Latest news with #MasterRailPlan
Calgary Herald
08-08-2025
- Business
- Calgary Herald
Jasper wants more Edmonton passenger train links, but is it a railroad to nowhere?
When you arrive in Jasper via rail, you see a quaint downtown on one side, and stunning mountain scenery on the other. With shops and restaurants right across the street, there's an immediate connection to the town. Article content When you arrive in Edmonton via rail, you see mountains of dirt, where the Blatchford neighbourhood might be someday. There is one solitary track, and VIA trains have to go through the CN rail yard and then back slowly into the passenger station. There's no transit service to the depot. If you can find a major city with a more awful passenger rail station than Edmonton's, you truly are a traveller with a glutton for punishment. Article content Article content Article content So, if Jasper municipal officials get their wish, and a regular Jasper-Edmonton rail link becomes a priority for the provincial government, the biggest issue might be in the big city, not the small mountain town. Article content Article content Earlier this week, Jasper's municipal council unanimously passed a motion to ask the province to make an Edmonton-Jasper run a priority in the Passenger Master Rail Plan. The province's transportation ministry is currently consulting people and organizations across Alberta in hopes of developing a passenger rail network that connects Edmonton, Red Deer, Calgary and the mountain parks. The plan would also look at the feasibility of commuter-rail services in Calgary and Edmonton. Article content 'Alberta's government is thinking long-term when it comes to strengthening our rail network and boosting trade infrastructure across the province,' said Alberta Minister of Transportation and Economic Corridors Devin Dreeshen in a statement. 'Through our Master Rail Plan, we're exploring every opportunity to better connect communities, expand tourism, and move goods more efficiently. Jasper holds a unique place in Alberta's landscape, both as a beloved destination and a potential gateway to stronger economic corridors. Article content Article content 'While no final decisions have been made, we look forward to working with local leaders and stakeholders to explore Jasper's role, along with many other communities, as part of a broader, forward-looking vision for rail in Alberta. Alberta's master rail plan is anticipated to be released later this summer.' Article content Article content Currently, the only rail connection between Jasper and Edmonton, 365 km east, is through The Canadian, VIA Rail's twice a week train that connects Toronto and Vancouver. But, The Canadian is prime illustration of why passenger rail service in Western Canada needs a lot of work. VIA uses tracks that are owned by CN, and since cargo pays the bills, the passenger train has to make way for the long, snaking freight trains that bring goods from east to west and vice-versa. So VIA's schedule often ends up being more a guideline than a timetable. The scenic views from the train can't be beat, but if you need to be at your destination by a certain time, the train is not a great bet.
CTV News
26-06-2025
- Business
- CTV News
Alberta regional passenger rail planning continues
Alberta hosted a virtual information session Wednesday to discuss plans to have a rail network connecting Edmonton, Calgary, Banff, Lethbridge and more. 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. Former VIA Rail station, Calgary, June 25, 2025 The former VIA station in Calgary still exists near the Calgary Tower, though the platform is chained up and covered in graffiti. (Jordan Kanygin, CTV Calgary) 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.
