High-Speed Rail Corridor
Canada and Alberta Advance Plans for High-Speed Calgary-Edmonton Rail Corridor
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Canada and Alberta will jointly advance plans for a high-speed rail corridor linking Calgary, Red Deer and Edmonton, referring the initiative to the federal Major Projects Office and setting up a joint structure to guide planning and assess market interest. Alberta plans to launch a request for proposals this fall and select a private-sector partner by April 2027, with minimal provincial funding a key goal. The proposed route would serve downtown Calgary and Edmonton, both international airports, Red Deer and Airdrie, using dedicated tracks and trains capable of speeds up to 320 km/h. The province estimates a Calgary-to-Edmonton trip could take less than two hours, offering another travel option in a corridor that is home to about 80 percent of Alberta’s population. Governments say they will continue planning and engage Indigenous communities, municipalities, industry, investors and the public; the project remains at an exploratory and proposal stage.
Key Points
1
Alberta’s Passenger Rail Master Plan describes a feasible, phased 30-year passenger-rail network using trains capable of 320 km/h, and the province says high-speed rail was identified as a priority during development of the plan.
2
Any successful proposal would need to connect with existing passenger-rail systems in Calgary and Edmonton.
3
Passenger rail in Alberta is currently limited largely to tourism-focused services, including VIA Rail and Rocky Mountaineer, alongside the cities’ light-rail transit systems.
4
The Calgary–Edmonton corridor is expected to absorb many of the additional three million to four million Albertans projected to live in the province over the next 60 years.
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