Consultants interested in the job of investigating the potential return of passenger train service between Calgary and Lake Louise have been given an extension to get their proposal to the Town of Banff.
The towns of Banff, Canmore and Cochrane, the City of Calgary and Improvement District 9 are looking for a qualified consulting firm to lead a study to determine the feasibility of passenger mass transit, both rail and bus. The deadline for the request for proposals is March 16.
As the number of visitors to Banff continues to soar, causing heavy traffic congestion and a less desirable experience, consultants are being asked to look at two options for passenger rail; either using a new dedicated line within the existing CP Railway corridor, or existing CP tracks.
Buses are also included to explore the options of using a combination of modes, or a phased-in approach.
Banff Deputy Mayor Stavros Karlos said Banff and Canmore have done a really good job of getting the local and regional Roam transit up and running, and the next step is transit between the busy Bow Valley and Calgary, where the majority of visitors are coming from.
“My preference is for rail service again. It would be so nice,” he said. “If you look at places across the world, buses are the least preferential, while aerial transit and trains come in at most preferential.”
Train passenger service to Banff hasn’t existed since Via Rail’s Canadian route stopped its southern leg in 1990. Ottawa stopped the southern route as part of deep budget cuts, instead using the northern route through Edmonton and Jasper.
Karlos believes the answer lies in twinning the existing CP line.
“It needs a twinning of the line. CP’s priority is container traffic, they are clear about that, and I understand their business model,” he said. “We will never get high-speed rail, but I think twinning the line is reasonable. I don’t think it’s pie in the sky.”
The number of visitors to Banff National Park last year climbed to about 3.89 million and has been increasing year over year. Statistics show 93 per cent of visitors get to busy Banff in a personal vehicle.
Survey results outlined in the RFP document show 48 per cent of visitors would “probably” or “definitely” take a train from Calgary to Banff.
As part of the study, consultants are being asked to identify any peripheral infrastructure, such as park and ride, transit shelters or connecting transit enhancements, that may be required to support the service for each community.
As well, they’ll have to develop a financial model providing capital costs, revenue and net operating costs for a potential service.
The municipalities received a provincial grant of $350,000 in March 2016 to do the study. They met throughout the remainder of 2016 to develop the scope of work and prepare the RFP.
