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EDMONTON – The Government of Alberta is developing a Passenger Rail Master Plan to chart the way forward for rail transportation in the province.

The plan will look to the coming decades as well as determine actions that can be taken at present and will assess the feasibility of passenger rail in the province, including regional (inter-city), commuter and high-speed services, a release said.

“A large and efficient passenger rail network stretching across the province has incredible potential. It represents a forward-looking vision and is a mobility solution for our rapidly growing province” said Alberta Premier Danielle Smith in a statement.

“I’m excited to watch this plan take shape and bring us into the future. There’s a lot of work ahead of us, but I’m confident that we will build the network Albertans need to improve daily life and work, boost the economy and take away the stress of long-distance travel.”

The Alberta government plan includes:

• A commuter rail system for the Calgary area connecting surrounding communities and the Calgary International Airport to downtown;
• a commuter rail system for the Edmonton area connecting surrounding communities and the Edmonton International Airport to downtown;
• regional rail lines from Calgary and Edmonton to the Rocky Mountain parks;
• a regional rail line between Calgary and Edmonton, with a local transit hub in Red Deer;
• municipal-led LRT systems in Calgary and Edmonton that integrate with the provincial passenger rail system; and
• rail hubs serving the major cities that would provide linkages between a commuter rail system, regional rail routes and municipal-led mass transit systems.

A provincially-led Crown corporation similar to Ontario’s Metrolinx would also be created and would have a mandate to develop the infrastructure and oversee daily operations, fare collection/booking systems, system maintenance and planning for future system expansion, the release said.

The plan will provide a cost-benefit analysis and define what is required by government, including a governance and delivery model, legislation, funding, and staging to implement passenger rail in Alberta. The work will include a 15-year delivery plan that will prioritize and sequence investments.

The 2024 provincial budget includes $9 million to support development of the master plan this year.