Westbrook is the third station on the West LRT line of the
CTrain
CTrain (previously branded C-Train) is a light rail rapid transit system in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Most of the network functions as a light metro, though in the free-fare zone that runs through the downtown core the Red and Blue lines opera ...
light rail system in
Calgary
Calgary ( ) is the largest city in the western Canadian province of Alberta and the largest metro area of the three Prairie Provinces. As of 2021, the city proper had a population of 1,306,784 and a metropolitan population of 1,481,806, makin ...
,
Alberta
Alberta ( ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is part of Western Canada and is one of the three prairie provinces. Alberta is bordered by British Columbia to the west, Saskatchewan to the east, the Northwest Ter ...
. The station, along with the rest of the line, opened on December 10, 2012. However, on December 8, 2012, it was opened as a preview for the public to use.
The station is located underground beside 33 Street SW between Bow Trail and 17 Avenue SW, 4 km from the 7 Avenue & 9 Street SW Interlocking. The station, along with associated office block above it, occupies the site of the former
Ernest Manning High School
Ernest Manning High School is a public senior high school located in the City of Calgary, Alberta, Canada, south of the Bow River. The school falls under the jurisdiction of the Calgary Board of Education.
History
The original Ernest Manning H ...
, which closed in June 2011, and a former
Petro-Canada
Petro-Canada is a retail and wholesale marketing brand subsidiary of Suncor Energy. Until 1991, it was a federal Crown corporation (a state-owned enterprise). In August 2009, Petro-Canada merged with Suncor Energy, with Suncor shareholders rece ...
service station that closed in 2009. The school and station were demolished to make room for this station and a new school (using the same name) was built 3.5 kilometres away near the
69 Street SW station. The new school opened in September 2011. The Westbrook station also offers a new
BRT
BRT may refer to:
Transportation
* Block register territory, a method for dispatching trains
* British Rail Telecommunications
* Brookhaven Rail Terminal
* Brooklyn Rapid Transit Company, a former transit holding company in New York City
* Bro ...
service to
Mount Royal University
Mount Royal University (MRU) is a public university in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
History
Mount Royal University was founded by Alberta provincial charter by the Arthur Sifton government on December 16, 1910 and officially opened on September 8 ...
and
Heritage station
In commercial radio, a heritage station is an AM radio station that has broadcast a specific format for a sustained period of time, since its beginning; usually since the 1930s or 1940s, in some cases the 1920s. Also, the call letters will have r ...
.
The station platform is located underground, with two entrances above ground, and is the first operational underground CTrain station in Calgary. A station was planned for under Calgary's
Olympic Plaza ''Olympic Plaza'' may refer to one of the following:
*Olympic Plaza (Calgary) – A downtown city park and gathering place in Calgary, Alberta, Canada
*Pyeongchang Olympic Plaza – Public square situated on the site of the former Olympic Stadium i ...
. However, only the approach tunnel exists below Calgary's Municipal Building, as part of a subway system that was partially built and mothballed in the mid-1980s. The station was built with provisions for a spur line to Mount Royal University in the future.
The platform is side-loading and is connected via two entrances: the north entrance is located in the lobby of a four-storey office block constructed on the former site of the service station; the south entrance is via a standalone building. An escalator, stairs and an elevator provide access to the platform at both entrances. A small bus loop has been constructed near the north entrance which also doubles as an access road to the nearby Westbrook Mall.
In its first year of service, Westbrook served an average of 8,180 boardings per day.
The station primarily serves the communities of
Spruce Cliff
Spruce Cliff is a residential neighbourhood in the southwest quadrant of Calgary, Alberta. It is bounded to the north by the CPR tracks and the Bow River, to the east by the ''Shaganappi golf course'' and 33 Street W, to the south by Bow Trail and ...
,
Rosscarrock
Rosscarrock is a residential neighbourhood in the southwest quadrant of Calgary, Alberta. It is bounded to the north by Bow Trail to the east by 33 Street W, to the south by 17 Avenue S and to the west by 45 Street W. The Westbrook Mall is locate ...
, and
Killarney
Killarney ( ; ga, Cill Airne , meaning 'church of sloes') is a town in County Kerry, southwestern Ireland. The town is on the northeastern shore of Lough Leane, part of Killarney National Park, and is home to St Mary's Cathedral, Ross Castl ...
. Also, the
Westbrook Mall
Westbrook Mall is a shopping centre in Calgary, Alberta. Its anchors are Safeway and Walmart. The Westbrook Station on the West Line of the C-Train is located adjacent to the mall.
Location
Westbrook Mall is located in the west part of Calgar ...
is located near this station and the general area is part of th
Westbrook Area Redevelopment Plan (ARP)
In April 2016, a
Calgary Public Library
The Calgary Public Library (CPL) is a distributed library system featuring 21 branch locations including the Central Library. It is the second most used system in Canada (after the Toronto Public Library) and the sixth most used library system in ...
branch, named the Nicholls Family Library, opened inside the main floor of the office block adjacent to the station entrance, replacing the nearby Shaganappi branch.
A cafe operated within the library branch for a short time after its opening, but subsequently closed and was converted for further library use.
References
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CTrain stations
Railway stations located underground in Canada
Railway stations in Canada opened in 2012
2012 establishments in Alberta