Overview
We engaged with Albertans to gain their perspectives on the development of passenger rail in Alberta. We worked with municipalities, Indigenous communities and organizations, industry and groups, as well as passenger rail stakeholders and rail experts from across the world to ensure their perspectives were heard and reflected in Alberta’s Passenger Rail Master Plan.
The Passenger Rail Master Plan looks decades ahead and identifies concrete actions to build the optimal passenger rail system for the province.
Get informed
The Passenger Rail Master Plan assessed the feasibility of passenger rail in the province, including regional, commuter and high-speed services.
We explored a variety of delivery options including public, private or a combination of both in order to develop the optimal passenger rail system for Alberta.
- Learn more about Alberta’s vision for passenger rail.
Input received
Round 3 engagement
Virtual sessions – summer 2025
We hosted a series of virtual sessions to share an update on the development of the Passenger Rail Master Plan and confirm that what we have been hearing from Albertans is still accurate and relevant. These sessions focused on the emerging 30-year passenger rail network.
Round 2 engagement
Open house and virtual sessions – spring 2025
To help crystalize the vision of passenger rail in the province, in-person open houses took place in March 2025, in Calgary, Canmore, Red Deer and Edmonton. A virtual session was held in April 2025 to ensure Albertans from all locations were able to learn more about the Master Plan and share their input.
Indigenous roundtables – spring and summer 2025
In March 2025, Indigenous Roundtables were conducted across Alberta in Calgary, Edmonton, Fort McMurray, and Grande Prairie. A series of virtual roundtables took place in June 2025.
Designed to facilitate open, respectful, and collaborative dialogue, these early engagement sessions were focused on sharing information and gathering initial perspectives from Indigenous communities and organizations regarding the Passenger Rail Master Plan and possible future engagement.
Online survey – winter 2024 to spring 2025
From November 2024 to April 2025, Albertans had the opportunity to complete a passenger rail survey to help inform the development of the master plan. The survey asked Albertans about their experience with passenger rail and about their passenger rail priorities and preferences.
Round 1 engagement
Passenger rail forum
As part of the development of the Passenger Rail Master Plan, Alberta’s government hosted a one-day forum in November 2024. Local communities, industry and experts came together to collaborate and share information on passenger rail opportunities and challenges.
The forum included experts from Ontario, Quebec, California, Italy, Spain and Japan who are involved in passenger rail procurement, governance and operations. The sessions allowed for the sharing of best practices and lessons learned on passenger rail planning and development.
Premier Danielle Smith provides remarks on the Alberta government’s vision for passenger rail at the passenger rail forum in Calgary, November 22, 2024.
Marco Stegher, from Italferr SpA (Ferrovie dello Stato Italian Railways), shares lessons learned from FS Group’s long-term passenger rail operations in Italy at the passenger rail forum in Calgary, November 22, 2024.
Minister of Transportation and Economic Corridors, Devin Dreeshen, provides an overview of the passenger rail mandate and the Passenger Rail Master Plan at the passenger rail forum in Calgary, November 22, 2024.
Passenger rail engagement public open house in Calgary, March 10, 2025
Passenger rail engagement public open house in Calgary, March 10, 2025
Passenger rail engagement Indigenous roundtable in Fort McMurray, March 21, 2025
Passenger rail engagement Indigenous roundtable in Grande Prairie, March 24, 2025
Outcomes
The feedback received helped inform the development of the Passenger Rail Master Plan. This information positions the government to make decisions about the progression of passenger rail in Alberta now and into the future.
Contact
Connect with the passenger rail team:
Email: [email protected]