New study to explore YYC Airport-to-downtown Calgary rail transit link

YVR Airport Station on SkyTrain's Canada Line, serving Vancouver International Airport. (Kenneth Chan/Daily Hive)

The provincial government of Alberta and the municipal government of Calgary are pushing forward with a new study on linking downtown Calgary and Calgary International Airport (YYC) with a rail public transit service.

“As Calgary continues to grow, it’s vital to have a road map to build out a transit network that increases capacity and supports transportation needs now and into the future,” said Devin Dreeshen, the Alberta minister of transportation and economic corridors, in a statement.

“This project is an important step forward in providing direction on affordable transit infrastructure that will best serve Calgary while respecting taxpayer investment.”

You might also like:

The Government of Alberta has provided the City of Calgary, the operator of Calgary Transit, with $3 million to lead the YYC rail connection study.

This will explore potential ridership and route options to link the airport with the city centre, with the municipality hiring a private sector contractor to assist with the technical work. The bidding process has begun to seek a consultant.

Calgary International Airport (YYC). (Kenneth Chan/Daily Hive)

Planning work will begin in October 2023 and the study should be complete by August 2024, with the study’s findings used by Calgary City Council to help guide future planning decisions.

“It’s important for us to take a comprehensive look at all factors in this technically and physically constrained corridor to establish an optimal functional alignment that will best serve Calgarians, visitors, and employees of the airport and surrounding lands,” said Michael Thompson, the general manager of infrastructure services for the City.

“The study will consider existing rail plans, past City of Calgary transit studies, and other opportunities, to help guide future transit planning.”

As well, as a consideration, the study will consult with the private proponents looking to link downtown Calgary and YYC with Banff.

In 2019, the municipal government’s highly preliminary analysis of a rail connection serving YYC suggested a standalone line between the future Green Line extension’s 96 Avenue NE Station and the future Blue Line extension’s 88th Avenue NE Station. There could be six stations along the rough 10-km-long route, including the terminus stations and the airport terminal station.

The previous analysis also stated a preference for a driverless, fully grade-separated rapid transit line, similar to Vancouver’s SkyTrain system, which includes the Canada Line serving Vancouver International Airport (YVR). Such an automated system is preferred for reasons such as more frequent train service, lower wait times, and lower operating costs, compared to manned services like the CTrain.

Previous 2019 preliminary concept for the Calgary Airport Line route, in relation to the wider rapid transit rail network. (City of Calgary)

Currently, the existing Route 300 Airport/City Centre express bus provides the public transit link to YYC. Its end-to-end travel time is about 45 minutes, depending on traffic conditions. Prior to the pandemic, it saw about 900 boardings per day.

But surging air passenger growth at YYC could help support the business case for such a rail project.

Amongst Canada’s seven largest international airports, Calgary International Airport (YYC) came out at the top for its 2022 recovery rate of 81% of pre-pandemic 2019 volumes. It saw 14.5 million passengers last year, narrowing the gap from the 2019 figure of 18 million. In real numbers, YYC was still Canada’s fourth busiest airport, behind Toronto-Pearson International Airport (YYZ), Montreal Pierre Elliott Trudeau Airport (YUL), and YVR.

In Fall 2022, WestJet announced an agreement with the Government of Alberta to double its capacity at YYC before the end of the decade, designating Calgary as its exclusive global connecting hub. Early this year, Calgary Airport Authority indicated WestJet’s decision to focus its expansion in YYC would result in 25% more passengers at the airport in 2023 — a near total recovery to 2019 passenger levels of between 17 million and 18 million.

Calgary International Airport (YYC). (Kenneth Chan/Daily Hive)

Canadian airports with a “train to the city” include not only YVR, but also YYZ with its Union-Pearson Express.

Ottawa Macdonald–Cartier International Airport (YOW) is expected to gain its train later this year when the expanded Trillium Line opens, while YUL will be provided with a direct link to downtown Montreal in 2027 when a latter phase of the new REM train network opens.

You might also like: