{"id":717873,"date":"2026-06-06T00:01:13","date_gmt":"2026-06-06T00:01:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/717873\/"},"modified":"2026-06-06T00:01:13","modified_gmt":"2026-06-06T00:01:13","slug":"alberta-eyes-downtown-to-airport-trains-as-1st-passenger-rail-master-plan-project","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/717873\/","title":{"rendered":"Alberta eyes downtown-to-airport trains as 1st passenger rail master plan project"},"content":{"rendered":"

Alberta\u2019s government is eyeing train connections between airports and the downtown cores of its two biggest cities as the first key projects in its new passenger rail plan.<\/p>\n

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But construction isn\u2019t expected to start any time soon.<\/p>\n

The government says it plans to spend $15 million over the next three years to move ahead with planning those routes and others before shovels break ground.<\/p>\n

On Friday, the government released an executive summary that sees high-speed rail between Edmonton and Calgary, and a train connecting Calgary to the Rocky Mountain resort town of Banff, within 30 years.<\/p>\n

It also sees trains potentially connecting Edmonton and Calgary to surrounding suburbs.<\/p>\n

The province said initial work is already underway to examine connections between Edmonton and Calgary\u2019s international airports and those city\u2019s downtowns, would be built as extensions to each city\u2019s existing LRT systems.<\/p>\n

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Premier Danielle Smith said the airport links \u2014 a major priority that the government heard about during public engagement \u2014 are the most feasible in the short term.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe heard many perspectives, but one thing was abundantly clear: a feasible passenger rail network is no longer just a vision for Alberta, it\u2019s a goal,\u201d said Smith, speaking at the Calgary International Airport.<\/p>\n

\u201cCertainly, it is an ambitious goal, and it will take about three decades of steady incremental work to achieve it.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tWould a train connecting airport to downtown Edmonton boost economy?\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

Calgary Mayor Jeromy Farkas said that after years and years of talk about building a passenger rail system in Alberta, he\u2019s thrilled to see it nearing reality.<\/p>\n

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\u201cCalgary is Canada\u2019s fastest-growing major city. As we continue to welcome new residents and businesses, we need infrastructure that matches our ambition,\u201d Farkas said in a statement.<\/p>\n

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Edmonton Mayor Andrew Knack also said he was excited. Having a train to the airport would be \u201ctransformative\u201d for the province\u2019s capital, he said.<\/p>\n

The master plan says the full, 30-year build-out would cost at least $60 billion and would focus on\u00a0connections of greatest potential demand and economic benefit, including:
\u2022 High-speed (more than 300 km\/h) regional service between Edmonton and Calgary via Red Deer with more than one train an hour
\u2022 Higher-speed (more than 160 km\/h) regional service between Calgary and Banff with up to one train an hour
\u2022 Frequent airport-express and commuter rail service, including all-day service every 20 minutes for Calgary International Airport, Airdrie, Edmonton International Airport and St. Albert, and commuter-peak services for other connections<\/p>\n

\u201cThis includes infrastructure (tracks and stations), land, maintenance and storage facilities, and governance costs,\u201d reads the executive summary.<\/p>\n

A new Crown corporation would also be required to oversee operations, it says.<\/p>\n

The plan identifies high-speed rail as the more beneficial option over standard diesel locomotives.<\/p>\n

It doesn\u2019t come with any proposed routes, though it notes high-speed rail between Edmonton and Calgary, and between Calgary and Banff, would require extensive land acquisitions.<\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tAlberta group proposes Calgary-Banff rail connection to Ottawa\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

It says lines couldn\u2019t run along existing highway corridors, as that would require building costly overpasses. Going through urban areas along highways, such as Red Deer, would also come with \u201csignificant community impacts.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Despite the roadblocks, a family who submitted an unsolicited proposal for Calgary-to-Banff train service five years ago is convinced the project is closer than ever to being built.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe think that hopefully now we\u2019re off to the races,\u201d said billionaire oil executive Adam Waterous. He and his wife, Jan, are behind holding company Liricon Capital.<\/p>\n

Their proposed route \u2014 with financial backing from Canada Infrastructure Bank and a private investment firm \u2014 would be adjacent to the Canadian Pacific Kansas City freight line.<\/p>\n

The government\u2019s master plan says building passenger trains adjacent to freight lines would add time to the development process, not speed it up.<\/p>\n

It says building along freight routes rules out high-speed rail and that diesel-powered passenger trains would have limited frequency and reliability. It would also infringe on freight capacity, and federal involvement would be necessary since freight corridors are regulated by Ottawa.<\/p>\n

Waterous, who holds a multi-decade lease of Banff\u2019s train station, said Liricon\u2019s proposal should be compelling for the government.<\/p>\n

The family is promising to eat the cost of building the Calgary-to-Banff line, if Alberta pays to connect downtown Calgary to the city\u2019s airport.<\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tCalgary releases preferred option after study on rail service to airport\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s quite a remarkable business opportunity from the province\u2019s perspective,\u201d said Waterous.<\/p>\n

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Despite the challenges identified, the plan says the overall network would be a money-making endeavour, with fares easily covering operating costs. It also says the rail system would eliminate 30-million tonnes of carbon emissions and avoid thousands of fatal or serious car accidents.<\/p>\n

Opposition NDP transportation critic Lorne Dach said he supports the United Conservative Party government\u2019s vision. But he criticized the lack of detail.<\/p>\n

\u201cAlbertans deserve transparency and a real plan,\u201d said Dach.<\/p>\n

Smith, asked if she was confident the plan would be carried out beyond her time in office, said it\u2019ll depend on how much planning progress is made in the next few years.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019ll have to ask me again in a year-and-a-half what my optimism is, but it\u2019s pretty high right now.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2014 With files from Dayne Patterson, The Canadian Press<\/p>\n

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