[yeggator]

I would bet more tourists would be gained from the train than passengers would be lost at YEG. International tourists won't come here unless it's quick and convenient for them, and a train that terminates downtown would help.

I concur. It's so much easier to convince tourists flying into YYC to visit the mountains to add a quick stop in Edmonton by high-speed train. Heck, I'm sure for a lot of people, taking the HSR would be an attraction in and of itself.

 

[Yeggy]

Get ready for early March 2026, as Vancouver YVR - Edmonton YEG - YVR route, will see a few (AC) Air Canada Rouge planes operating it.

View attachment 717171

If I had to take a rouge plane anywhere, it would be van, but flair remains my most used for that destination.

 

[David A]

If I had to take a rouge plane anywhere, it would be van, but flair remains my most used for that destination.

It is a relatively short flight, so long as the plane is decent it doesn't matter if the signage on it is for Air Canada or its subsidiary carrier.

 

[David A]

I concur. It's so much easier to convince tourists flying into YYC to visit the mountains to add a quick stop in Edmonton by high-speed train. Heck, I'm sure for a lot of people, taking the HSR would be an attraction in and of itself.

I feel having more frequent rail and other regular schedule transportation service between Edmonton and Jasper, as well as a better located train station, could boost tourism here more than a high speed train to Calgary.

 

[blue12]

I feel having more frequent rail and other regular schedule transportation service between Edmonton and Jasper, as well as a better located train station, could boost tourism here more than a high speed train to Calgary.

I think the key is that to boost Edmonton's tourism a substantial amount, the Edmonton-Jasper rail link would have to be high speed, or else it doesn't really pose an advantage. For international tourists looking to go to the rockies, most would opt to fly into Calgary and take a 1.5h train to Banff as opposed to flying into Edmonton and taking a 4h train to Jasper. If the Calgary-Banff and Edmonton-Jasper travel times were much more equal, that's when I'd expect to start seeing more people funnelling through Edmonton.

 

[David A]

I think the key is that to boost Edmonton's tourism a substantial amount, the Edmonton-Jasper rail link would have to be high speed, or else it doesn't really pose an advantage. For international tourists looking to go to the rockies, most would opt to fly into Calgary and take a 1.5h train to Banff as opposed to flying into Edmonton and taking a 4h train to Jasper. If the Calgary-Banff and Edmonton-Jasper travel times were much more equal, that's when I'd expect to start seeing more people funnelling through Edmonton.

Yes, but high speed rail from Calgary to Edmonton in itself does nothing to improve traveling from Edmonton to Jasper. However, people do not choose places to go to based on travel time alone.

Generally part of the appeal of places that are further away is that they are more unspoiled and less crowded. We can't change geography and move the mountains closer, but we can offer people better and more options to get there.

 

[AntonK]

I feel having more frequent rail and other regular schedule transportation service between Edmonton and Jasper, as well as a better located train station, could boost tourism here more than a high speed train to Calgary.

I hate to be a downer, but I don’t see that happening ever. Building high-speed rail from Edmonton to Jasper is 3 or 4 times the cost of Calgary to Banff, and would gather about 10% of the amount of riders that Calgary to Banff.
In a world where funding is limited, high-speed rail between Calgary to Banff or Calgary to Edmonton is where the funding will go, if it even happens.
Right now and for the foreseeable future, all of Alberta‘s international tourists are going through Calgary and onto Banff. High speed rail between Calgary and Edmonton is something that would make sense even without the tourism, and those international tourists that go to Calgary Banff would have easy access to Edmonton.
I’m not saying, I love the idea, but logically it might be the best way to get international tourists to come here.

 

[Tropical]

I hate to be a downer, but I don’t see that happening ever. Building high-speed rail from Edmonton to Jasper is 3 or 4 times the cost of Calgary to Banff, and would gather about 10% of the amount of riders that Calgary to Banff.
In a world where funding is limited, high-speed rail between Calgary to Banff or Calgary to Edmonton is where the funding will go, if it even happens.
Right now and for the foreseeable future, all of Alberta‘s international tourists are going through Calgary and onto Banff. High speed rail between Calgary and Edmonton is something that would make sense even without the tourism, and those international tourists that go to Calgary Banff would have easy access to Edmonton.
I’m not saying, I love the idea, but logically it might be the best way to get international tourists to come here.

