Calgary Transit is deploying its full operational capacity to handle the 1.5 million visitors expected at the Calgary Stampede this year, including both locals and tourists. The transit agency recorded over 93 million trips in 2025, but ridership spikes notably in early July due to Stampede Park's location directly on the CTrain network.
Extended Service and Increased Frequency
To accommodate the annual influx, Calgary Transit extends service throughout the Stampede, including 24-hour CTrain service that begins during the Thursday sneak-a-peak event. During the festival, the CTrain operates with five-minute frequency during the morning rush hour, 10-minute frequency in the afternoons and evenings, and 20-minute frequency overnight.
Calgary Transit also introduces two Stampede express bus routes: Route 405 takes festivalgoers to and from the North Pointe bus terminal, while Route 406 travels to and from the Douglas Glen bus terminal in the city's southeast. Route 405 operates with 10-minute frequency until 1 a.m., and Route 406 provides service every 15 minutes until the same cutoff time.
Challenges and Solutions for High-Traffic Events
Jonathan Lea, Calgary Transit's senior leader of service design, said one of the biggest challenges during Stampede is accommodating increased ridership during particularly high-traffic events, such as the parade on opening day or after the nightly Grandstand shows, when everyone leaves the park at the same time. “But we use data from previous years, so we add extra trains during those times,” he said. “We even have extra trains called floaters that we keep close to Stampede Park, so if things get really busy, we can add an extra train or two into the system.”
All Hands on Deck for Parade Day
Another challenge is helping passengers who are newer to the city's transit system, Lea said, whether they be tourists visiting Calgary for the first time or residents who don't typically take public transportation. The day of the Stampede Parade is one of Calgary Transit's busiest days of the year. To help move passengers efficiently, staff set up at suburban CTrain stations early that morning to help passengers figure out how to pay for their fares and navigate the system. After the parade, transit employees are downtown to help load CTrain cars along 7th Avenue, either to get passengers back home or make their way to nearby Stampede Park. “It’s all hands on deck that day,” Lea said. “For the full Stampede, we see ridership all day long; morning, afternoon, into the late evening and after the Grandstand show, fireworks and all the concerts are done.”
