Alberta passenger rail’s future grabs spotlight in upcoming sessions

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 first of two promised virtual sessions lies just ahead to tell Albertans all about a potential future for passenger rail in their province.

The recently completed 30-year Passenger Rail Master Plan focuses mostly on the corridor between Edmonton and Calgary, envisioning a long-discussed high-speed link between the two cities and all-day, high-frequency commuter services connecting them to bedroom communities and their international airports.

The 7 p.m. session July 23 will look at highlights that also include hourly or more frequent service to Banff from Calgary International Airport.

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Trains to further-afield communities like Crowsnest Pass, Lethbridge and Medicine Hat are identified as 60-year possibilities in the plan.

Among others on the 60-year horizon are Fort McMurray, Grande Prairie, Camrose, Lloydminster, Jasper, Rocky Mountain House, Lacombe, Sylvan Lake, Wetaskiwin and Drumheller.

The plan qualifies its mapping this way: “Maps are conceptual and do not show exact routing or station locations.”

The government has earmarked $15 million over three years to start the plan rolling on first-phase critical projects, as it eyes reducing road traffic while preparing for continued population growth.

The three-year spending aims to support:

• planning a passenger rail connection between Edmonton’s LRT system and Edmonton International Airport
• initial planning for a central station in downtown Calgary; and
• industry engagement to explore the potential role of the private sector in delivering the plan.

In all, over 500 kilometres of passenger rail corridors would result from the plan being realized in its current 30-year form.

The plan suggests Alberta’s population, now at more than 5 million people, could more than double in 60 years. The Calgary-Edmonton corridor alone would be home to 8.1 million people or 86 per cent of the population.

A centralized Crown agency led by the government would develop infrastructure, oversee daily operations and maintenance, develop a fare collection and booking system, and plan for expansion.

The master plan represents an estimated $60 billion in spending in 2025 dollars to make its 30-year network a reality. The estimate covers trains, stations, tracks, land, maintenance and storage facilities, and governance.

Visit alberta.ca/passenger-rail to register for the 90-minute online session on July 23. A second session will take place sometime in the fall.

George Lee, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Macleod Gazette