The Canadian city of Edmonton is continuing the comprehensive modernization of its light rail system with an order for 32 new high-floor light rail vehicles from the South Korean manufacturer Hyundai Rotem. The contract, signed in February 2026 and valued at approximately US$ 220 million (ca. 136.49 Mio. EUR or 4.27 million EUR per train), represents a further milestone in the strategic renewal of the Edmonton Transit Service (ETS) fleet. Delivery of the vehicles is scheduled for 2029 and 2030.

The new vehicles are intended for operation on the existing high-floor corridors, in particular the Capital Line and the Metro Line. Both routes form the backbone of Edmonton’s LRT network, which opened in 1978 as Canada’s first modern light rail system. In recent years the network has been progressively expanded, including extensions to the south and northwest. As the system grows, so too does the demand for additional rolling stock, meaning the new order serves both to increase capacity and to replace aging vehicles.

From a technical perspective, the LRVs will be specifically adapted to Alberta’s harsh climatic conditions. Edmonton is among the coldest major cities in North America, with winter temperatures regularly dropping below –30°C. The new vehicles will therefore feature high-performance heating and climate-control systems, winterized door and coupler mechanisms, and robust electrical equipment. Modern passenger information systems, onboard CCTV, and energy-efficient traction technology are also part of the standard specification. Maximum operating speed will be in the typical range for North American LRT systems, at around 80 km/h.

The order is particularly significant in the context of the planned retirement of Edmonton’s historic U2 light rail vehicles. The city began procuring these cars in the late 1970s, based on the type originally developed for Frankfurt am Main. The German-designed high-floor U2 vehicles, built among others by Duewag, have shaped the image of Edmonton’s LRT for more than four decades. Many of these units are now over 45 years old and, despite several refurbishment programs, have reached the end of their economic service life. With the introduction of the new Rotem LRVs, the remaining U2 fleet will be progressively withdrawn from service—marking the end of an era in the history of the system.

At the same time, Hyundai Rotem is already supplying low-floor vehicles for the new Valley Line West, which has been designed as a separate low-floor LRT corridor. As a result, the Korean manufacturer is becoming the dominant rolling stock supplier in Edmonton. The latest order further consolidates this position and underlines the growing presence of Asian manufacturers in the North American light rail market. We reported here:

For Edmonton, the procurement represents not only operational modernization but also a long-term safeguarding of the network’s performance and reliability. With the generational transition in rolling stock, the era of the Frankfurt-derived U2 cars—vehicles that provided decades of dependable service and played a key role in establishing Canada’s first LRT system—is drawing to a close. At the same time, the arrival of the new Hyundai Rotem fleet opens a new chapter in the nearly fifty-year history of light rail in Edmonton.

It cannot be ruled out that the procurement policy in Canada has shifted due to the tariff conflict initiated by the US: while US-built Siemens vehicles had previously played an important role for the Edmonton and Calgary networks, at least Edmonton was able to award its last two contracts to Rotem, as there are no immediate trade-policy burdens in this case.