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By CHAT News Today

Rocky Mountain train

Government looking at Calgary-Banff passenger rail service

Jun 9, 2020 | 3:36 PM

The province is eyeing having people ride the rails between the Alberta’s largest city and its most popular tourist destination.

A memorandum of understanding has been signed between the Alberta government and the Canada Infrastructure Bank (CIB) to assess the feasibility of a new passenger rail service between Calgary and Banff.

“Our government is creating an environment where investors and job creators can succeed in Alberta,” said Ric McIver, minister of transportation. “We are pleased to be partnering with the CIB to complete a feasibility study for the Calgary-Banff Rail project. The CIB brings expertise and experience that is needed for a project of this scale. We look forward to learning more about this exciting project and hearing from our community partners about how this opportunity can support our tourism industry and get our economy back on track.”

The study, which will be paid for by the CIB, will also look at the possibility of stops in between Calgary and Banff.

Tanya Fir, minister of economic development, trade and tourism, said the project is “the type of bold and innovative strategic thinking that we need to consider if we want to properly show off Alberta’s majestic landscapes and scenery.”

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According to the province, Banff National Park attracts about four million visitors each year and in 2017 had 36.9 million visits.