THE city of Edmonton, Canada, has received the first of 46 LRVs from Hyundai Rotem under a contract awarded in 2021.
This is the first time Hyundai Rotem has supplied LRVs to a North American operator. The first vehicle arrived at the Gerry Wright Operations and Maintenance Facility on August 1 and there are currently 16 LRVs at various stages of production at Hyundai Rotem’s factory in Changwon, Korea.
The bi-directional, low-floor LRVs have a top operating speed of 80km/h. They have been designed specifically to cope with Canada’s cold winter climate and Hyundai Rotem says they can operate safely at temperatures as low as -40°C. This is due to the use of materials that can withstand the severe cold and an interior climate control system that can detect and adapt to temperature changes. Red and white LED lights, matching the Canadian flag, have also been added to the sides to improve visibility.
The new LRVs will operate on the 14km Valley Line West, which is under construction, alongside the fleet of 26 Flexity Freedom LRVs supplied by Bombardier (now Alstom) on the 13km Valley Line Southeast, which opened in November 2023. Valley Line West is scheduled to be completed in 2028 and together with the existing line will provide a 27km cross-city connection
The LRVs will now undergo up to 2000km of test runs. Hyundai Rotem says that it plans to deliver all of the new vehicles to Edmonton by 2027.
Hyundai Rotem is also shortlisted alongside CAF and Siemens Mobility for a contract to supply up to 53 high-floor LRVs for use on Edmonton's Capital and Metro lines.
For detailed data on LRV orders in North America, subscribe to IRJ Pro.
