EFFICIENCY ASSESSMENT AND SUCCESS CRITERIA OF LIGHT RAIL TRANSIT (LRT) SYSTEMS: THE CALGARY EXPERIENCE

Abstract

The development of Light Rail Transit (LRT) systems represents one of the most operationally effective and economically viable strategies for modernizing urban passenger transport infrastructure in contemporary metropolitan areas. Unlike classical underground heavy rail metro networks that demand massive capital expenditures and complex deep tunneling, LRT combines high passenger carrying capacity and commercial speed with significantly reduced capital and operational costs, making it an optimal strategic solution for large cities operating under strict municipal budget constraints. As a benchmark case study of successful LRT implementation, the paper provides a comprehensive analysis of the planning history, managerial decision-making, infrastructure deployment, and operational framework of the CTrain system in Calgary (a Canadian city with a population exceeding 1.4 million), where LRT fully functions as the primary high-capacity transit backbone instead of a traditional metro system. The study investigates the project management methodologies applied across different phases of the CTrain lifecycle, from initial strategic planning to implementation and operation. Furthermore, a comparative performance analysis is carried out between CTrain and Edmonton's LRT system, as well as Ukrainian urban rapid transit networks, including the Kyiv Metro and Light Rail lines, Kharkiv Metro and the Kryvyi Rih Metrotram system. Key operational parameters, such as route length, number of stations, average inter-station spacing, commercial speed, total travel times, and vehicle passenger capacity – are synthesized into a unified comparative framework. The study isolates the core success factors of the Calgary LRT model, such as thorough route planning, high-speed surface alignment design, optimized rolling stock utilization, and efficient resource management. The article formulates actionable project management recommendations and strategic policy guidelines for adapting international LRT best practices to urban public transport development modernization projects in Ukrainian cities. The results demonstrate how mid-sized and large urban centers can achieve sustainable high-capacity rapid transit coverage as a cost-effective, sustainable alternative to capital-intensive metro construction.Keywords: project management, light rail transit, speed tram, transit capacity, operational performance indicators, metro, CTrain Calgary.