CPCS plays lead role in Alberta’s Passenger Rail Master Plan
As lead consultant under Alberta Connexion Partners, CPCS plays leadership role to ensure the Government of Alberta (GOA) is equipped with a Passenger Rail Master Plan to guide passenger rail development across Alberta.
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Sector: Rail Client: Government of Alberta Client type: Government Location: Alberta, Canada |
Challenge
Alberta’s rapid population and economic growth motivated examining how passenger rail could relieve pressure on highways, connect population centers, and support tourism. Though passenger rail developments have been proposed in recent years, Alberta did not have an integrated passenger rail strategy that encompasses commuter, regional, and potential high-speed services.
Solutions
A team of leading passenger rail experts led by CPCS (co-branded as “Alberta Connexion Partners”) developed Alberta’s Passenger Rail Master Plan.
The Master Plan looks decades into the future and proposes a 30-Year Passenger Rail Network for Alberta.
The plan includes:
- A feasibility assessment of commuter, regional, and high-speed passenger rail services
- An evaluation of financial and delivery model options considering private, public, and hybrid approaches
- Options for governance structures to deliver and operate the proposed system
Extensive engagement with Albertans, stakeholders, and Indigenous communities helped shape a shared vision for passenger rail and informed the Master Plan.
CPCS provided overall project leadership, coordination and strategic rail planning advice, as well as ridership forecasting, operating and maintenance costing, and economic analysis to develop the Master Plan.
Impact
In June 2026, the Premier of Alberta and Minister of Transportation and Economic Corridors announced the completion of the Passenger Rail Master Plan and next steps towards implementation.
The Province committed $15 million over three years to advance planning, with initial work focused on priority corridors such as Edmonton–Red Deer-Calgary, along with connections between Edmonton and Calgary’s international airports and their respective downtowns. The Province will also be advancing engagement with industry and planning for Central Station in Calgary.
An executive summary of the Master Plan is available at https://www.alberta.ca/passenger-rail.
Why it matters
Alberta has reached a turning point in how it moves people and supports its rapidly growing communities. This Master Plan is about creating an integrated, inclusive transportation future that connects people to opportunity, promotes economic resilience, and reduces environmental impact. Alberta is setting the stage for strategically planned rail system that could serve generations to come.
