The Alberta government has confirmed plans for a long-awaited rail connection to Calgary International Airport, marking a significant step toward a province-wide passenger rail network. Premier Danielle Smith and Transportation Minister Devin Dreeshen announced Friday the initiation of a Passenger Rail Master Plan, which will guide development over the next three decades.
Master Plan Details
The master plan envisions a comprehensive rail network linking Calgary to Edmonton, Banff, Medicine Hat, and Lethbridge, as well as Edmonton to Grande Prairie and Fort McMurray. Airport connections in both Calgary and Edmonton will be the first priority, followed by a high-speed rail line between the two major cities with a stop in Red Deer.
“A feasible passenger rail network is no longer just a vision for Alberta — it’s a goal,” Smith stated. “Certainly it’s an ambitious goal, and it will take about three decades of steady, incremental work to achieve it, but with the master plan complete, strong interest across the province, and a growing population putting more pressure on our roads and highways, we are eager to get started.”
Funding and Timeline
The province has committed $15 million over three years from Budget 2026 toward planning and private sector engagement. However, a specific construction timeline has not been announced. The funding will also support planning for a central station in downtown Calgary, according to Dreeshen.
Calgary’s Airport Rail Connection Study, conducted in September, proposed an east-west link from the airport to both the Green and Blue Line LRTs, ultimately connecting to downtown.
Private Sector Involvement
Conversations around the master plan began in 2023, involving consultants, stakeholders, and the public. Studies have weighed high-speed versus traditional rail, mapped routes and stations, and analyzed passenger use and economic impact.
In December, a proposal for the $2.6 billion Calgary Airport to Banff Rail (CABR) project was submitted to the federal Major Projects Office. The proposal, developed by Banff-based Liricon Capital and infrastructure investor Plenary Americas, was backed in January by Canada’s Building Trades Unions and the Building Trades of Alberta through a memorandum of understanding.
The CABR project would follow a 150-kilometer route along the existing CP Rail corridor with a dedicated line to avoid scheduling conflicts. Proposed stations include the airport, downtown Calgary, west Calgary, Cochrane, Morley, Canmore, and Banff. Liricon managing partner Jan Waterous stated in December that the project is “shovel ready,” with ten years of studies already completed.
The province-wide network is expected to take approximately 30 years to complete, with steady progress anticipated.
