Jasper wants to make it even easier to get to and from Edmonton
The Town of Jasper wants to make it easier to travel between the mountain community and Edmonton, and it’s looking to the province’s passenger rail master plan to make it happen.
This week, Jasper council voted unanimously in favour of a motion to advocate for the town’s inclusion in Alberta’s 30-Year Passenger Rail Master Plan. The idea is to push for a dedicated regional rail connection between Jasper and Edmonton as part of the Province’s long-term strategy.
There’s already a VIA Rail train that runs between Jasper and Edmonton, but service is limited to twice a week. An additional rail option could help improve car-free access to the mountain town for both visitors and locals.
The Alberta government is currently developing its own province-wide passenger rail plan. According to the Province, the goal is to map out an “optimal passenger rail system” for Alberta, while exploring delivery options that could be public, private or a mix of both.
Some ideas on the table include:
- New commuter rail lines in Calgary and Edmonton
- A regional line between Calgary and Edmonton, with a hub in Red Deer
- Regional routes between major cities and the mountain parks
- A Crown corporation to oversee operations and future planning
- LRT connections that link with the larger rail network
- Multi-modal hubs that bring together rail, transit and airport service
The plan, along with a 15-year delivery roadmap, is expected to be finished by Summer 2025.
The Province says it will use the findings to inform future budget decisions, including Budget 2026. Timelines for actually building new passenger rail lines haven’t been set.