C-Train
As a C -Train (also: CTrain ) refers to the rail of the Canadian metropolis of Calgary. The municipal operation Calgary Transit carries on the comprehensive two lines, 44.8 km long network daily around 271,000 passengers, making C -Train is one of the most widely used light rail systems in North America.
Line network
The C-Train system currently consists of three distance branches that lead from downtown to the northwest, northeast and south. The northeastern branch is operated as line 202, while the other two routes are linked as line 201. Both lines share an inner-city section of 7th Avenue, which can be used free of charge along with the traffic exclusively by the line sections 202 7th Avenue as "Free Fare Zone".
The 44.8 km long standard gauge network is expanded throughout twofold. The energy supply of the vehicles will be powered by a 600 Volt DC catenary. The network has 37 stations, the close succession located stops are served on the 7th Avenue only ever one direction. There, the C-Train trains in road subgrade, otherwise separated from other traffic on separate lines. Almost all stations are transfer points to bus routes; outside the city center are also usually extensive parking available.
During the day, a 10 - minute cycle is offered on two lines, which is compressed in the rush hours to 2- minute intervals and thinned out in the evenings on a 15- minute cycle.
Use
The C-Train system plays a central role in public transport of the metropolitan area of Calgary. The average weekday ridership grew from 40,000 in the first year to 271,000 in the fourth quarter of 2007. According to the company C -Train has the traffic to and from the city center on a market share of 42%.
History
In the 1960s, first thoughts were rapidly growing Calgary hired to re-establish an inner-city rail transport after the last streetcar line had been adjusted to 29 December 1950. After the establishment of an express bus system ( Blue Arrow ) and the examination of various routes and system variants, the development of a light rail ( Light Rail Transit ) in 1976 decided.
Construction of the first section, the South Line of the station SW 8th Street in the center to Anderson, was 1978; its commissioning on 25 May 1981. The North East Line from the center to Whitehorn was opened on 27 April 1985. This was followed on 17 September 1987, the Northwest Line as northern extension of the South line to the university, which also McMahon Stadium among others - one of the venues of the 1988 Winter Olympics - binds to the C-Train system.
Since then, gradual extensions of the three line branches were made: From the University is run since August 31, 1990 to Brentwood, on the South Line since 9 October 2001 on Anderson addition to Fish Creek -Lacombe. As at 28 June 2004, the South Line was extended again and Somerset - Bridlewood the new southern terminus, while the Northwest Line run from 15 December 2003 to Dalhousie and the North East Line since 17 December 2007 to McKnight - Westwinds. The northwestern extension included the line 201 to the station Crowfoot was finally released after more than six months late on 15 June 2009 for the traffic.
Expansion plans
A further extension of the C-Train system is a core element of transport planning the city of Calgary. Long term, the existing three line branches are extended by three more lines to keep up with the projected future growth of the city of Calgary step.
On 6 November 2007 further extensions were approved by the City of Calgary beyond. In addition to the procurement of additional vehicles is planned to build up to 2011 range extensions of Crowfoot by Tuscany - Rocky Ridge and McKnight - Westwinds to Saddle Ridge. 2012 should also be opened from downtown to 69th Street SW, a new western Linienast.
Rolling stock
In the C-Train development beginning existed in Canada with the Urban Transportation Development Corporation ( UTDC ) only a potential manufacturer of rail vehicles, which also could not show a production vehicle in the 1970s, which met the requirements of Calgary Transit. In the 300 km north of Calgary located provincial capital Edmonton, the operators of light rail Edmonton Light Rail Transit had decided on similar grounds for the procurement of railcars of the type of U2 manufacturer consortium Siemens Duewag. The City of Calgary followed this example and initially ordered 27 vehicles of this type. In the course of the further expansion of the inventory to 83 U2 railcar was extended, of which 80 are still in use after three accidents. From the successor type Siemens SD -160 66 copies were procured since 2001 to date, which will be supplemented in 2012 by a further 34 identical railcars.
Vehicle maintenance is carried out in a depot in the southern district of Anderson. In Haysboro where a larger parking area is located, is also used for transferring a new motor coach connection to the network of the Canadian Pacific Railway.