A high-speed train travelling between downtown Calgary and downtown Edmonton in one hour and 45 minutes is moving a step closer to consideration, with Alberta preparing to ask the private sector for formal proposals this fall.
Credit: Alberta Passenger Rail Master Plan overview/Alberta.ca
The proposed high-speed rail line would connect downtown Calgary, Red Deer and downtown Edmonton, with service also reaching Calgary International Airport, Edmonton International Airport and Airdrie.
Alberta plans to select a private-sector proponent by April 2027. The province says the successful proposal will be expected to require minimal financial investment from the Alberta government and integrate with existing passenger rail systems in Calgary and Edmonton.
The federal government is also getting involved. Ottawa has committed to referring the Calgary-Red Deer-Edmonton corridor to the federal Major Projects Office as a transformative strategy once Alberta selects a private proponent. The two governments say they will work together on planning and explore financing options.
Trains could travel up to 320 km/h
The proposal is part of Alberta’s broader 30-year Passenger Rail Master Plan.
Under that plan, trains between Calgary and Edmonton could travel at speeds of up to 320 km/h using new, dedicated passenger tracks in a new corridor. The planned service would operate more than once an hour and make the downtown-to-downtown journey in about one hour and 45 minutes.
The corridor is a significant focus because about 80 per cent of Alberta’s population lives along the Calgary-Red Deer-Edmonton region. Alberta’s population, currently more than five million, is projected to reach between nine million and 10 million over the next six decades.
“Connecting Calgary, Red Deer and Edmonton with high-speed rail would be a generational investment in Alberta’s future,” Premier Danielle Smith said, adding that the province needs infrastructure capable of keeping up with population and economic growth.
How much could Alberta’s passenger rail network cost?
There is no specific construction price attached to the Calgary-Edmonton high-speed line in the province’s announcement.
The Passenger Rail Master Plan does, however, put an early estimate on the much larger network envisioned over 30 years. Designing and constructing that full network, including acquiring trains, is estimated at $60 billion in 2025 dollars.
That figure covers more than 500 kilometres of proposed passenger rail corridors, not just high-speed rail between Calgary and Edmonton. It includes tracks, stations, land, trains, maintenance and storage facilities, and governance costs.
The estimate is also preliminary. The master plan says its initial cost estimates have a range of plus 100 per cent to minus 50 per cent, reflecting the early planning stage. Inflation is not included, meaning the actual dollars spent in future years would be higher.
The plan projects that fare revenue from a completed network could exceed its ongoing operating and maintenance costs and contribute to infrastructure renewal. It does not, however, expect that revenue to be enough to repay the initial capital investment.
This is part of a much larger rail proposal
The high-speed line is only one piece of Alberta’s long-term passenger rail plan.
The proposed network includes higher-speed service of more than 160 km/h between Calgary and Banff, with up to one train per hour.
It also calls for frequent airport and commuter rail. Proposed all-day service every 20 minutes would connect Calgary International Airport, Airdrie, Edmonton International Airport and St. Albert, alongside commuter services on other connections.
Alberta has already committed $15 million over three years for early passenger-rail work. That includes planning a connection between Edmonton’s LRT system and Edmonton International Airport, initial planning for a downtown Calgary central station, and discussions with industry about financing and private-sector involvement.
Transportation and Economic Corridors Minister Devin Dreeshen said consultations for the master plan showed a Calgary-Edmonton high-speed connection through Red Deer was a priority for Albertans.
For travellers, however, the 1-hour-45-minute journey remains a proposal rather than a service with an opening date. The next concrete milestone is the RFP process this fall, followed by Alberta’s planned selection of a proponent by April 2027.
Alberta Passenger Rail Master Plan overview