 2008 program was approved for use for the North East LRT electrification system upgrade and that the upgrade would become a single funded project.
  • Currently the North East LRT electrification system is only capable of handling a three car SD160 train, at six minute service intervals.
  • To increase passenger capacity by operating four car SD160 trains on five minute service, upgrades are necessary for both the substation and overhead catenary. These include replacement of the transformers and rectifiers in the Clareview, Belvedere, Stadium and Coliseum substations and adding aerial feeders to increase the electrical capacity of the overhead catenary system.
  • The scope of the project includes detailed design, procurement of parts and installation.
  • Project completion is planned for the end of 2010.
  • Capital project 08-66-1273 has been created as a new single project for this work. Previously, the work was identified as a portion of the unfunded Capital Project 07-66-1750.

Focus Area

This project supports Council’s goals to transform Edmonton’s urban form by optimizing the existing infrastructure through strategic investment in key infrastructure and to shift Edmonton’s transportation modes to provide an increase in transit ridership.

Budget/Financial Implications

  • The $10 million from the Federal Transit Capital Trust Fund 2008 be approved to fund this single project 08-66-1273.

Justification of Recommendation
Approval of this project provides the funding to complete the necessary upgrades to the North East LRT electrification system to increase ridership capacity by allowing the operation of four car SD160 trains, at five minute headways on the existing LRT mainline. Budget funds are available and have been previously allocated by Council from the Federal Transit Capital Trust Fund 2008.

Attachments

  1. CPP Profilefor Project 08-66-1273 North East LRT Electrification Upgrade.

Others Reviewing this Report

  • C.Warnock, Chief Financial Officer

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