Calgary Transit to pilot two-car train service on weekends

Calgary Transit is trying out something new when it comes to weekend train schedules starting this Saturday.

March 22 will mark the beginning of the weekend two-car pilot.

The city says ridership numbers have been growing and returning to 2019 pre-pandemic levels since 2022. Last year, more than 101 million customers used Calgary Transit.

Outside of special events, weekend ridership has also been increasing, with 84 passengers on average riding the train per trip (up to 300 during busy periods), but under the 400-person capacity of two train cars.

By reducing the number of train cars on the weekend to match demand, the city says Calgary Transit will lower costs related to energy, maintenance, and operations, while ensuring riders still get optimized service.

“We know how important transit service is for our customers and how critical it is to use our funds responsibly,” Aaron Coon, manager at Calgary Transit, said. “This pilot allows us to match service with demand while maintaining reliability and availability for those who depend on public transit.”

Two-car service will run on Saturdays, Sundays, and public holidays.

Leading up to the pilot, the city says signage and a public awareness campaign will begin supporting customers with the change. Shorter trains will still stop at the end of platforms, meaning riders may be asked to move further down than usual.

The plan is to monitor the pilot to make future decisions.

Extra floater trains will be added to the lines during high-demand weekend events like Flames games.

Calgary Transit says three and four car trains will be used during the Calgary Stampede and Rotary International Convention this summer.

If the pilot proves successful, the city may expand two-car service to non-peak weekday hours.

However, a full evaluation of the program is scheduled for the fall.

Users are asked to share their feedback on the pilot program through Calgary Transit’s customer service channels.