‘Better late than never,’ says Mayor Knack of cell service at Edmonton’s underground LRT stations
Posted September 2, 2026 1:07 pm.
Edmonton’s mayor says while it may have taken a long time for the city’s underground LRT stations to get cell service, it’s “better late than never.”
“I’ll be the first to say long overdue,” Andrew Knack told CityNews. “It has taken time.”
Mayor Knack says having Edmonton’s underground LRT stations finally connected to data service is crucial in bolstering rider security.
“It’s one of the most critical parts of safety and at least helping contribute to people’s feeling of safety,” he said. “Because when you have that break, if you’re running into something and you wanna text Transit Watch, you can now do that. You have that ability to be on a call with someone, you have that opportunity.
“I know people will share locations with friends and family as they’re doing their journeys, whether they’re driving or taking transit. But all of that allows that continued connectivity.”
Edmonton’s underground cell service project is a $4.7 million, 30-year partnership with Telus. Service is currently available for customers of Telus, Bell, and other sub-brands, with more providers to come.
Morgan, an LRT rider, told CityNews Tuesday he’s not been happy with the rollout.
“I’m gonna say this outright: it’s ridiculous,” he said. “First of all, their service is unreliable. You’re relying on the provider, of course, so it’s more whoever’s providing the service.
“I’ve been sitting there the whole time they’ve been installing it, and I’ve watched nothing really happen. Recently I was taking the train here, it wasn’t working, there was no cell service.
“I also don’t think it makes a difference. All of the stations have call centres. All of them have touch strips on the trains.”
Another rider, Asher, says he was glad to see some bars of data after experiencing a few uncomfortable situations on transit.
“I’ve had a few times where I’ve felt unsafe, like maybe twice a week, which isn’t good,” he said.
Riders say more physical security measures and officers in transit centres would do more for rider safety.
“How long is it gonna take them for to get there, right? If there’s something happening to someone right there, then it’s quick, right? They should have at every station at least one peace officer or something,” said Mikey.
Before the cell service connection, wi-fi was offered but only on LRT platforms.
