Alberta backs $15 million into next phase of passenger rail plan
Province moves forward on high-speed corridors linking Calgary, Edmonton, Banff, and airports.
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Alberta is investing $15 million in the next phase of a 30-year provincial rail plan that could transform how Albertans travel between major cities and airports.
The province announced Friday it's advancing recommendations from the recently completed Passenger Rail Master Plan, which maps high-potential corridors for frequent and high-speed service. The blueprint identifies three priority routes: a high-speed Edmonton–Red Deer–Calgary line with more than one train an hour, a higher-speed Calgary–Banff route with up to hourly service, and frequent commuter and airport-express trains.
Calgary International Airport would see all-day service every 20 minutes, matching proposed service levels for Edmonton International Airport, Airdrie, and St. Albert. Transportation Minister Devin Dreeshen said initial work will focus on these connections, allowing planners to design a network linking rail services with LRT systems and transit.
Work is already underway to examine how Edmonton's LRT could connect to Edmonton International Airport and how Calgary's LRT could link to Calgary International Airport. The province cited rapid population growth and increasingly congested highways as drivers for the long-term vision. Currently, passenger rail in Alberta is limited to VIA Rail and Rocky Mountaineer tourism services, plus LRT in Calgary and Edmonton.
This marks a concrete step toward the province's vision announced nearly two years ago, though the full rail network remains years away from any service launch.