Calgary-to-Banff rail project submitted to Ottawa’s Major Projects Office

A long-anticipated Calgary-to-Banff rail project could be closer to reality than ever before. The line has been submitted to the Major Projects Office.

A group planning to build a hydrogen-powered passenger train from Calgary to Banff have asked the federal government to help get the project moving.

Last week, Calgary Airport to Banff Rail submitted their rail proposal to Canada’s Major Projects Office (MPO).

The federal body can speed up projects in the national interest through streamlined approvals and funding.

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“To have them back us and support us and even guide us through this next two-year phase would be very important to getting this train over the finish line,” proponent Jan Waterous said.

“We would really want this to be a functional train that gets people to work, but also a train that serves the tourism economy and that can perhaps educate tourists about the beauty of the park before they get there.”

Waterous is convinced — with help — the train could be making trips as soon as 2030.

Long journey, short trip

Waterous has been pushing for the rail for more than a decade.

Her family — and its company, Liricon Capital — is developing the train proposal with help from investor Plenary Americas.

The idea is to have a line that runs from a central hub in downtown Calgary to Banff’s train station public parking lot.

The 150-kilometre-trip would take about an hour and forty minutes.

Ideally, Waterous says, the rail would follow the existing Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC) freight corridor.

CPKC has previously had agreements with the group to develop a passenger line along its rail, though they’ll need to work out a new deal should Ottawa get involved.

Liricon and its backer would be on the hook for about $1.5 billion.

A large chunk of that would be paid for by tickets: a ride would cost locals roughly $30, and out-of-province visitors would pay twice that.

Liticon has repeatedly stated no taxpayer funding would need to be used on their portion of the line.

But there’s a catch: Waterous says the entire project hinges on the provincial government pitching in.

Provincial push?

The Calgary-Banff project will only go ahead if another line is developed from the airport to a new central station.

“What is conditional here is that the province build their train from the airport to downtown Calgary and give us access to three trains per-hour that feed into our line,” Waterous told CTV News Tuesday.

The government did complete a regional passenger rail master plan in 2025. It looked into transport across the province, including potential high-speed rail links between Calgary and Banff and Calgary and Edmonton.

Premier Danielle Smith has long been a proponent of both new lines.

So, Waterous says, the timing of the federal submission was important.

“The priority of the provincial government is that they wanted to reach some kind of agreement on (another) pipeline (to the west coast) first,“ she said.

“So once the MOU was reached, we thought it was the perfect time to get our proposal in.”

Municipal support shouldn’t be hard to come by.

The mayors of the connecting hubs have already signed off on a similar proposal, and Waterous says leaders in Cochrane and Canmore are also on board.

Last week, Calgary’s new mayor gushed about the idea.

“Having Calgary connected to Banff and the mountains is a critical economic development component, but also the access to the airport is just as instrumental,” Jeromy Farkas said.

“This isn’t just a tourism or economic development opportunity, but it’s also a value for everyday commuters. So I’m encouraged to see the most recent submission. Obviously, the devil’s in the details. We’ll see to what level the province is interested in stepping up.”

Transportation Minister Devin Dreeshen’s office wouldn’t say if it was on board with any one specific project.

Instead, in a statement, the minister said, “Alberta’s government welcomes innovative ideas from the private sector, including proposals for rail service to Banff.”

The minister’s statement also said, “We have to ensure any project provides real, measurable value for Albertans before moving ahead.”

Environmental elements

The idea has seen some pushback from conservationists.

The Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society (CPAWS) has some concerns — specifically around visitor volume and important wildlife corridors in the area.

“We are talking about significant infrastructure into a national park,” Chloe Hahn said. “The existing line is a significant cause of wildlife mortality, notably for species like grizzly bears. So when we’re talking about doubling the infrastructure, it’s going to escalate those impacts.“

“So we should be taking our time and doing the proper studies and making sure it really is the best option.”

Waterous tells CTV News she agrees.

She hopes Ottawa can help with consultations over the next few years to make sure everyone is happy.

“There is a way to do this right and please everyone,” she said.

As of publication, the MPO has yet to comment on the submission.