Alberta government announces 'master plan' for railway development
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:
- A commuter rail system for the Calgary area that connects neighbouring communities and links them to the Calgary International Airport and the city's downtown;
- A commuter rail system for the Edmonton area that connects neighbouring communities and links them to the Edmonton International Airport and the city's downtown;
- Regional rail lines from Calgary and Edmonton to the national 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 link with the province's passenger rail system; and
- Rail hubs in Alberta's major cities that provide links between commuter rail systems, regional rail routes and municipal-led mass transit systems.
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.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
DEVELOPING 120 active fires burning across Canada, 30 are 'out of control'
The 2024 wildfire season has begun, and it's shaping up to follow last year's unprecedented destruction in kind, with thousands of square kilometres already consumed.
Veteran TSN sportscaster Darren Dutchyshen has died
Veteran TSN broadcaster Darren 'Dutch' Dutchyshen, one of Canada’s best-known sports journalists, has died. He was 57. His family says 'he passed as he was surrounded by his closest loved ones.'
BREAKING B.C. parents sentenced to 15 years for death of 6-year-old boy
A British Columbia Supreme Court judge has sentenced the mother and stepfather of a six-year-old boy who died from blunt-force trauma in 2018 to 15 years in prison.
Speaker cuts ties with Sask. Party, alleges he faced threats, harassment from gov't MLAs
The Speaker of the Saskatchewan Legislature Randy Weekes has severed ties with the Sask. Party after accusing some members of harassment and intimidation tactics, including a situation he claimed saw the Government House Leader bring a hunting rifle to the legislative building.
Kevin Spacey receives star support as he fights to get his career back
Kevin Spacey is pushing back on the 'rush to judgment' against him and is being backed by some big names as he seeks to reclaim his acting career.
A Toronto man killed his mother and decapitated her. His lawyers argue it wasn't murder
A ‘lifetime of abuse’ led Dallas Ly to snap and repeatedly stab his mother inside their Leslieville apartment in 2022 but he never intended to kill her, his defence lawyers argued during his murder trial in Toronto on Thursday.
Father charged with second-degree murder in daughter's stabbing death southwest of Montreal
A father has been charged with second-degree murder in the stabbing death of his 34-year-old daughter in southern Quebec.
Trudeau calls New Brunswick's Conservative government a 'disgrace' on women's rights
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau assailed New Brunswick's premier and other conservative leaders on Thursday, calling out the provincial government's position on abortion, LGBTQ youth and climate change.
The latest advice for expecting parents? Sign up for childcare as soon as you're pregnant
Canada's new $10-a-day child care program is expanding, but there's growing evidence that demand for the program is rising even faster, leaving many parents on the outside looking in.