This Saturday, June 16th, 2018 at D.L. MacDonald Garage located at 13310 50A Street, members of the public and press are invited to attend a free, informative event to celebrate 40 years of LRT service by the Edmonton Transit System (ETS). Running from 10AM-4PM, the event will include lectures and informal talks by transit historians and current and former ETS staff, along with a curated display of artifacts relevant to the history of light rail in Edmonton over the last four decades. Transit Peace Officers will also be on hand to talk about safety and other concerns regarding public transit. 

ETS LRT operator in 1978, the first year of service, image courtesy The Edmonton Journal

Beginning service on April 22, 1978, Edmonton's first LRT line ran just 6.9km, or roughy one quarter of its current length, from Belvedere Station to Central Station, with only three stations in-between. Today by contrast, the system has extended to nearly 25km, with many more to come as the recent expansion work continues. 

Streetcars along Jasper Ave, circa 1920, public domain archival image

While still only a mere shadow of its former self, the long-gone Edmonton Radial Railway having once served the city with more than 75km of light rail, the current system may one day return the city to its transit heyday should the current expansion progress continue into the future.