In a not-too-distant future, a high-speed train could potentially be flying over the North Saskatchewan River, say experts, connecting Downtown Edmonton to the city’s airport, Red Deer, Calgary, and even Banff.
The province’s 15-year passenger rail master plan is expected in the coming weeks, just as Edmonton city council is considering the replacement of the iconic 113-year-old High Level Bridge, with Mayor Andrew Knack saying a new bridge option should take high-speed rail into consideration.
If the city were to continue to rehab the original High Level, the cost for another 75 years of life is an estimated $1 billion. That is not a far cry from the $1.3 billion city planners estimate it would require to demolish and replace both the High Level and Low Level bridges, and maintain them in the meantime.
In terms of such large numbers, for comparison, the recent Capital Line South LRT expansion to Ellerslie is slated to cost roughly $1.4 billion. Valley Line West LRT is around $2.6 billion, with the federal and provincial governments helping cover costs. So there is hope among Edmonton city planners and councillors that the province would help fund the High Level replacement, especially if its rail plans align.
The city is considering the possibility of adding high speed passenger rail to the High Level Bridge replacement project. Photo on Friday, May 29, 2026. Shaughn Butts-Postmedia
A bridge too far?
But one behemoth challenge is the river valley itself, with any new High Level requiring a massive amount of new space at the expense of green space.
Space considerations likely mean constraints, especially on the river’s north side, said Georg Josi, a structural engineer with DIALOG, the design firm behind some major Edmonton projects. Those include the Downtown Royal Alberta Museum, Kaye Clinic at the University of Alberta, and the new Walterdale Bridge, finally completed in 2017 to replace the former 1913 bridge after years of delays.
“There’s just not much space to get that in, if it’s on a similar alignment,” Josi said. It’s also likely that the old bridge would need to stay up while the new one is built, making space even tighter.”
Neil Robson, also a structural engineer with DIALOG, said the fact that the bridge is bank-to-bank means it would need to be both longer than any other river crossing in the city, and as the bridge’s name alludes, it’d need to be tall.
To include driving lanes that are up to modern standards, it would also be much wider, even before considering additional lanes or other modes of transit. Currently, the High Level has two lanes, multi-use paths, and the historic High Level Bridge Streetcar. The original streetcar first operated over the High Level in 1913. The bridge was also used to carry trains on its upper deck, but that ceased in 1989.
“Logistics are significantly more challenging and more complicated with a bridge of this scale, size, length, and height above the river valley,” Robson said.
The High Level Bridge is lit up for Peace Officers and Police Memorial Day on Monday, Sept. 25, 2023, in Edmonton. The new Walterdale Bridge can be seen in the background. Greg Southam-Postmedia
Big load, no problem
However, when it comes to the weight of a passenger rail line, Robson said it wouldn’t be much of a factor in terms of just load.
A straight shot from Downtown Edmonton to the city’s airport in Leduc County could be viable, but would still require some weaving through dense neighbourhoods. Ward papastew Coun. Michael Janz said he’d welcome a stop or a terminus for the line near Whyte Avenue or the University of Alberta.
Regardless, Janz is bullish on more passenger rail.
“Trains are the answer.”
Related
A pedestrian crosses Edmonton’s High Level Bridge, Monday March 9, 2026. David Bloom-Postmedia
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