Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi drove the N.E. train at celebrations to mark the two new LRT station openings Saturday. (Courtesy Chima Nkemdirim)

Hundreds of Calgarians turned out to celebrate the city's newest LRT stations Saturday.

The northeast line extension has been in the works for five years. The city estimates that between 8,000 and 10,000 people will use the extension daily at the new Saddletowne and Martindale stations.

The $130 million project was originally approved by council in 2007.

Some community association members had voiced concern that the trains would be going too fast through the community and that the pedestrian barriers were too high up, allowing room for children to run right under.

Those concerns were brought forward to transit planners, who then agreed to reduce operating speed from 80 to 50 kilometres an hour and lowered the barriers.

The two stations officially open Monday morning.