What the passenger rail system in Alberta may look like by the 2080s
Alberta is moving ahead with a long-term passenger rail strategy that will see a rail network built between Edmonton and Calgary, along with expanded regional and airport connections.
The Passenger Rail Master Plan, released on June 5, outlines a 30-year network that includes plans for a high-speed train of up to 320 km/h between Edmonton and Calgary via Red Deer, with up to one train per hour in the key corridor.
But that’s just the start. The plan also lays out a longer-term vision for expanding passenger rail across Alberta, potentially stretching from Fort McMurray to the Crowsnest Pass.
Here’s a look at what Alberta’s 30-year and 60-year network could look like:
30 years
The proposed Edmonton-Calgary corridor would extend from St. Albert to downtown Calgary and include:
- High-speed rail between Edmonton, Red Deer and Calgary, with trains travelling up to 320 km/h
- Commuter rail service connecting downtown Edmonton with St. Albert and the Edmonton International Airport
- Commuter rail service connecting downtown Calgary with Airdrie and the Calgary International Airport
Alberta Government
Future commuter connections could also serve:
- Spruce Grove
- Stony Plain
- Strathmore
- Chestermere
- High River
- Okotoks
Alberta Government
A Calgary to Banff corridor would connect downtown Calgary to Banff, with a stop at the Calgary International Airport along the way.
This vision includes:
- Regional rail service between Calgary, the airport, and Banff.
- Commuter rail service between Calgary, the airport, and Cochrane.
- Higher-speed rail service between Calgary and Banff with departures of up to one train per hour.
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60 years
And this is where Albertans could see the train go in the next 60 years:
- Grande Prairie
- Fort McMurray
- Jasper
- Lloydminster
- Camrose
- Rocky Mountain House
- Medicine Hat
- Lethbridge
- Drumheller
- Crowsnest Pass
The province also identified future commuter rail possibilities for communities, including:
- Leduc
- Nisku
- Beaumont
- Fort Saskatchewan
- Morinville
- Sylvan Lake
- Lacombe
According to the plan, additional connections could emerge in the future, including potential links to Saskatchewan, British Columbia, and Montana.
Alberta Government
The province notes that not all of the identified routes will necessarily be built. Many of the longer-term expansions would depend on future population growth, tourism demand, and broader transportation needs.
Alberta’s government is investing $15 million over the next three years to support industry engagement as well as planning for a passenger rail connection between Edmonton’s light-rail transit (LRT) system and the Edmonton International Airport, and a central station in downtown Calgary.