Alberta government announces 'master plan' for railway development

Alberta unveils passenger rail master plan Alberta unveiled a master plan for a passenger rail system to connect communities across the province. Tyson Fedor reports.

The Alberta government has laid out the path ahead for an ambitious passenger railway system it says "has incredible potential" for the province.

On Monday, Premier Danielle Smith and Transportation Minister Devin Dreeshen unveiled the UCP government's passenger rail master plan, a series of steps it will take to "build the optimal passenger rail system for the province."

The vision includes:

The province's strategy is also expected to introduce an Alberta-led, "Metrolinx-like" Crown corporation to develop the infrastructure and oversee the daily operations associated with the railway network.

A request for proposal for Alberta's passenger rail master plan will be issued this summer and the government expects to add further investment to the project in Budget 2025 and 2026.

If the strategy moves ahead, the province says it expects to begin construction in 2027.

There is no information on how much the network will cost.