Calgary Airport–Banff passenger rail system gains union backing

The Calgary Airport–Banff passenger rail system has picked up fresh backing this week, with two Canadian trade unions voicing support for the Alberta proposal.

This is reported by the railway transport news portal Railway Supply.

Canada’s Building Trades Unions (CBTU) and Building Trades of Alberta (BTA) signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) yesterday with the Friends of the Calgary Airport-Banff Rail (CABR). CBTU described the step in a Canada’s Building Trades Unions (CBTU) press release, saying the agreement is intended to support construction of the privately funded passenger-rail system.

Calgary Airport–Banff passenger rail system: route and corridor

The Calgary Airport-Banff Rail (CABR) proposal sets out a 93-mile regional passenger rail line planned primarily along a CPKC rail corridor.

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It would connect Calgary International Airport to downtown Calgary, serve communities along the Bow Valley Corridor, and continue on to Banff, Canada’s first national park.

CABR also has MOUs with CPKC and the Canada Infrastructure Bank, which is described as one of the project’s primary investors.

Project goals and planned operations

Supporters say the passenger-rail system is designed to support Alberta’s tourism and labor sectors, reduce congestion and motor vehicle emissions, and strengthen economic diversity. As outlined, CABR would run every 20 minutes using zero-emission hydrogen locomotives.

CADE dependency in the planning phase

The CABR project depends on a separate, government-funded passenger rail line called the Calgary Airport-Downtown Express (CADE). That Calgary Airport-Downtown Express (CADE) project is currently in the planning stage, as noted by Railway Supply, and is positioned as a prerequisite for the broader Calgary Airport-Banff Rail plan.

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