Alberta lays track for passenger rail renaissance
The Macleod Gazette
By George Lee, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
A made-in-Alberta plan for sustainable passenger rail service could transform provincial travel, an MLA told the legislature as an online survey on the issue entered its final few weeks.
Ron Wiebe, the UCP member for Grande Prairie-Wapiti, emphasized that a passenger rail plan is not just about Edmonton, Calgary and the corridor that connects them. It will also help generate better travel options for smaller centres and rural Alberta, he said.
“This ambitious initiative is poised to reshape how Albertans move across our province, creating opportunities for economic growth (and) community connection, and more options for businesses and families,” Wiebe told the Nov. 25 sitting of the current session.
The government is peering decades into the future at city-to-city, regional, commuter and high-speed services. The Passenger Rail Master Plan will look at what should be developed where, how the service should be sequenced and governed, and what the funding models will be. Included will be a 15-year delivery plan to start building the system.
The master plan will be partly informed experts from Ontario, California, Itay, Spain, Japan and other places who took part in Alberta’s first passenger rail forum, Nov. 22 in Calgary. “By learning from their experiences, Alberta is building a foundation for success,” Wiebe said.
But the input of everyday Albertans is crucial in getting the plan right, which makes participation in the survey ending Dec. 20 especially important, Wiebe added. “It isn’t just about adopting global best practices. It’s also about addressing the unique needs of Albertans.”
Via Rail, a national crown corporation, runs about 370 departures a week in 400-plus Canadian communities, says its 2023 annual report. Although eight provinces are served, most routes are in Ontario.
Alberta’s relationship with passenger rail has been uneven at best since private cars assumed the transportation throne in the 1950s and ’60s. Studies and reports cite hurdles like low population density, lack of demand in a car-centric culture, cost, and complexities like coordination, governance and regulation.
The province’s vision so far includes:
commuter rail systems in Calgary and Edmonton that connect to their surrounding communities, like Airdrie and Okotoks or Leduc and Spruce Grove
rail systems connecting Calgary and Edmonton’s downtowns to their international airports
a regional line between Calgary and Edmonton with a transit hub in Red Deer
lines connecting regional centres like Lethbridge, Medicine Hat, Grande Prairie and Fort McMurray to Calgary and Edmonton
regional lines between Rocky Mountain parks and Calgary and Edmonton.
To take the survey, go to alberta.ca/passenger-rail-engagement. It should take you 15-20 minutes, and you must complete it by Dec. 20. The province plans to follow up the survey early next year with regional open houses.
“Alberta’s future runs on rails,” said Wiebe, “and through bold leadership, collaboration and public engagement, we are ensuring that the future is built for Albertans by Albertans.”