Alberta launches high-speed rail bid linking Calgary, Red Deer and Edmonton

At a ceremony in Heritage Park, Alberta officials confirmed the province will launch a formal request for proposals this fall to develop a high-speed passenger rail line linking downtown Calgary, Red Deer and downtown Edmonton, including service to both international airports and the city of Airdrie. The route, planned to run on new dedicated tracks at speeds up to 320 km/h, would reduce the Calgary-Edmonton journey to roughly one hour and 45 minutes.

The initiative stems from Alberta’s Passenger Rail Master Plan, which identified the corridor as a priority for the rapidly growing region that now houses about 80 % of the province’s residents. Premier Danielle Smith emphasized that the chosen private-sector partner should need little provincial investment and must integrate with existing rail networks, with a selection target of April 2027. The federal government, through Minister Eleanor Olszewski, committed to collaborate on financing options and to forward the project to the Federal Major Projects Office as a transformative venture. Both levels of government highlighted the rail line’s potential to boost economic competitiveness, ease road congestion, and support future population growth.