McKnight – Westwinds

McKnight–Westwinds
C-Train station (Northeast Line)
Location	6200C - 36 Street NE
Coordinates	51°06′33″N 113°58′32.6″W / 51.10917°N 113.975722°WCoordinates: 51°06′33″N 113°58′32.6″W / 51.10917°N 113.975722°W
Owned by	Calgary Transit
Line(s)	NE line
Platforms	Center-loading platform
Connections	21 Castleridge 55 Falconridge 71 Taracove 85 Martin Crossing 95 Westwinds Business Park 100 Airport/McKnight
Construction
Structure type	At-grade
Parking	949 spaces
Disabled access	Yes
History
Opened	2007
Services
Preceding station   CTrain   Following station Whitehorn toward 69 Street Southwest Route 202 Martindale toward Saddletowne

McKnight–Westwinds is the former northern terminus of the North-East Line (Route 202) of the CTrain light rail system in Calgary, Alberta. The station opened on December 17, 2007, as part of the first extension (3.2 km) of the Northeast line since it originally opened in 1985.^[1]

The station is located on an exclusive LRT right of way, north of the interchange at McKnight Boulevard and Métis Trail (formerly 44th St. NE), south-east from the Calgary International Airport, and is adjacent to the community of Castleridge (east), with the communities of Martindale, Taradale, and Saddleridge to the north. The station is 13 km from the City Hall Interlocking. 949 spaces are included at the stop, which is designed for commuter access. The station was only the terminus for less than five years, however, as a further extension (3.1 km) of the Northeast line to Saddle Ridge (originally planned to be complete by 2011) was approved in November 2007. The extension was opened on August 27, 2012, at the cost of $110 million.

The station consists of a centre-loading, walk-on platform without stairs. It is very similar to Somerset-Bridelwood Station and the Saddletowne Station, which opened in 2012. McKnight-Westwinds is the first station on the Northeast line that is not located in the median of a roadway.

Constructed along with the McKnight-Westwinds station, is the Oliver Bowen Maintenance Facility, located just South of the station.^[2] This facility is not only used for the maintenance of the fleet, but also has storage space for another 65 LRVs (light rail vehicles). This helps in the storage of the 22 additional LRVs that are planned to be purchased within the current 20-year capital plan. Previous to the 2007 extension, all NE LRVs had to come up from Anderson or Haysboro every morning. With the opening of OBMF, NE LRVs can stay on the NE line. Siemens U2s operating on the NW line provide service to Whitehorn or Saddletowne before going out of service for maintenance and then return to the NW line providing service from Whitehorn to Tuscany, before resuming regular operations.

References

1. McKnight-Westwinds Rider's Guide
2. Calgary Transit - Calgary's Light Rail Transit Line