Calgary Regional Rail Transit

[InfrastructureEnthusiast]

Pretty cool! Unfortunately it all comes back around to freight rail being too successful in Canada. The CPKC is pushing 37 trains a day on average through the system, up from 33 or so two decades ago. To add 16+ trains a day (8 round trips) to the line for the stretch just isn't feasible without twinning (or nearly full twinning), let alone 16+ to Banff plus 16+ to Cochrane.

Yeah I figured this wouldn't work for the mainlines, and I still prefer the idea of Shinkansen grade HSR for the YEG to Banff route.

But it could be a cost effective way of running lower traffic regional routes like GP and Ft Mac, or as a line in the Okanagan from Kamloops to the border. Or on Vancouver island from Comox to Esquimalt.

I also recently read about increasing demand for air flights between Regina and Saskatoon, but if a system like this could provide near one hour rail service instead I think it'd be the better solution. Maybe even extend the line to Edm and Wpg if it proves successful.