Alberta's 1000km/h train is one step closer to becoming a reality

TransPod

Optimism is at a high for a transportation project that would connect Alberta’s two biggest cities with the potential for construction to break ground next year.

An ultra-high-speed train, developed by Toronto-based startup TransPod, is well on its way to fruition, according to Sebastien Gendron, the company’s CEO and co-founder.

He told Daily Hive Urbanized that the focus of the project in 2024 is to finish administration work with the City of Edmonton and Edmonton International Airport in order to build a test track that would kick off the first phase of the project.

That administration work includes construction permits, a public consultation and to secure the right of way, and the detailed construction cost estimate.

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“We are dividing the construction of this line in two phases, the first one is the construction of the Edmonton airport connection,” Gendron said.

“With that test track, we’ll use that for certification, we aim to obtain a certification from Transport Canada before 2030 I would say.”

When that certification is obtained, construction for the full line that would connect Calgary and Edmonton can begin.

For the first phase that is just the test track, however, TransPod only needs approval from the City of Edmonton, Gendron said.

TransPod said the project will create up to 140,000 jobs and add $19 billion to the region’s GDP over the course of construction.

It’s believed that the train can take passengers from Calgary to Edmonton in 45 minutes.

US$550 million of private funding from the Broughton Capital Group as well as the China-East Resources Import & Export Company was announced for the project in March of 2022.

“The vision is different to develop other lines, and if not differently, to initiate a new network, first in North America,” Gendron said.

“The exciting part of it is that it’s all always the first corridor, which is the most difficult. As soon as the first corridor is up and running, people will see that it’s working and better than the existing modes.”

Construction of a full inter-city line is expected to begin in 2027.

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