Construction for the Calgary C-Train begin in 1980 and was open to the public in 1981. The original Anderson train ran through seven suburban stations from south to north and eight Downtown stations from 1 Street SW to 2 Street SE on 7th Ave. In the news I have observed there are approximately 4-8 accidents regarding the C-Train a year what aren't televised are many more. I haven't run the numbers but it seems that many many many people are injured or killed by the C-Train, and why not? There are no railings on the platforms, it runs through the streets of Downtown Calgary weighting at several tonnes of steel with very limited breaking power.
Originally instead of going on top of 7th Ave the C-train was meant to go under 8th Ave! That's right under. The Calgary C-train was meant to be a subway style city transit system, unbound by roads, able to go wherever without fear of hitting people. Today a young boy under five years old was killed by the C-Train. All I can say is how shortsighted it was to try to cut the cost by making it ground level transit. A monorail above ground would have been suitable as well.
Calgary doesn't get earthquakes, we don't get tornadoes (but they come close), nor floods, volcanoes, hurricanes, typhoons, or pretty much any natural disaster. We do get cold. Very cold... really freaking cold. And waiting for a bus or for the C-Train at minus 35 with the windchill making it minus 50 is not fun. Waiting underground sounds much more pleasant.
If we had only waited another year till 1982 and put in the time and money Calgary's streets wouldn't be overrun with buses, trains wouldn't be killing people and Calgary could actually say it was happy with it's transit system instead of the joke it is now.
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