The Alberta government announced its Passenger Rail Master Plan today featuring a passenger rail line between Calgary and Edmonton, which will make a stop along the way in Airdrie.
The plan is scheduled to be completed by summer of 2025, while the Calgary Edmonton rail link is not anticipated to come to fruition until the early 2040's.
The plan will assess the feasibility of this rail line, including inter-city, commuter, and high-speed services.
"Alberta’s Passenger Rail Master Plan will look forward decades and identify concrete actions that can be taken now as well as in the future to build the optimal passenger rail system for the province," stated the government release.
The government’s vision is for an Alberta passenger rail system that includes public, private or hybrid passenger rail, including:
- a commuter rail system for the Calgary area that connects surrounding communities and the Calgary International Airport to downtown;
- a commuter rail system for the Edmonton area that connects surrounding communities and the Edmonton International Airport to downtown;
- regional rail lines from Calgary and Edmonton to the Rocky Mountain parks;
- a regional rail line between Calgary and Edmonton, with a local transit hub in Red Deer;
- municipal-led LRT systems in Calgary and Edmonton that integrate with the provincial passenger rail system; and
- rail hubs serving the major cities that would provide linkages between a commuter rail system, regional rail routes and municipal-led mass transit systems.
The vision includes a province-led “Metrolinx-like” Crown corporation with a mandate to develop the infrastructure and oversee daily operations, fare collection/booking systems, system maintenance, and planning for future system expansion.
The plan will provide a cost-benefit analysis and define what is required by government, including a governance and delivery model, legislation, funding, and staging to implement passenger rail in Alberta. This work will include a 15-year delivery plan that will prioritize and sequence investments.
The Master Plan will take into account future growth, planning for the growing provincial population and considering the use of hydrogen-powered trains to ensure a robust and effective passenger rail system to serve Albertans for years to come.
Development of the Master Plan will include engagement with Albertans to gain their perspectives for the future of passenger rail in Alberta.
Alberta’s government has released a Request for Expression of Interest to seek world-class knowledge and consultant services as a first step toward the development of the Passenger Rail Master Plan for Alberta.
Following this process, a Request for Proposal will be issued to select a consultant to develop the Passenger Rail Master Plan. The Master Plan is expected to be completed by summer 2025.
Budget 2024 includes $9 million to support the development of the Passenger Rail Master Plan this year.
