Alberta hosts virtual sessions on passenger rail master plan

The Alberta government is planning three virtual information sessions to engage with residents in Calgary, Edmonton and the rest of Alberta about its high-speed rail plan. (File)

The Alberta government is hosting virtual sessions to provide an update on the development of its passenger rail master plan.

The master plan will assess the feasibility of passenger rail in Alberta, including regional, commuter and high-speed services.

The government’s vision is to build a high-speed rail line between Edmonton and Calgary, a line from both downtown Calgary and Edmonton to each airport, rail to Banff and Jasper, and eventually lines to communities such as Fort Mcmurray, Lethbridge and Grande Prairie.

It also includes a province-led Crown corporation with a mandate to develop the infrastructure and oversee daily operations.

The project would cost billions of dollars with no timeline on when the entire network would be complete.

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Premier Danielle Smith and Alberta’s Minister of Transportation Devin Dreeshen, first announced the plan back in April 2024.

Since then, the province has hosted open houses, Indigenous roundtables, as well as a forum in Calgary that brought together industry experts from around the world.

Now, the government is hosting three virtual sessions to share an update on the development of the plan.

Calgary and surrounding area residents can register for the session online. It starts at 7 p.m.

There will be a session held for Edmonton-area residents on Wednesday at 7 p.m. and a province-wide session will be held on Thursday at 7 p.m.

The master plan and delivery plan are expected to be completed this summer, with the goal of informing cabinet in the fall in time for Alberta’s 2026 budget and future budgets.