I agree. And I also cannot see Parks Canada approving the habitat loss necessary for a high speed rail line to Banff. A line to Jasper faces the same hurdle, but would impact an even larger area of habitat. And we're not just talking about habitat destruction - the parks are already bisected by multiple highways and railroads that fragment habitat and migration. The legal mandate of Parks Canada is to priortize ecological integrity first under the Canada National Parks Act.

Thusfar, the provincial government is not signalling any consideration to this reality. Or to ecological integrity in general.

 

[David A]

I hate to be a downer, but I don’t see that happening ever. Building high-speed rail from Edmonton to Jasper is 3 or 4 times the cost of Calgary to Banff, and would gather about 10% of the amount of riders that Calgary to Banff.
In a world where funding is limited, high-speed rail between Calgary to Banff or Calgary to Edmonton is where the funding will go, if it even happens.
Right now and for the foreseeable future, all of Alberta‘s international tourists are going through Calgary and onto Banff. High speed rail between Calgary and Edmonton is something that would make sense even without the tourism, and those international tourists that go to Calgary Banff would have easy access to Edmonton.
I’m not saying, I love the idea, but logically it might be the best way to get international tourists to come here.

I agree, I don't see high speed rail to Jasper happening. Also, while the proposed passenger rail to Banff would be faster than the old passenger rail decades ago, I don't believe it will be high speed either.

The intention seems more to try relieve congestion from all the current vehicle traffic, not to make travel time extremely fast.

 

[Gronk!]

The legal mandate of Parks Canada is to priortize ecological integrity first under the Canada National Parks Act.

Thusfar, the provincial government is not signalling any consideration to this reality. Or to ecological integrity in general.

Thankfully, the national parks are under federal control instead of the province.

 

[IanO]

'The intention seems more to try relieve congestion from all the current vehicle traffic, not to make travel time extremely fast.'

Bingo AND to potentially have workers commute in from Calgary et al. to help relieve labour pressure due to housing constraints.

 

[David A]

I agree. And I also cannot see Parks Canada approving the habitat loss necessary for a high speed rail line to Banff. A line to Jasper faces the same hurdle, but would impact an even larger area of habitat. And we're not just talking about habitat destruction - the parks are already bisected by multiple highways and railroads that fragment habitat and migration. The legal mandate of Parks Canada is to priortize ecological integrity first under the Canada National Parks Act.

Thusfar, the provincial government is not signalling any consideration to this reality. Or to ecological integrity in general.

I suppose the provincial government can ignore reality if they want, they sometimes seem good at that, but that does not change it.

There are a lots of hypotheticals in all this discussion about high speed rail, which also has no concrete plans yet and is unlikely to happen soon.

So whatever impact it may have on our airport or tourism is years or maybe even decades away.

 

[Surrealplaces]

'The intention seems more to try relieve congestion from all the current vehicle traffic, not to make travel time extremely fast.'

Bingo AND to potentially have workers commute in from Calgary et al. to help relieve labour pressure due to housing constraints.

Agreed. HSR to Banff is often mentioned and lumped in with general rail service, but a Japanese style bullet train to Banff isn't needed. Any reasonable rail service that does between 80 and 100kmh would do the trick. The highway between Calgary and Banff is so slow sometimes, that an 80kmh train would probably be faster anyway.

 

[MacLac]

Don't want to a Debbie Downer but no high speed rail is happening in AB under Saddlebags Smitty or Nenshi when he takes over the province....let's keep up with current events and realize that $27B of projected debt for the next 3 years is not gonna allow a train for rich Asians to get to Banff quicker....let us please end this foolish discussion....especially when the new BoyChild Mayor to the South is already complaining about YYC'ers paying too much in taxes...

Calgary mayor voices concern over Alberta budget’s changes to local property taxes

Calgary Mayor Jeromy Farkas is criticizing the province over property tax changes announced in the 2026 budget.

www.ctvnews.ca

 

[Glenco]

^We are going to have to come to the realization if we want to maintain public services and build infrastructure for the future we are going to have to pay higher taxes. We cannot continue to rely on the price of oil.