Calgary CTrain pilot boosting rider confidence with 34 new peace officers at 10 stations

Calgary's $9-million push to increase security on the CTrain is showing early results, with riders reporting they feel safer at stations with visible peace officers on patrol.

City council approved the pilot in December 2025, with funding drawn from the city's fiscal stability reserve. The project launched in January, concentrating additional security presence at stations chosen based on incident data. As of June 22, transit peace officers—who have "full authority to respond to bylaw and on view Criminal Code offences"—replaced contracted security guards and now patrol 10 stations during afternoon rush hours, from 4 to 8 p.m.

Thirty-four transit peace officers were recruited and trained for the pilot, with the latest cohort graduating in June. When the pilot began, 11 contracted security guards patrolled the Marlborough, City Hall/Bow Valley College, Chinook, Tuscany, and Franklin stations. In March, the program expanded to include five additional stations: Sunalta, Rundle, Westbrook, 8th Street West, and Southland.

Key findings from spring surveys of 1,627 riders at pilot stations showed that "some riders feel very safe at the station," while most who didn't feel safe cited "observed social disorder" as their main concern. Critically, passengers had noticed the enhanced security presence and said they "value visible security and feel more comfortable because of it." The city is conducting a larger survey effort—aiming to speak with 4,800 riders across the year—to establish a clear benchmark comparing pilot and non-pilot stations. Ward 6 Councillor John Pantazopoulos said he feels "cautiously optimistic" about the early findings. "We've hit the ground running and have a good baseline," he said. Administration is on track to spend the full $9 million by year-end and will present a full evaluation to council before the end of 2026.