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Canada and Alberta to jointly explore high-speed rail on Calgary–Red Deer–Edmonton corridor
Canada and Alberta will jointly explore high-speed rail connecting Calgary, Red Deer and Edmonton, referred to the federal Major Projects Office; Alberta plans an RFP this fall with a proponent to be chosen by April 2027.
Why it matters
High-speed rail has never been built in Canada. If the Calgary–Edmonton corridor moves ahead, it would create the country's second HSR project after Quebec City–Toronto and reshape travel in Canada's third-largest transportation corridor, cutting the drive between the two cities to well under two hours.
Full report
On September 28, 2026, Transport Canada announced that the governments of Canada and Alberta will collaborate to explore high-speed rail connecting the Calgary–Red Deer–Edmonton corridor. The announcement was made in Calgary by Eleanor Olszewski, Minister of Emergency Management and Community Resilience and Minister responsible for Prairies Economic Development Canada, on behalf of Transport Minister Steven MacKinnon, alongside Alberta Premier Danielle Smith and Alberta Transportation Minister Devin Dreeshen.
Like the Toronto–Quebec City high-speed rail initiative, the Alberta project will be referred to the federal Major Projects Office (MPO) as a transformative strategy. The two governments will establish a joint governance structure to guide collaboration, share information, support planning and due diligence, and explore near-term steps including market-sounding activities to assess market interest.
Separately, the Alberta government is preparing a formal Request for Proposal (RFP) this fall, inviting private-sector proponents to bid on a downtown Calgary–Red Deer–downtown Edmonton high-speed rail line that also serves Alberta's two largest airports and the City of Airdrie. The winning proponent is to be selected by April 2027. The partnership supports Alberta's Passenger Rail Master Plan, which identified a Calgary–Edmonton high-speed link as a priority for Albertans. As work progresses, the governments say they will engage with Indigenous communities, municipalities, industry, investors and the public.
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