THE Canadian province of Alberta, along with the national Canada Infrastructure Bank, has agreed to develop detailed plans to introduce passenger trains between Calgary and Banff with the aim of removing traffic from the Trans-Canada Highway which runs through the Banff National Park in the Rocky Mountains.
The proposed service of up to 10 train pairs daily would start at Calgary Airport, north of the city, and then serve six more stations between central Calgary and Banff using a new track built for 131km alongside the existing Canadian Pacificowned transcontinental line Laggan subdivision (Calgary- Banff-Field). A more frequent service between Calgary and the airport would also be part of the plan. While proposals to expand passenger services in Canada have been made before, often leading nowhere, it does appear this proposal has a realistic chance of progressing.