Alberta to seek private proposals for Calgary-Edmonton high-speed rail

Explainer

The Alberta government will begin seeking proposals from private companies this fall to build a high-speed passenger rail line between Calgary and Edmonton.

Premier Danielle Smith made the announcement Monday at Heritage Park in Calgary, outlining plans for a rail corridor connecting downtown Calgary and Edmonton while also serving Calgary International Airport, Edmonton International Airport, Red Deer and Airdrie.

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"Throughout the development of Alberta’s Passenger Rail Master Plan, we heard that a high-speed passenger rail connection between Calgary and Edmonton via Red Deer is a priority for Albertans," provincial Transportation Minister Devin Dreeshen said.

"We are excited to move forward with this project, which will transform the way Albertans travel."

The province expects to select a successful proponent by April 2027.

What is the proposed route and travel time?

The proposed high-speed rail connection would travel up to 320 km/h in a greenfield corridor through new, dedicated passenger rail tracks.

Trips between downtown Calgary and downtown Edmonton would take one hour and 45 minutes.

The route would include service between both international airports, Red Deer and Airdrie.

Smith said any successful bid would also need to connect with existing passenger rail systems in both Calgary and Edmonton.

"We expect to select a proponent by April of 2027," Smith said.

What role will the federal government play?

Smith said the federal government has committed to referring the project corridor to its Major Projects Office and will work with Alberta once a private-sector partner is chosen.

"The federal government has confirmed that once a private-sector proponent is chosen, the project would be referred to the Major Projects Office for review," Smith said, with the two governments working together to support its planning and advancement.

Prime Minister Mark Carney’s government established the Calgary-based Major Projects Office last year to speed along infrastructure deemed in the national interest.

"High-speed rail has great potential to reshape the way people move in Canada, and supports Alberta's economic growth, productivity and regional connectivity," said Steven MacKinnon, the federal minister of transport.

"Today's collaboration demonstrates our shared commitment to exploring opportunities that could deliver lasting benefits for Albertans and Canadians."

Emergency Management Minister Eleanor Olszewski, who represents an Edmonton riding, said Ottawa is prepared to work with Alberta on the project.

"We’ll need to listen to Indigenous communities, municipalities, industry, the public (and) we’ll need to understand the costs, the benefits and the impacts," Olszewski said.

"That work will require care because an opportunity like this deserves to be done well, but doing that work together is itself a choice and today the Government of Alberta and the Government of Canada, in conjunction and collaboration with the mayors, are doing exactly that."

Why is the province pursuing this project now?

"Statistics Canada’s most recent population data shows that Alberta is growing faster than every other province in 2026 and the Calgary, Red Deer, Edmonton region is home to roughly 80 per cent of Alberta’s population," Smith told a news conference.

"That increasing demand is creating a greater need for modern transportation infrastructure to keep people as well as services moving efficiently."

She said connecting the three cities with high-speed rail service "would be a generational investment in Alberta’s future."

The proposed rail line is a key part of Alberta’s Passenger Rail Master Plan, the province’s long-term vision for expanding passenger rail service, which the province announced the completion of in June.

Through that plan, the province found that high-speed rail service between Edmonton and Calgary through Red Deer with more than one train an hour was a "feasible" project "that could generate the greatest benefits for Alberta over 30 years."

The plan, which included a rail network more than 500 kilometres long that also includes service between Calgary and Banff and all-day service to and from the Calgary and Edmonton airports, also came with a $15-million investment over the next three years.

What are the financial expectations?

The province will launch a request for proposals process seeking a project that would require minimal provincial funding.

"The successful proponent’s project proposal will be expected to include minimal financial investment by Alberta’s government," Smith said.

She said her government is "pleased that the federal government recognizes the significance of this opportunity" and looks forward to working together to move the initiative from planning to delivery.

"By working with the federal government, we are taking the next steps toward a project that could strengthen one of Canada’s fastest-growing economic corridors and support Alberta’s growth for decades to come," Smith said.

The province plans to select a private-sector proponent for the project by April 2027.

With files from Calgary Herald, CBC News and Global News