Alberta will launch a formal request this fall for private companies to propose a high-speed rail system linking Edmonton, Red Deer and Calgary. Premier Danielle Smith said the selected proponent would be chosen by April 2027, and Ottawa has agreed to refer the project to its major projects office once that selection is made.

Emergency Management Minister Eleanor Olszewski, who represents an Edmonton riding, said the federal government is prepared to work with Alberta. The process will include discussions with Indigenous communities, municipalities and the public to understand the railway’s costs, benefits and effects. Smith said the service would also stop at Alberta’s two largest airports.

“Statistics Canada’s most recent population data shows that Alberta is growing faster than every other province in 2026 and the Calgary, Red Deer, Edmonton region is home to roughly 80 per cent of Alberta’s population,” Smith told a news conference in Calgary on Monday. She added: “That increasing demand is creating a greater need for modern transportation infrastructure to keep people as well as services moving efficiently.”

Prime Minister Mark Carney’s government established the Calgary-based major projects office last year to speed up infrastructure projects deemed to be in the national interest. The proposed rail link would connect three of Alberta’s largest population centres, with airport stops also planned.

Based on reporting by Global News Edmonton.