Alberta regional passenger rail planning continues

The provincial government is exploring how to bring back regional rail service to Calgary—something that left our city decades ago.

A ‘Master Rail Plan’ that could chart out a regional passenger rail network across Alberta is months into its planning stage, but don’t expect to be able to buy a ticket for more than a decade at minimum.

The provincial government is currently hosting virtual information sessions about lofty ambitions that could see passenger trains running between Calgary to Edmonton, Banff, Lethbridge and more.

“The 15 year delivery plan will provide the framework for government to consider the different options towards the next steps in building passenger rail in Alberta,” Rob Lawson told a virtual session Tuesday night. Lawson is the acting assistant deputy minister involved in Alberta’s passenger rail plan.

Specific routes and potential costs are still unknown. Current sessions will consider actions governments can take decades down the road.

“It’s not out of the realm of possibility that, even if government decided this fall that they wanted to invest in passenger rail and start implementing 30 year networks, and it might be 15 years before you’re buying a ticket to ride on a train service,” said Chris Gentile, the director of passenger rail in Alberta.

Via Rail

The last proper regional rail service for Calgary was VIA Rail, but the Calgary stop was cut in 1990 to save costs. VIA still operates routes in Alberta through Edmonton and Jasper.

The former VIA station in Calgary still exists near the Calgary Tower, though the platform is chained up and covered in graffiti.

“VIA Rail terminated service in Calgary roughly around 1990. And a lot of the lessons learned still stand today. VIA Rail was very subsidized by the federal government, as it is today,” said David Cooper, a transit expert and mobility consultant.

Any type of expanded regional rail in Alberta will need significant government involvement, Cooper adds, and current provincially-led exploration is a good first step.

“This is quite significant, actually,” Cooper said.

“When you look at how funding plays out with these big infrastructure projects across Canada, it’s usually provincial governments and federal governments working together as the main funders of these overall projects. So having them involved in this makes it a lot more real.”

In the virtual sessions about the outlook, provincial officials say high-speed trains are seriously being considered.

“I think a lot of people kind of get a bit pessimistic on high speed trains, but I think Alberta has reached the point where we have the population, we have the commuters, we have the amount of people who are ready and willing to pursue this a bit further,” said Justin Simaluk with the Rail for Alberta Society.

Virtual sessions continue Wednesday and Thursday.