NAIT Station is an Edmonton Light Rail Transit station in Edmonton, Alberta which services the Metro Line. The station will be temporarily located north of Princess Elizabeth Avenue, on the south side of the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology's swimming pool and hockey arena wing, before a permanent station is ultimately built after a long-term comprehensive land use plan of the Edmonton City Centre Airport lands are finalized.[3][4][5] NAIT station is the northern terminus of the Metro Line.[5]
The station was closed for four months from April 28 to August 30, 2019 due to construction on the Capital Line which shares track with southern sections of the Metro Line.[6] Because of delays that the construction is expected to cause, Edmonton Transit operated five car trains on the Metro Line.[6] Since the NAIT station island platform is only 3 cars long, these larger trains were unable to fit alongside the platform, hence the temporary closure.
History
Preliminary engineering of the line was completed July 2009 and construction of the phase from the MacEwan station to NAIT began in the summer of 2011. The station was supposed to open in 2014.[7] However, due to delays it opened on September 6, 2015.[1]
Future
The station is planned to permanently close in early 2024 as a result of a Northwest extension of the Metro Line. This extension will open NAIT/Blatchford Market and Blatchford Gate Stations which will replace NAIT Station's function of serving the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology Campus. Construction of the extension started in 2020, with the stations' both finishing in late 2023 and are currently in the testing phase and will open in early 2024.[8]
The two new stations are being made in response to the masterplanned community of Blatchford, which is being built in the former lands of the old Edmonton City Centre Airport. The redevelopment of the old airport causing the original plan of 2 stations to be delayed, which resulted in the creation of a temporary station to service NAIT.[9]
Station layout
NAIT Station is an outdoors at-grade station with a centre platform. Unlike other stations in Edmonton, NAIT Station was built to only service 3-car trains, as opposed to 4-car trains.
Around the station
- Northern Alberta Institute of Technology
- Alberta Aviation Museum
- Kingsway Mall
- Former Edmonton City Centre Airport
Communities
- Blatchford
- Prince Rupert
- Spruce Avenue (in which the station is located)
- Westwood
References
- 1 2 Ramsay, Caley (September 6, 2015). "After lengthy delay, Metro Line LRT opens to riders". Global News Edmonton. Retrieved September 6, 2015.
- ↑ "2019 LRT Passenger Count Report" (PDF). City of Edmonton. April 2020. Retrieved February 5, 2021.
- ↑ "North LRT Fact Sheet" (PDF). City of Edmonton. February 2012. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 1, 2012. Retrieved May 30, 2012.
- ↑ "North LRT Stations". City of Edmonton. Archived from the original on June 16, 2011. Retrieved October 20, 2010.
- 1 2 "North LRT to NAIT". City of Edmonton. Archived from the original on June 16, 2011. Retrieved February 6, 2010.
- 1 2 Heidenreich, Phil (March 25, 2019). "City of Edmonton to suspend LRT services to NAIT campus for 4 months". Global News. Retrieved March 25, 2019.
- ↑ "Metro Line Delay FAQ" (PDF). City of Edmonton. October 8, 2014. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 13, 2014. Retrieved October 8, 2014.
- ↑ "Metro Line - Northwest Extension | City of Edmonton". www.edmonton.ca. Retrieved December 31, 2023.
- ↑ "Blatchford Edmonton". Blatchford. Retrieved December 31, 2023.
