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Thales Canada on Tuesday has just seven days left to get the Metro LRT Line running properly or face “serious consequences” city council threatened in December.

That’s up to and including legal action and finding a new contractor, even if that means reverting to “flagmen,” said Mayor Don Iveson last December after council voted unanimously for the deadline.

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But are flagmen really an option? Can Edmonton fire Thales?

City officials are working on a plan, but industry expert Chris Jackson warns that’s akin to “going nuclear.”

Everything Thales crews have installed uses proprietary software that would have to be ripped out if a different company comes in. But without a solution, these Metro Line challenges will hamper further LRT expansion north.

With such big decisions afoot, Postmedia took a step back to investigate how Edmonton landed in this difficult situation.

We pulled the original contract bids and evaluation through a freedom of information request. It all starts there, with a set of city officials wooed by Thales Canada’s “aggressive” timelines proposed for completion, but a little worried at a lack of experience with street crossings.